Il taglio non determina i confini del fotogramma

“ I hope we will never see the day when photo shops sell little schema grills to clamp onto our viewfinders; and the Golden Rule will never be found etched on our ground glass. „

“ ..vedendo dove mi porterà „

“ le regole vengono fatte per chi non sa fotografare.

per chi sa fotografare , tutto ciò' ha un limite ben diverso.

ora , visto che si parla di Martin Parr , vi mostro una sua bella didascalia della mostra di Torino dello scorso novembre : „

“ Neanche io... Se questo ti pare un post polemico di Last, mi sa che non avevi mai letto Last prima. MrGreenMrGreenMrGreenMrGreen „

“ Meglio abbondare! Sorriso

L'articolo di Weston è del 1942, a testimonianza del fatto che il vizio di prendere troppo sul serio le presunte regole non è una novità. La speranza di Cartier-Bresson credo sia andata sostanzialmente delusa, perché temo che oggi ci siano davvero macchine nelle quali è prevista la possibilità di visualizzare nel mirino le linee della "regola dei terzi" e cose così.

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Today's photographer need not necessarily make his picture resemble a wash drawing in order to have it admitted as art, but he must abide by 'the rules of composition.' That is the contemporary nostrum. Now to consult rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravitation before going for a walk. Such rules and laws are deduced from the accomplished fact; they are the products of reflection and after-examination, and are in no way a part of the creative impetus. When subject matter is forced to fit into preconceived patterns, there can be no freshness of vision. Following rules of composition can only lead to a tedious repetition of pictorial clichés.

Good composition is only the strongest way of seeing the subject. It cannot be taught because, like all creative effort, it is a matter of personal growth. In common with other artists the photographer wants his finished print to convey to others his own response to his subject. In the fulfillment of this aim, his greatest asset is the directness of the process he employs. But this advantage can only be retained if he simplifies his equipment and technique to the minimum necessary, and keeps his approach free from all formula, art-dogma, rules, and taboos. Only then can he be free to put his photographic sight to use in discovering and revealing the nature of the world he lives in.

(Edward Weston, Seeing Photographically )

If everyone possesses some measure of this intangible quality called creativity, photography is unprecedented as an outlet for its expression. Yet at times it seems that the very freedom and accessibility of photography are self-defeating. Thoughtful application is often submerged by avaricious automation of equipment and procedure. The challenge to the photographer is to command the medium, to use whatever current equipment and technology furthers his creative objectives, without sacrificing the ability to make his own decisions. The impression prevails that the acquisition of equipment and the following “rules” assure achievement. Edward Weston's definitive statement, “composition is the strongest way of seeing,” should clarify the meaning of visualization and put aside the notion that any rules are more that artifice.

(Ansel Adams, The Camera )

Composition must be one of our constant preoccupations, but at the moment of shooting it can stem only from our intuition, for we are out to capture the fugitive moment, and all the interrelationships involved are on the move. In applying the Golden Rule, the only pair of compasses at the photographer's disposal is his own pair of eyes. Any geometrical analysis, any reducing of the picture to a schema, can be done only (because of its very nature) after the photograph had been taken, developed, and printed—and then it can be used only for post-mortem examination of the picture. I hope we will never see the day when photo shops sell little schema grills to clamp onto our viewfinders; and the Golden Rule will never be found etched on our ground glass.

(Henri Cartier-Bresson, The Mind's Eye: Writings on Photography and Photographers )

In effetti non esistono regole di composizione, e meno che mai regole inviolabili. Ci sono soltanto dei principi; anche questi però vanno intesi solo come idee-guida, passibili di interpretazioni e revisioni. Se un fotografo sente fortemente la composizione, gli suggerisco di esprimersi liberamente nelle sue fotografie senza curarsi delle opinioni altrui.

(Andreas Feininger, La fotografia. Principi di composizione ) „

“ Alla luce di quanto detto dai vari fotografi e da Lastprince, mi verrebbe da dire: Quindi non si può MAI dire a prescindere di uno scatto se sia fatto in maniera corretta o errata, ma piuttosto se uno scatto funziona o meno. „