The art of photography. . . !

Hi friends and fellow bloggers: As the photographer for J. LaMore I shoot thousands of images every week of fashion models for countless promotional campaigns. I love it but doing this will never give me the chance to take a photograph that becomes listed in the top 100 photographs of all time. I don't have the time to explore the challenge, if you can call it that. Those kinds of things happen instantly, without warning or a plan. You're just there at the right place at the right time.

As a long suffering artist and painter I never used to think that "photographers" were deserving of the notoriety that some of them receive and that they weren't in the same league as the old (or current) art masters. I understand it's not completely fair to compare the two but I think you know what I mean.

In my mind, photographers didn't seem to suffer enough, if at all, and taking a picture is so much easier compared to, let's say; painting the Mona Lisa or the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel! How about Picasso's, Geurnica! Anyone! I rest my case. It's very similar to my thoughts on music where you can only sing the blues if you've suffered. In my mind photogrpahers were rich and didn't suffer anything.

I used to think that painters were artists who created something and photographers took pictures of what someone else created and were not artists, they were photographers. How hard is to take a picture? I was young and obviously not very bright at the time and I considered myself an artist who occasional took photo's. But was carefull how I phrased it.

And then it happened! I saw the above photograph a long time ago and was completely mesmerized by the fearful and haunting look of this young girls eyes and I had to know more about this photo, who took it, and what was going on at the time that made her look so fascinating. Every time I see this photo I can't stop staring at those beautiful eyes! Have you ever seen a pair of eyes like this? They almost look like they belong in an animal. That's a powerful image and it's one photograph taken in a split second. Imagine that! I discovered that there was no need to compare the two mediums, they were both at the same level in so many ways.

I was hooked on photography ever since and it only took one photograph, widely considered the most recognizable photograph of all time to do it, but I was hooked on one photo none the less . . ! (For a close up of those eyes, click the image to view it large in a browser window. Amazing!)

This photo was taken in 1984 as part of a National Geographic "Green Eyes" project tracking the genetic traits of green eyes passed down through the Mongols during the time of Genghis Kahn. (1206-1227) National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry took the photo and when it made the cover of National Geographic in 1985 it was instantly vaulted to the top 100 portraits of all time. At the time of the photograph no one knew the girls name and she was known to the world only as the "Afghan girl."

It wasn't until 17 years later that McCurry went back to Afghan with his famous picture that she was identified as Sharbat Gula. Sharbat was thought to be twelve years old at the time and she had never been photographed before or since. You can read about what happened to Sharbat here. Incredible!

I never forgot this hauntingly beautiful photograph which gave me a new found respect for photographers. I can easily drop the brushes now and pick up the bag. Unfortunately, photography is a hell of a lot more expensive than painting but I love it. I'm a photographer now and occasionally I'll paint.

Jim
jlamore.com