through the mind

7/29/2019 Through The Mind

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THROUGH THE MIND

Photo Ethics | Inspiration | Thoughts

ADAM BACKER


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Dedicated to my dear Ones who have supported my madness with

patience, even when I wasnt the one they wanted me to be.

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THROUGH THE MIND


ADAM BACKER


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Adam Backer 2013, All Rights Reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any

means without the prior written permission of the author.


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Dear Reader,

As you read along, I hope youll like this book. Its all about the internal discipline that

photographers ought to follow. Id suggest you take your own time in reading, under-

standing and working out the ten philosophies mentioned here, to get creative. I can as-

sure with a great degree of certainty that youll begin to see results once you start imple-

menting them. It has worked for me, and Im sure it will be the same with you too. After

years of photographing and blogging, Ive finally decided to pen down this and its thefirst one for me as an author. As mentioned in the beginning, I hope youll like it.

In the dedication where I said, Ones, I meant everyone right from my family, friends,

critics and all those who contributed towards my being a photographer, directly or indi-

rectly. This perhaps is the best way I can mention everyone to give their due, not miss-

ing out any one. Once youve finished reading this book, it includes you too.

Prayers and wishes,

Adam Backer

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VISION V/S INTENT

Every photographer has a vision on ways to contribute to society

through one form or the other; in other words, Vision is a form of ex-

pression. Coming to Intent, that too is a form of expression.

You might ask, What are you saying? If both are forms of expres-

sion, what then is the difference?

Vision is what youd like to do with your photography as a whole, or

what youre aiming at eventually. Coming to Intent, its something

more specific, say for a particular shoot or even a particular picture.

Ive another way of putting it across to you. If I say, Id like to travel

all over the globe my entire life. - thats Vision. On the other hand, if

I say, Id like to travel to Brazil. - thats Intent.

Everyone has got a Vision in them or even Intent during a shoot.

The sad truth, not often told or discussed among photographers, is

the difficulty in getting things across onto the sensor and further onto

the audience the way you perceived. In the present digital era, the

two possible reasons are:

- Obsession to gears by techno-geeks. Expecting gears to do every-

thing for them, they keep accumulating more of them, without ever

realizing their creative worth. I would state this as the most danger-ous block.

- Technical laziness. It happens among creative photographers who

are excessively rated creative, either by themselves or others. They

simply dont want to get to know their gear or craft better. In this digi-

tal era, they rely excessively on post-production, often tending to

overdo them.

A good photographer is one who keeps an optimum balance be-tween the geek and creative artist within him, while striving towards

his Vision/Intent.

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OUTWARD EXPRESSIONYour pictures arent Pictures as we call them. What then are

they? They are reflections of your inwardness, or the person who

you are. The kind of pictures you make tells your viewer a lot

about the person in you, and its so recorded in their subcon-

scious mind.

Getting to know everything about photography, delivering shots

in a creative way and applying all rules, is a significant part of the

entire creative process. However, theres something more impor-

tant than this. Learn to love yourself. Dont get me wrong; I dont

mean being selfish. When you love yourself, you give an effort to

discover and study yourself, realize what you truly love doing, pur-

suing it in the best possible way and expecting nothing in return.

This sincere passion within you for your craft in turn will ignite a

deeper affinity for your pictures by your audience, for there willexist in these pictures an uncommon brilliance.

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CREATIVITY A HABIT

Getting Creative has seemingly got a challenging task of deliver-

ing something different. Creativity isnt creativity when it isnt cre-

ated, so there is no point having creative thoughts as long as you

dont put them onto your camera sensor, print, canvas or wherever

youd want to have them.

Sometimes, creativity comes out of nothing or most of the time its

an outcome of a combination of different things you know that has

been put together. Either ways, its a habit, it isnt a How to? stuff.

You dont get to buy Creativity from B&H or any other camera

store. If dollars can, I would stake everything in life to have Creativ-

ity in my stride. So build it.

Give your best efforts, try out various combinations of things you

know or have known, to come out with something different.

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WHY TAKE A BREAK?You get stressed out from your work at office; you take a vacation.

Every day, youve had home food; you visit your favorite restau-

rant for a change. After a certain period, you change your mobile

phone cover because youre tired of seeing the same for quite

long. All these are nothing but different forms of break.

My question now is, Why dont you do the same with photogra-

phy?

When you feel nothing is working out the way you want to, or your

shots are losing that creative touch or the punch youd like to

have in them, its an indication that you might want to take a

break. Set your gear aside, venture out and do anything you

want to do, except photography. Totally forget photography!

Dont think about it! Avoid it!

Go out, take a dip, enjoy a long drive or chat with your best old

buddies. See how much you can resist staying away from pho-

tography. After a period, no matter how hard you try, your true

love Photography comes back to you yelling, Im back, lets

start it all over! Then just grab your gear and head outdoors. I

bet youd make your best shots then, and youre back on track.

Speaking about the return period, it can be for days, weeks or

even a month. Ive always observed that Ive done my best work

whenever I returned from a break. So if you feel things arent get-

ting creative, take a break!

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ADVANTAGE SPOT

Every artist has a place so special to him sim-

ply because thats where his creative ideas

are born. This applies to writers, musicians

and artists in particular; I was unaware of this

fact until I initiated writing for my blog.

The dynamic work nature of photographers

denies them the comfort of being stationed

at one particular place. Nonetheless, this

doesnt imply they fall short of being called

artists. As a photographer, you too need to

take some time off every day to spend with

yourself, feel and experience the ultimate

photographic vision youd like to envision,imagining your shots. This place could be a

room in your home, the countryside or any-

where you think is special.

Dream big. Research on the Law of Attrac-

tion and you are bound to get a better an-

swer to this paragraph. Remember, this is a

must do.

The underlying principle is that here you are

bound to find solitude; you hear your inner

voice with a more distinct clarity. When done

on a consistent basis, youll wonder and ask

yourself, Where on earth am I getting these

creative ideas from?

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FAILURE & LIMITATIONS

Ive learnt my best lessons in life from failures. Let me get this

straight to you Embrace Failure. Its okay to have failures,

and I would say its positive. But remember, expecting differ-

ent results each time doing the same mistake isnt positive.

If you want yourself to be known as a creative person, never

fear to work out your imaginations. Simply give the very best

you can without ever bothering about the outcome, for its part

of life to have things go in your favour or otherwise. A good

creative idea comes from lessons learnt through failures

youve had. Never fear to risk!

Photographers often get bogged down with numerous con-

straints like technology, location, lighting conditions, finance

etc. The moment you start embracing these limitations, youll

begin to develop ideas to work along them. Think of means to

combine these constraints and come out with something differ-

ent.

Speaking about Limitations, Id suggest you consider Time

as the most importantof all constraints mentioned above. Sim-ply trick your mind into believing that you are living out your

last moments in life, and that your times up. Doing so, youd

think of prioritizing and doing only things that are most passion-

ate to you.

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IDEASAn Idea is nothing but a form of inspiration. This doesnt come

without ever working or giving an effort to understand your final

output. Never force ideas, let your mind know what precisely you

want as you work along. Wait, believe in yourself and a way will

show up for you. This is an attribute and a result of loving your-

self.

Incubating ideas depends largely on your positive work ethic;

make sure your thoughts are positive. Work selflessly, expecting

nothing; you get more of what you give. Never hesitate to share

your experience. Ive never seen any world-class photographer

who feels insecure about sharing his ideas. Always collaborate

with other photographers; never even in your dreams must you

compete or compare with them.

As you grow older with photography, youll realize that talent is of

no use. Talent got you started when you were a beginner; from

there on, its your attitude and hard work that will define the artist

in you having unique ideas.

Besides several obvious sources to get ideas from, Id suggest

you study the work of legendary photographers. Inspirations

from outside photography can also be looked into; fine art, litera-

ture, engineering-graphics etc. being a few examples. You defi-nitely will find some means to connect these non-photographic

ideas into your work.

A new idea is always a different combination of things youve

known previously. Very rarely does a unique idea come out of the

blue, involving things you never knew. And if it does, that would

be exceptional. On such occasions, never let it go!

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RESISTANCE

The block or factor that prevents the photographer from advancing

in creativity is Resistance. You can name many, but Id like to point

the most dangerous one Knowledge.

Maybe what you know could be the biggest thing hindering your pro-

gress. Be open to accepting and implementing things into your

workflow once you discover what you had been doing was wrong.

Dont let your ego rule you.

For instance, as a workshop photographer, Ive had the experience

where other photographers were hesitant to accept the concept of

ETTR in photography, in spite of my proving it to them. It wasnt that

they hadnt understood its relevance; it simply was because they

werent ready to change. As stated initially in this book, I would call

it Technical laziness.

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BREAKING THE RULES

Knowing and applying rules are very important. Rules ensurethat your pictures maintain acceptable standards with consis-

tency. Rules are safe means, so study, master and implement

them in your work. Its an absolute absurdity for someone to pre-

vent himself from studying these creative rules, even if they seem

to or believe themselves to be taking good shots. Moreover,

rules give you the freedom to adapt yourself quickly to various

genres youd later like to try.

Once you are well versed with these so-called rules, youll needto think about means to break them. When theyre broken inten-

tionally, its then that you land up with shots that are beyond ex-

ceptional. Im sure youd prefer to be Beyond exceptional than

being Safe as a photographer.

To break rules, know the rules first; otherwise you are simply rely-

ing on your natural talent, being at the same position where you

were when you started photography.

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BE A CHILDHere, Im about to say something that Im afraid wouldnt make an

impression initially, but I bet it has got something to do with photogra-

phers and artists alike. Creativity demands a peaceful mind; the sim-

plest way to have it is by seeing beauty in simple things around you;

there is more to life than work.

When was the last time you saw the sun rise? When was the last

time you observed a babys smile? When was the last time you felt

the breeze in an open country or beach? The list goes on and on.

Find something that can make you happy, truly happy at heart. Inthis busy world, a peaceful mind can be achieved, if and only if an

effort is given with a greater degree of determination.

Be like a child. For a child, everything and every day is a surprise; it

takes so little to make him happy. This is why children come out of

their sadness so quickly when compared to adults. Weve got to

learn this from them. If we put this act to test, you are bound to find

happiness. Im sure this would make a hitherto unseen positive im-

pression on your shots as well.

Ive seen my son play with building blocks, giving his full effort to try

out something only to later realize thats not what he wanted, then

starts all over again and finally comes up with something totally unex-

pected that impresses him. We need to do the same, never being

afraid to experiment with ideas and without ever fearing the outcome

of failure.

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On the outset, let me introduce myself to you as I have not yet

carved a niche in any particular genre of photography or other walks

of life that might help you familiarize me. I am Ranadive, working

with a finance firm in Dubai, with a passing passion for Photography.

This might probably raise questions in you about my deserving to

write a foreword to the very first book written by a seasoned photog-

rapher and a great photography teacher who has guided many stu-

dents across the globe through his blog, photographs and work-

shops. In fact, there is hardly a need to feel outright curious about it

as its just Adams sheer magnanimity or as you may put it, a tribute

to a friend who was with him for the last couple of years in his many

creative assignments across the country. Yes, dear readers, I bear

no celebrity stamp to merit this page in the book.

Talking about the book, firstly I wish to replace all the words on Pho-

tography here with Art and perceive it as a handbook for all artists

aimed to achieve a divine level in their passionate journey, as each

point described here fits every art and artist. Always Art wins not

the Artist. I believe the moment of realizing this quote is the real sal-

vation for every artist. There is no real success or no final destina-

tion for an artist; the journey of an artist is immortal and infinite. I be-

lieve the essence of all the 10 points mentioned in this book is quite

simple as that, but reaching that level is not very simple, better said

than done, where you need to fly beyond these words to achieve it.

From experience had with Adam, I am sure these are not mere bul-

leted points for sake of creating a book. Whoever knows Adam per-

sonally can vouch that these are part of a mandatory checklist he

has drawn from his journey of photography or outlook on his life it-

self. These too are not simply points that he has woven from a sur-

real world or a so-called philosophy; each of them very pragmatic

and applicable to people from all walks of life for achieving ultimate

success and happiness. You need to just step out from the preju-

dices and standards you created around you, and break the shell of

ego that is the basis of every stumbling block in your life. While I

dont feel these rules are the ultimate you need to follow for excelling

in photography or the arts, rest assured that this will open the first

door to that divine world of Art and strengthen your work to survive

time and generations.

Ranadive Neelenchery

BACK 'WORD'

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This title is not aimed at beginners, but mid-level photography enthu-

siasts aspiring to capture pictures creatively, while safely assuming

they possess a fairly good understanding of the technical aspects

involved.

The attempt to pen this book can be termed noble, as the writers

aim solely is to fully share with others what all hes learnt, financial

gains taking a backseat.

Adams photographic style is artistic, with a tasteful eye for good

composition. He interests himself more in taking ordinary pictures in

mundane settings but making them look extraordinarily appealing,

often characterized by sharp detailing and dramatized by light and

shadow. His preferred genres are abstract and real life photogra-

phy.

Once you chew over this book, you will begin to realize that vision

and creativity wins over photography equipment any day. I can

bear testimony to this, having been together with Adam on photogra-

phy trips to the same spot with the same gear, but him emerging

with a handful of amazing pictures and myself empty-handed.

If you can bear his tolerable level of eccentricity, this amiable guycan be your best and trusted photography guide. His book will

force you to think as he thinks, and make you see as how he sees

things. Voila, and then its just a click away from being the consum-

mate photographer!

Sudheesh Ponneth

EDITOR'S 'WORD'

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Best regards,

Adam Backer

Email: [email protected]

Blog: www.adambacker.blogspot.com

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My heartfelt gratitude goes to my father, who've always guided me in my spiritual journey and the

encouragement he's given me to write this book. Also, Sudheesh and Rana who worked closely

with me to make this a reality, Roshith for triggering in me the idea of writing a book at a momentI was least expecting it. Last, but not least, you for having given your valuable time in going

through these philosophies.
http://www.adambacker.blogspot.com/http://www.adambacker.blogspot.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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xix

THROUGH THE MIND


As a photographer, if youve found yourself struggling to get the creative rhythm

envisioned, you must read this.

through the mind

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