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Why Photography is Lore​​

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Images can evoke memories of the past or used to envision the future.  Some argue images can carry political connotation, and some photographers do capture images with this intent, but most chose to focus on the serenity and frame of beauty of time and place.  Technology has offered several types of cameras with extended lenses and some have been successful using the iPhones or other smart phones.  Ansel Adams would be confused by this change in technology. The diversity within this lore is fascinating in that photographer’s view of captured moments are specific to their style, personality, and intuition; it a feeling that commands the attention of the photographer. It is this art and composition that creates niches with the folklore of eastern Oregon Landscape Photography.

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​Photographers such as Lee Friedlander felt that for him “the desert is the uneasy site of maturity - his own and the countries - the arena of vision and blindness, the place of displacement” (Longmire, 1997).  This displacement fueled his art. I too felt that when I moved to Harney County I was surrounded by sage and dirt, I was displaced. It took the act of exploring and actively seeking the beauty to see the images that nature had presented me with. Once I opened up to nature, I could frame a scene to share using precise technology choice and intuition, the draw, the feeling to capture the scenes. Lee Friedlander describes the act of photography by explaining, “what I am doing is to show people that this in no desert, but a rich wonderland to marvel at” (1997) .  The point of view is aesthetically pleasing, “because we collectively agree that it is so, not because of an inherent aesthetic value” (McClean, 2015). The point of view by a photographer is actively embedding mountains into the background, or flowers in the forefront, or clouds that reflect color at the top, it is an active choice by the photographer, like an artist would paint a picture. Panoramic view images obstruct our view by not including the whole view as viewers come to expect. Photos carry content, not to look across the land with a magical gaze, but rather embedding one within the landscape. “Images of landscape are deeply about the photographer as much as about place – due to aesthetic, subject matter, narrative, and technological choices” (2015). “The artist reveal, through use of technology and stylistic formal qualities, that photography is about choices and culture as well as personal perspectives; photographs are not objective realities of place and identity" (2015). Photographers follow “the impulse to make landscape images” that “inspire us to get lost” among the terrain. “Landscape are seen in the first person” much like you see when reading a story (2015).  Material depictions are described as fictional narratives. Frames a view sublime, pictorial, picturesque all have this powerful voice. Images are self-conscience narratives of the photographer. Images can evoke memories of the past or used to envision the future.  The photography of land and life within the land use evokes a largely unacknowledged tradition of time and space. Focusing on the magnificence of the desert skies that adds an awe to the emotion of choice. Landscape photographers enact their vision.  Photographers strive to depict images with a vernacular voice using the literal medium of photography; photographs are storytellers. 

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​ Technology has offered several types of cameras with extended lenses and some have been successful using the iPhones or other smart phones.  “To this day, landscape photographers are widely assumed to use large-format cameras and work in black and white” (Longmire, 1997). One can use a Canon, a Nikon, there are so many brands, lens styles, tripods, skill level, and there is much diversity within technology of this lore which invites a photographer to become actively creative with what is captured and how it’s captured. The diversity within this lore is fascinating in that photographer’s view of captured moments are specific to their style, personality, and intuition; it a feeling that commands the attention of the photographer. It is this art and composition that creates niches with the folklore of eastern Oregon Landscape Photography. Photos are shaped by the photographer and they “cannot help depicting their feelings for places as well as the places themselves” (1997).

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​Folklore may explore dimensions of function, structure, psychological or sociological influences. The 4 functions of folklore mirror the activities and frame of photographers. “Bascom’s approach established a framework to help folklorist consider the meaning of folklore and make sense of how folk groups employ it and what it might mean to them” (Sims and Stephens, 2011). Photography can informally teach cultural attitudes: Capturing the photos can be seen as escaping accepted limitations of our culture; Photos can help to maintain cultural identity; Photos can validate existing cultural norms. “Breaking out of categories and examining the blurred areas allows us to consider how folklore works within a group and to consider the effect of the blurring and overlapping that often takes place"(2011). The groups of photographers do not always get together when taking the pictures. In fact some photographers would rather work alone. Where they come together and feed off each other’s energy can be an online forum, a photo club, or like myself, I find other photographers during my favorite season. As I am out capturing colors or valleys, I find others doing the same.  An overemphasis on structure highlights what text looks or sounds like, but not what texts – or even genres – mean to a group, or when, where, and why they exist (2011). 

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The act of photography was described to me by a wildlife photographer in Eastern Oregon as the desire to explore areas that encourages our adventure and curiosity to fuel our art. This art has specialized artist such as: Landscape, Night Stars, Wildlife, Birds, as so much more. Many work alone but commonalities of interest draw groups together to create traditions. These traditions or anticipatory rituals such as capturing fall colors, birds migration, spring flowers, anything that can only be captured in a season. Not all photographers are “making assumptions about all people that apply in all cases de-emphasizes the importance of individuals and groups and ignores some of the dynamic processes of folklore” (2011).  In other words, photographers are not assuming anything about the audience but they are hopeful the audience will enjoy their work hopefully for a variety of reasons. Furthermore, photographers are often misunderstood and their work is quickly judged and categorized which de-emphasizes the importance of why the image was capture.

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“Psychoanalytic analysis involves the interpretation of symbolic meanings within texts that illuminate the shared developmental and life experiences of all humans” (2011). In this way, photos also involve interpretations, evoke symbolic meaning, and bring an image to life experience. Photos also give the illusion of life experience as the images and places in the pictures may not be a location the viewer has visited. “Psychology considers interpretations of the human mind, or psyche determining or attributing human behaviors in relation to how people feel and think” and images do evoke feeling that can be considered an informal teacher.  “Collecting this data helps explain that “being able to observe a performance in its natural context does provide a perspective that can’t be replicated; however, the work doesn’t always have to be collected in action (2011). An artist “might describe the work, how it was created, and what it means to her, and show you the kinds of materials she uses” without seeing “her traditional process and personal innovations” (2011).  With this explained, one can use material lore, such as photos, and utilize them for fieldwork. Landscape and wildlife photography cannot be duplicated to its exactness, so exploring the photos taken by others is a valid way to learn about the art informally. Although photography as folklore is a relatively newer concept, folklore has artistic, creative, or expressive dimensions and understanding the formation and expressive culture of groups allows us to recognize that folklore is not simply objects, behaviors, or stories. Folklore is "an active process that allows groups of people to express their values or beliefs, form and covey their identities, and even test the limits of what a group accepts” and photographers express their values and beliefs through their art, but the art then helps to form their identity as a photographer (2011). It is said that "we must make the camera see for us in ways that we cannot, and then we must draw from these photographs sorts of data that are not available otherwise" (Heider, 1988).

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Photography can "document objectively and narrate subjectively" and can "effect of photographs on the public consciousness" is inevitable in one form or another (Armitage, 1981). Photography, for me, was a way to artistically capture the things I enjoy in life. A photographer once told me that she will live on forever within the photos she captures. Her work inspires me and many others. Ansel Adams is one of my reasons for the enjoyment of the process of landscape and wildlife photography. Inspiration comes from within and the practiced knowledge of photography can be taught informally, as I have learned from trial and error. The traditions of catching seasons feed my inspiration. I love getting lost within the lens.  If I were to teach someone how to capture moments, I would say to let your soul follow your inspiration, because it is deep within that you find the desire to share your expressions.