Photography
The art of seeing
Creativity in Photography
The photographer is not the only one to visualize an image
The art of seeing is an essential quality for any creator. For the photographer, it allows them to visualize an image and capture it in a meaningful way. Learning to see is a lifelong pursuit, and this skill is universal. Every artist, in their own way, must master this skill.
Here are some examples of how other art forms demonstrate mastery of the art of seeing.
Cinematography
Death in Venice, by Luchini Visconti, 1971
Director of Photography: Pasqualino De Santis
Representation of Venice at the beginning of the 20th century
Sculpture
The Death of Abel, by Vincent Feugere des Forts, exhibited at the Mésée du Quai d'Orsey in Paris
The Death of Abel
Greco-Roman period
European Neoclassical period 19th century
Paint
Self-portraits by Rembrandt. 1660
Video games
Assassin's Creed by Ubisoft (2007 – 2018)
Inspiré du roman Alamut par l’auteur Vladimir Bartol, de Slovénie
Literature
What can literature offer us to enable us to visualize an image?
The descriptive power of an author allows us to 'see' a scene
This is the interior of the Hagia Sophia Church in Istanbul
Tell Them of Battles, Kings and Elephants, by novelist Mathias Enard
Following the rejection of Pope Julius II (megalomaniac, warrior, authoritarian and bad payer) for the construction of his tomb at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, the author recounts the clash of cultures and values when Michelangelo arrived in Istanbul in 1506 to take charge of a project for the Grand Vizier to build a bridge to join the two banks of the Golden Horn.
In this reading, we accompany Michelangelo during his first visit to the Church of St. Sophia (page 41)
A few years earlier, in 1501, Leonardo da Vinci had proposed to the Sultan of Constantinople an avant-garde model to join the two banks.
This bridge was never built, as the necessary materials were not available.
Leonardo da Vinci's sketch of a 240-meter-long single-span bridge was to be built across the Golden Horn, crossing the Bosphorus Strait, which divides the city of Constantinople, now Istanbul. The bridge could not be built because it was too demanding for the builders of the time.
For five hundred years, Leonardo's graceful design remained a tiny and obscure drawing. In 1996, contemporary Norwegian artist Vebjørn Sable observed the drawing at an exhibition of Leonardo da Vinci's engineering drawings. Upon his return to Oslo, he proposed that the Norwegian Department of Transport undertake construction of the project. Sable devoted time and effort to transforming the bridge project from a dream to a reality. And in 2001, a small pedestrian bridge based on Leonardo's original design was built near the town of Ås, on the E-18 highway connecting Oslo and Stockholm.
Other examples from literature
The Erlking, by the novelist Michel Tounier
Excerpt assembled by Michel Grenier , discussing photographic inspiration
This image was produced by Heinrich Damin and shared on DevianArt. It is titled 'The Map and the Territory'. It represents a personal interpretation of the material described in Houellebecq's novel, which does not represent the author's vision.
The Map and the Territory by Michel Houellebecq (2010)
My Life Takes Up All My Time by Pierre Salducci (2003)
Through the Keyhole , by Nancy Huston (2010)
Photographic vision presented in Nancy Huston's novel, Infrared,
And why not:
The dance
The dancer in motion is a source of inspiration for the photographer
Here are some references (Aggregation Sites):
Flickr, OlivierPhotographic vision presented in Nancy Huston's novel, Infrarouge,
Dancer Kerrie Fewings
The Image of the Dancer / Kahlil Calder
The theater
Actress Léandre Labrèche-Dor, in an interview with Stéphan Bureau
The importance of humor in drama, according to Léane Labrèche-Dor
Interview by Stéphan Bureau
Nov. 2019
Perfection in art is not interesting. It is the particularities of each individual, their sensitivity, their emotions that capture their attention. There is nothing Cartesian about these elements.
In general, we touch on several disciplines.
It's a failure to respect the rules. The greatest poems don't respect the rules of the French language. Often, they are incomplete sentences. You have to learn the basics, you have to master the rules, and then deconstruct them.
The people who touch us most in their respective art, whether it be dance, singing, acting, or writing, are delinquents.
Karsh's inspiration for artificial lighting
Yousuf Karsh was inspired by theater lighting to use artificial lighting in his photography studio. He is renowned for his mastery of lighting.
Ottawa Little Theatre, 1936 Saint-Joan
And what about the models used in photography and trained as actors?
The music
“At night, hearing is the sharpest organ.”
Interview with Jean-Michel Blais on Radio Canada
by Stéphan Bureau
Mr. Blais mentions 3 cases of inter-creation in his work as a musician:
Celine Dion songs covered on piano
Films by Xavier Dolan, visual creation
Robert Lepage, theatrical and musical creation
Jean-Michel Blais, composer and musician
Portrait of Ken Nagano, 2008
by Jean-François Bérubé
Song and poetry
I Have a Lake for You, by Gilles Vignault
In an interview, Vignault describes how he saw moonlight appear on a tiny lake, perched atop a tree in the dark. The vision lasted only a few minutes. Ten years later, he wrote the song “J'ai pour toi un lac” (I Have a Lake for You) , inspired by this memorable moment.
A direct link can be made with the vision of Ansel Adam and his specular photo Moonrise over Hernandez , captured in 1941.