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Quote:Unquote

Cuillin Dusk Isle of Skye Photograph by Steve GoslingI am an avid collector of photographic books and a voracious reader of all things photographic (magazines, books, websites etc). I intend to write a blog post about some of my favourite books but for now I want to refer to a few quotes that have inspired me or encouraged me to reflect on the photographic process; quotes that have influenced the way I think about and approach my own photography.

I do not intend to analyse these quotes but simply draw attention to them in the hope that they encourage those who read this blog to reflect and consider how they relate to them & their personal photographic endeavours. However I will explore some of the themes raised in future blog posts: -

"The immature artist imitates; the mature artist steals" (Calvin Trilling)

"Style is not something you go out and search for. Style is something that comes to you. In most cases this takes many years - sometimes a lifetime" (Manual Alvarez Bravo)

"Creativity is allowing yourelf to make mistakes; art is knowing which ones to keep" (Scott Adams)

"I owe an allegiance to surrealism because it taught me to let the photographic lens look into the rubble of the unconscious and of chance" (Henri Cartier Bresson)

"A great image asks questions and provokes curiosity; it doesn't necessarily have to tell a whole story" (Stephen Mayes)

End of the Line The Isle of Skye Photograph by Steve Gosling"I am more drawn to suggestion rather than description. Details do not greatly interest me" (Michael Kenna)

"There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are" (Ernst Haas)

"The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera" (Dorothea Lange)

"As with learning any language being able to speak it is one thing. Knowing what we want to say with it, how and to whom is another" (Eddie Ephraums)

Earlier this week I was discussing with a photographer friend of mine our frustrations at not being able to get out with our cameras in recent weeks to make the most of the Autumn colours. Work & family commitments had constantly got in the way of us realising our good intentions to venture out and make some new photographs. My friend, who is in his late sixties, commented that he felt particularly sad about this as he'd been dwelling on the fact that the number of autumns he had left in his life were rapidly diminishing. Morbid perhaps, but realistic - for all of us. As the saying goes 'tomorrow is promised to no one'. It's easy to let life get in the way of our art making (even when we do it for a living) so it's with this is mind that I share this final quote: -

"Maybe the great lesson that is presented to us everyday is that there will never be time for photography, but that there is always time for life. When we find a way to make photography fit our life we'll have time for photography. Perhaps we'd best learn this before our time for life runs out" (Brooks Jensen)

Gripped by Winter Blea Tarn Photograph by Steve Gosling