I have been struggling with the name of this blog/email newsletter since it began months ago. Some of my struggles include; can I sustain it, what should I write about, does anybody care? I think the answers to those questions are maybe yes, maybe no, but focusing my thoughts will probably make me a better photographer.
I’ve chosen the title The Next Shot because I believe my best work will be the next time I take my camera out. Although that is something that can’t always be true, I think most creative people including photographers, painters, musicians and writers believe in their next shot. We believe our next work could be Moonrise, Hernandez New Mexico, Guernica, Abby Road or The Great Gatsby. I said in an earlier post, I feel like a prospector and every time I bring my camera out I am not looking to take a snapshot, I am looking to make a photograph.
The idea is to just do it, make it the best you can and keep on looking for that next shot.
Here are a few of my favorite photographers that always seem to get better with every shot:
Dan Winters - https://danwintersphoto.com
John Russo - https://johnrussophoto.com
The Late, GREAT Irving Penn - https://irvingpenn.org
Thanks for your time.
John
I have a special affinity with Penn. First of all we were born in the same place. Secondly he was unbelievably good in black and white. Lastly, he was an artist that happened to be one of the top fashion photographers of the 20th Century. He was the best!
John, do you think that most every creator has questioned the value of their work at some point? The intrinsic value is in the doing as an act of expression. Thanks for sharing your favorite photographers. I enjoyed getting a feel for their perspectives. I was also taken by the paintings by Irving Penn. I will be revisiting them as times allows.