Sometimes you miss something because it’s too obvious.

Maybe most photographers think that emulating past photography is what ‘doing photography’ is

Not everyone cares about innovation or thinks that producing works or performances like those in the past is a bad thing. In fact, if they can approximate the work of their heroes/idols, they consider that a damn good accomplishment.

There’s nothing inherently bad about such a goal; it can be lucrative. In fact, some artists have actually done better than their predecessors (commercially and/or in terms of fame) by basically copying and extending somewhat work that influenced them and which they liked.

It’s not what I want to do however.

I want to discover something different using photography as one of my tools; I don’t even care if it ends up being a combination of photography with something else (e.g., words, drawings, audio, animation, whatever). Seeking out something new to me is what drives my creative endeavors.

Emulation isn’t evil or bad and, in fact, I find myself doing it on occasion and actually having fun with it. It can be a good touchstone and launching point.

Whether you want to go any further into uncharted territory is an individual “thang” and probably just depends on your personality…:-).

Visit Michael's Art Photography Portfolio at SaatchiArt.com!