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In one of my previous posts, I talked about how photos should cause the viewer to ask questions. I think it is important to lead the viewer down a road that suggests further exploration of the subject depicted in the photo. It's never enough to simply put a beautiful picture in front of someone. Without provoking a reaction, the photo has not succeeded. An artist needs to find a passageway into the mind of the viewer. As a bird photographer, it's important to me that my audience never leave my work with the singular thought that they have just viewed a "bird photograph." I simply never understand photographers who seem to think that their chosen subject is enough to satisfy an educated public. Whether you choose to photograph animals, pottery, automobiles, sports, or whatever else might catch your fancy, you need to find a way to take your work to a level that goes beyond what the viewer is accustom to seeing. In my case, when it comes to photographing birds, I seek to find birds in places and in situations that evoke an emotional response from my viewers. Often times it's as simple as putting the long telephoto away, and reaching for a wide angle lens. Immediately, the photo becomes something "else". Suddenly we are looking at birds in a new way. Rather than the typical bird closeup, we are drawn into the photo in a search for the subject. When this occurs......it's mission accomplished.
