“I am both humbled and hopeful when I think of the number of times all over the world, that I have seen people define themselves not by their possessions or wealth, but by grace, courage, and profound decency in their gestures and behavior.”

Peter Turnley, form his journal — http://www.peterturnley.com/journal/journal10.html

Photographs are to be shown and shared with others. That is what I heard — and I need to take that advice. I am so used to shooting for a project and then using a pick from the project with the remaining photographs hidden in their respective binders as Kodachrome slides or in a computer hard disc.

“Photography is about sharing a response with others —
the camera is only a tool”
Peter Turnley
Foundry Photojournalism Workshop – Istanbul (June 20-29, 2010)

Photographs need to be shared. I am speaking to my self (as well as you). My biggest challenge is sharing the images that I see. BUT, now is the greatest opportunity in history to share and express what we are seeing, the emotion we are feeling, or the reaction we meet as we are out making photographs.  Thousands of photographs in the form of transparencies and negatives sit in folders, or boxes and have never seen the light of day— I have never shared them.  I had an excuse due to the huge cost of printing or scanning photographs, but since digital and the web todays possibilities are endless.

Colorado Rocky Mountain View 1985

Above is a photograph that I have never shown, but really liked taken in 1985 with
a Pentax ME super 70-200 3.5-4.5 Vivatar lens on Kodak Ektachrome film

My challenge is that I find images and capture them, but unless it is for an assignment or graphic design/printing job they dont receive an audience. BUT I WANT TO CHANGE THAT.  I don’t want to just “Make” photographs which is ok, but I want to  “Give” something back.  It doesn’t matter with whom I share my photographs I make, but I must “Share them”.

Do you have a vision? Sharing that vision is now possible. We have been created and have vision/purpose instilled within us all (Have you found out what that is?).  I am going to work more toward sharing my vision of the world.

Recently I met Gemma & Andrew who are traveling through Turkey, and the Middle East.  I was struck by their willingness to learn and share what they (Gemma) were seeing. It was a delight to visit, and re visit their blog.  http://lineshapecolour.blogspot.com/

So like Gemma and Andrew, I want to share what I am seeing more.

http://www.foundryphotoworkshop.org

Yaşar Kutlu in his Studio

I finally had an opportunity to visit him in the Studio he shares with a friend. He is a kind and humble man not even willing to call himself an artist he said, “I have so much I still want to learn”.

Yashar grew up on the boarder of Turkey and Georgia on the South East side of the Black Sea. His father was an artist primarily drawing with pencil. When Yashar was a boy his father said “Don’t be an artist, it’s not a good life for anyone. You cannot make a living.” So for years he was a sign painter to pay the bills, but painting and art has always been his passion. I was able to take another portrait of him hear his story as well as share some tea and bread. I left with an open invitation to come back anytime.

He is one of those worn souls on the road of life.