I think that editing is one of the harder tasks to do as an artist. When you are developing an image, what do you select, when do you start, what do you include, what do you exclude, when do you stop???
I love the no-bainers. Something magically seems to happen at the point capturing the initial exposure for us who are photographers. I hope that I have captured it and in our digital photography world, if I take a moment, I can verify it. Selecting the image is a no brainer and what to do with it is a no brainer, it just seems to tell you what to do, so you just do it. Easy.
It’s those borderline cases that can drive me up the wall. Like this image. I made it during the time I was working with the folk art memorial at the Santa Rosa Plateau, but does it fit with my series Bad Trip – Sad Trip?
This is one of those images that is very different from the others and I keep coming back to it. Finally I have worked it with my black and white mojo. To me its a haunting image. More like an Ickabod Crane moment (a character in a scary story for those not familiar with the Headless Horseman). The horizontals are not horizontal, the sky is a complete wash out and nothing is really sharp in focus. More of one those suggestive images that I discuss about with Colin. And what am I exactly suggesting? Grrrr, I wish I knew. Perhaps the scariness & terror of death and dying.
I have read a bunch of advice on selecting the very best of your images and being ruthless in your editing. Every image having to have an exact purpose. Providing consistency in your message and intent. Thus this image has is on Hold for being included in this series as I am not sure that it “fits”.
But perhaps this image is part of another story, another developing series? I guess time will tell as I continue to let my images talk to me and hopefully I will understand.
Best regards, Doug
Rock Ring with Sea Shells (from the series: Bad Trip – Sad Trip)
I have been working on my series Bad Trip – Sad Trip for over almost two years and as recently as today’s image, which I guess qualifies it as a Photo of the Day. In one sense, I felt that I have created a sufficient amount of images to effectively get my thoughts across about my meaning of these Folk Art Memorials. But from my reaction to another road side memorial, perhaps not.
So when do you find that a series or body of work is completed? I am not sure, and like most things, it probably depends upon the person and what/how they have emotional committed to it.
I do find that I still keep track of the local folk art memorials, noting the on going changes; fresh flower, missing parts and other relevent changes. I also find that I continue to re-evaluate the images that I have made and looking again at these memorials, thinking about could I prehaps present them in a different or more effect “light”.
I also know that I am not totally consumed with this one series now and I have initiated other projects. So perhaps the Bad Trip – Sad Trip series is going through a life cycle of its own. I also find myself thinking about how these folk art memorials differ through the USA, as I have only sampled a few regions at this point. And has been pointed out to me, there are the geographic folk art memorials that are spred over the world.
So perhaps to answer my own question, I guess a series is finished when you feel it is done and you need to move on. And I guess that this series is not quite as done as I thought it was.
BTW, this image was made of a fok art memorial that I happen to glance and see on our way back from Laguan Beach last month. It is tucked into a small area alone the road between a couple of large bushes, one of the bushes you can see in this image. There are a number of religous symbols and items that are here and it appears slightly different than the first time I saw it with the additional rock and sea shell ring. I do not know how long it has been there. It is easy to miss.
Best regards, Doug
