On Perspective as Subject

A short update on my photographic direction post below. 

I ran into to one of the guys who work on my floor about Juxtapose magazine today (as he had mentioned it to me earlier), and I told him about the 6 page feature of Jennilee Marigomen that's going to be in the February issue. Not many details, but just that she's one of my favorite photographers. The conversation then went on to talking about a photographer he liked who had a specific style (something to do with crashed airplanes and architecture), and I found myself feeling a strong sense of disinterest. 

After leaving the convo, I got to thinking about why it is that I'm drawn to the kind of photography I like.  

Jennileem, along with other few photographers I follow and am inspired by, takes photos of everyday things she runs into. Her whole deal runs along the lines of finding beauty in the ordinary, and she is very, very good at it. (Check out her blog here)

As I look at the images that capture my eyes and inspire my heart, I realize that oftentimes the object itself that has been photographed carries little weight. It's the way it's been photographed by means of light, color, composition - the tools of the photographer - that beautifies both the object and the final image. In a way, for these photos (and photographers) the real subject is not what's being photographed but the perspective and eye of the photographer.  

This concept is one I have heard of and realized to a lesser degree earlier on in my undertaking of photography, and it's good to be able to see and understand it in a deeper way. The corollary to all this is that I should think about how to work on identifying and developing my own unique perspective.