“Technique must be solid, positive, but elastic, must not fall into formula, must adapt itself to the idea. And for each new idea there must be new invention special to the expression of that idea and no other. “
— Robert Henri, The Art Spirit
Stephen Shore, always concise and economical, perfectly describes the process of making a photograph:
“When I make a photograph, my perceptions feed into my mental model. My model adjusts to accomodate my perceptions (leading me to change my photographic decisions). This modelling adjustment alters, in turn, my perceptions. And so on. It is a dynamic, self-modifying process. It is what an engineer would call a feedback loop.
It is a complex, ongoing, spontaneous interaction of observation, understanding, imagination, and intention.”
– Stephen Shore, The Nature of Photographs
“Putting one’s head under the focusing cloth is a thrill …. To pivot the camera slowly around watching the image change on the ground glass is a revelation, one becomes a discoverer … and finally the complete idea is there.”
– Edward Weston