Docent – © John Neel

The viewer

There are two parts to every photograph – the making of the image and the viewing of the image. Both are acts of seeing. The photographer is the first viewer. The viewer is the second. The making of an image and the viewing of the final results are different experiences.

A photograph needs at least one viewer. A great photograph begs for many.

.

“There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.” – Ansel Adams

“If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn’t need to lug around a camera.”  – Lewis Hine

 “The important thing is not the camera but the eye.” –  Alfred Eisenstaedt

“The negative is the equivalent of the composer’s score, and the print the performance.” – Ansel Adams

“A portrait is not made in the camera but on either side of it.” – Edward Steichen

“Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow.” – Imogen Cunningham

“A good photograph is one that communicates a fact, touches the heart and leaves the viewer a changed person for having seen it. It is, in a word, effective.” – Irving Penn

“Every time someone tells me how sharp my photos are, I assume that it isn’t a very interesting photograph.  If it were, they would have more to say.” – Author Unknown

Read about great photographic techniques in my book Rethinking Digital Photography.

NOTICE of Copyright: THIS POSTING AS WELL AS ALL PHOTOGRAPHS, GALLERY IMAGES, AND ILLUSTRATIONS ARE COPYRIGHT © JOHN NEEL AND ARE NOT TO BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT WRITTEN CONSENT FROM THE WRITER, THE PHOTOGRAPHER AND/OR lensgarden.com. THE IDEAS EXPRESSED ARE THE PROPERTY OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER AND THE AUTHOR.