Re: Oxymorons and pre-visualization

[Jack Gottlob <sam@injersey.com>]

BIRKEY, DUANE wrote:
> 
> Jim wrote:
> 
> >But the word
> >"pre-visualization" sounds like an oxymoron to me. You can visualize
> >something, but how can you do it before you actually do it? ;-)
> 
> For those of you whom English is a second or third language:
> 
> Webster's dictionary states that the word visualize means:  to form a
> mental image of something not visible.
> Oxymoron is a figure of speech in which contradictory terms are
> combined or used together.
> 
> Ansel Adams coined a number of phrases and had some thoughts that a
> number of experts will tell you are not technically and
> sensitometrically (sic?) correct.  (Whoops, don't start another Adams
> thread please)
> 
> I would personally define pre-visualization in photography as:  the
> process of forming a mental image of how a photo will appear in it's
> final form.
> 
> I'm like Frans in that I too like to sketch out photos.   Usually it is
> something that requires lighting but I try to have a always have good
> sense of how I want to photograph things before hand.  I like to scout
> out locations, observe what goes on, figure out what I want to capture
> on film and then figure out how to get it and what I need to get that
> shot.  But then again, I'm a one man show and having shots planned out
> means I have exactly the equipment I need and I can work faster.  It
> also gives me time to think without the pressure that comes with being
> there with all of your stuff and having everyone saying are you ready
> yet?   I can think about what little things I want to include in the
> photo or not include.  I can decide on how sharp or unsharp I want the
> background to be and whether I want it to be dark or light.  Am I going
> to get green casts from fluorescent lights, flare from windows etc.
> etc. etc.
> 
> I know some of you will say that photographers shouldn't get locked
> into an idea before hand.  But that's the purpose of scouting a
> location.  I know more or less what happens and what is going to
> happen.  So the specific mental images I want to capture on film come
> in part from scouting it out before hand and knowing the subject well.
> If you don't think out a complex photograph, chances are you will find
> that a lot of the details are not properly taken care of and the final
> image will suffer.
> 
> For travel type photography I almost always first walk around and look
> at the location or study the subjects a bit before shooting anything.
> I get better shots that way, it gives me time to look beyond the
> subject at the background and figure out what's going on around the
> scene or other possible places to shoot from.  I also get past the
> initial excitement of seeing the subject and thus concentrating on it
> while ignoring the surroundings shooting style.
> 
> But then again I work for a non-profit organization and I develop my
> own film so I have need to be conscious of how I'm using God's film.  I
> also often shoot with slides, b&w and color neg at the same time, so I
> need to get things right from the start or I end up  putting a lot of
> film in the circular file  (garbage can).
> 
> For what it's worth,
> 
> Duane Birkey
> HCJB World Radio
> Quito EcuadorInteresting Duane.  When I am shooting for myself, (not on assignment), I 
first try to capture sight drew me to the spot in the first place.  I 
then walk around to find other views.  I find first impressions, to me, 
are usually the strongest.
(Of course on the job it's whatever I have to do to please the guy with 
the check.)
jack