One of the best interviews with Guy Tal I have watched/listened to. Thank you for some great and different questions that clearly Guy enjoyed engaging with. Excellent 👌
I love listening to Guy, and learn something from him every time I do... Photography is so much more than just clicking the shutter, as Guy always reminds us...Thank you also Beth for bringing this podcast to us, great interview!☺️
This is the podcast I've been most looking forward to! I love Guy Tal's work and his philosophical approach (aside from being a photographer, I am a professional philosopher -- yes, it really is my day job). I love the contrast with Cole Thompson's "celibacy" approach (I've challenged Cole on this several times, but cannot move him). I fully endorse aesthetic promiscuity. Interestingly, I never ask myself whether what I am producing is "original" or "novel". I only ask whether I am expressing myself fully and authentically through my image. If I answer that question positively, I cannot think why I would (or anyone should) care one iota whether anyone has done anything superficially similar. When someone says "I love you" to their loved one, do they stop to think how many others have said the same words before? The word "I" has a unique referent in each case determined by the context of use. And in every work of art there is the "I" that created it. (As Ansel Adams once put it: "[T]here are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer".) It is the same for me when I create an image. Originality or novelty, if it exists at all, is the result of expressing the totality of the experiences and influences that have shaped each of us through our work. When we express ourselves authentically, originality is a natural consequence, because we are each unique in our totality. Photography as art is the expression of how each unique person relates to what they find in the world. ... Like Guy, I could go on at length, but this is not the forum.
"When we express ourselves authentically, originality is a natural consequence, because we are each unique in our totality." So much YES! Thank you for offering your perspective and experience. I find both the ideas of artistic celibacy and promiscuity appealing, which tells me that my truth is somewhere in the middle. The key, in my mind, is figuring out my motivation and intention for both. I'll be having Cole as a guest in the near future, and while I imagine we'll focus on other topics (I want to dive into matters of ego), I'm fairly certain the celibacy concept will come up. It should be a very interesting conversation - hope you'll tune in and share your thoughts.
Your last line would have been my answer, too. Originality is a consequence (of individualism/authenticity/differentiation), not a goal to pursue consciously except in the negative sense: avoid repeating what you know was already done. Your example of "I love you" doesn't quite fit here. Telling someone how you feel is not quite equivalent to creating a work of expressive art. It's obvious a lot of people have felt love for other people and the very word was coined to communicate something having universal and known meaning.
Great conversation! I love Guy's books. Reading his essays are always thought provoking and so insightful. I am so sad that he will no longer be teaching workshops but excited about his new podcast, I had hoped to join one of his in the future.
Thanks, Martha! We're so fortunate that Guy is so prolific and generous with his insights. I share your anticipation of his new podcast adventure with Colleen... should be full of smarts and heart 💙
Isn't it?! I appreciate the counterbalance perspective to celibacy. For me, the sweet spot is somewhere in the middle. Thanks for watching and commenting, Dave!
Thank you. I enjoyed and appreciated your insight, thoughts and wisdom. I look forward to reading your writings on art and philosophy, and to the launch of your new podcast too!
Timely vlog and by the way here it is 10/19/24 and Guy's book, "Be Extraordinary" arrived today. Always good to listen to discussions with Guy and I look forward to reading his latest work.
I love listening to Guy talk, in fact I have 2 of his books. The editing of this talk made it difficult at times to watch at times, I'm sure you did this to cut the length of the video, but I feel you are short changing the viewers and Guy. Looking forward to more conversations with other photographers since I'm a new subscriber.
Welcome, Nick! I'm thankful for the feedback. My editor has already reached out to initiate a discussion about the cuts. There's no content missing, but I understand it can be distracting and take away from the flow. As a fairly new channel, we're finding what works and what doesn't, so totally appreciate your observation. Note that there's an audio-only version on podcast platforms that might be preferable for you. For your consideration! And thanks for being a new subscriber - I hope you find value in the conversations already had and those yet to come!
You did ask us for general feedback, not just this interview. I generally will watch any 'cast that Guy does (and yes, it was nice to see him smiling LOL), but I find using jump cuts as an editing tool just too hard on my eyes. I know it's a popular method with TikTok and IG, but on a lovely long interview like this, it was just too much. Glad to know it's available in a listen-only format, and will take advantage of that. Thanks to you both for the interview.
Lori, I really appreciate your feedback. My video editor saw your comment before I did, and we'll be talking about how to dial it back a bit. I certainly want to minimize anything distracts from the conversation! :-) Thank you for sharing your experience, as well as for checking out the audio-only version. Enjoy!
Having photographed the world, prolifically, for decades, I can look through my photos and see my evolving self through the world I chose to record. This enhances the value of my life's catalog. Ultimately, I think usefulness is too esoteric for me to understand. As Guy mentions, we define existence. Usefulness is a process within my perception only. Is oxygen useful to hydrogen from water's point-of-view?
Guy: Would you consider making a book or exhibit of "before" and "after" prints? For example, the photo of the purple flowers, have the image shown in this video and next to it a photo, taken at about the same location but as it is after it was "discovered".
Interesting idea, Thomas. There's likely a sad number of locations that could be given this before/after treatment - it would be eye-opening to a lot of people.
I try to create what is unique to me and worry not if is viewed as unique to the world. Hence I suspect my photography is not truly unique out side of my small world and I do not fret about it😊. Oh yes, I just discovered this channel and I plan to stick around for awhile to absorb the various content. Thanks
@@hubertcole1645 Appreciate that refinement of the idea of uniqueness. If it's unique to *me*, then does it matter beyond that? Good fodder for reflection! Welcome to the channel, and I hope you find more content that inspires you!
Whenever I encounter someone questioning the ethics of intentionally manipulating an image for effect, I ask: "If we were painters, would anyone question the colors, composition, techniques, etc. that we would use to create an image? Or would it simply be judged by the experience of the person viewing it, and NOT by the method used to create it or its fidelity to the original scene?"
One of the best interviews with Guy Tal I have watched/listened to. Thank you for some great and different questions that clearly Guy enjoyed engaging with. Excellent 👌
I love listening to Guy, and learn something from him every time I do... Photography is so much more than just clicking the shutter, as Guy always reminds us...Thank you also Beth for bringing this podcast to us, great interview!☺️
This is the podcast I've been most looking forward to! I love Guy Tal's work and his philosophical approach (aside from being a photographer, I am a professional philosopher -- yes, it really is my day job). I love the contrast with Cole Thompson's "celibacy" approach (I've challenged Cole on this several times, but cannot move him). I fully endorse aesthetic promiscuity. Interestingly, I never ask myself whether what I am producing is "original" or "novel". I only ask whether I am expressing myself fully and authentically through my image. If I answer that question positively, I cannot think why I would (or anyone should) care one iota whether anyone has done anything superficially similar. When someone says "I love you" to their loved one, do they stop to think how many others have said the same words before? The word "I" has a unique referent in each case determined by the context of use. And in every work of art there is the "I" that created it. (As Ansel Adams once put it: "[T]here are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer".) It is the same for me when I create an image. Originality or novelty, if it exists at all, is the result of expressing the totality of the experiences and influences that have shaped each of us through our work. When we express ourselves authentically, originality is a natural consequence, because we are each unique in our totality. Photography as art is the expression of how each unique person relates to what they find in the world. ... Like Guy, I could go on at length, but this is not the forum.
"When we express ourselves authentically, originality is a natural consequence, because we are each unique in our totality." So much YES! Thank you for offering your perspective and experience. I find both the ideas of artistic celibacy and promiscuity appealing, which tells me that my truth is somewhere in the middle. The key, in my mind, is figuring out my motivation and intention for both. I'll be having Cole as a guest in the near future, and while I imagine we'll focus on other topics (I want to dive into matters of ego), I'm fairly certain the celibacy concept will come up. It should be a very interesting conversation - hope you'll tune in and share your thoughts.
Your last line would have been my answer, too. Originality is a consequence (of individualism/authenticity/differentiation), not a goal to pursue consciously except in the negative sense: avoid repeating what you know was already done. Your example of "I love you" doesn't quite fit here. Telling someone how you feel is not quite equivalent to creating a work of expressive art. It's obvious a lot of people have felt love for other people and the very word was coined to communicate something having universal and known meaning.
What a nice and “soft” and thoughtful presentation; it helped me “run away” from my daily reality…thanks you
You're welcome, I'm glad it provided just what you needed :-)
I remember Guy from my NPN days. He left a mark on my own creative process. So great to hear that he's still doing his thing.
How wonderful! So glad his teachings have made such an impression on you. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Great conversation! I love Guy's books. Reading his essays are always thought provoking and so insightful. I am so sad that he will no longer be teaching workshops but excited about his new podcast, I had hoped to join one of his in the future.
Thanks, Martha! We're so fortunate that Guy is so prolific and generous with his insights. I share your anticipation of his new podcast adventure with Colleen... should be full of smarts and heart 💙
Wonderful, thought-provoking interview. Many thanks to you and Guy for sharing this discussion with us.
You're so welcome, Tif! Thanks for watching :-)
yes yes "awareness" is the greatest gift
100%! I'm happy to know what resonated with you, Craig. Thanks for watching and sharing!
Promiscuity is an interesting word applied to photography... Thank you Beth and Guy 😊
Isn't it?! I appreciate the counterbalance perspective to celibacy. For me, the sweet spot is somewhere in the middle. Thanks for watching and commenting, Dave!
Thank you. I enjoyed and appreciated your insight, thoughts and wisdom. I look forward to reading your writings on art and philosophy, and to the launch of your new podcast too!
Thanks for watching! Enjoy Guy's writing and podcast - all overflowing with thought-provoking goodness :-)
Timely vlog and by the way here it is 10/19/24 and Guy's book, "Be Extraordinary" arrived today. Always good to listen to discussions with Guy and I look forward to reading his latest work.
Yes! His pre-order copies arrived early, in a wonderful bit of serendipity. Thanks for listening in, Jim, and enjoy diving into "Be Extraordinary"!
I love listening to Guy talk, in fact I have 2 of his books. The editing of this talk made it difficult at times to watch at times, I'm sure you did this to cut the length of the video, but I feel you are short changing the viewers and Guy. Looking forward to more conversations with other photographers since I'm a new subscriber.
Welcome, Nick! I'm thankful for the feedback. My editor has already reached out to initiate a discussion about the cuts. There's no content missing, but I understand it can be distracting and take away from the flow. As a fairly new channel, we're finding what works and what doesn't, so totally appreciate your observation. Note that there's an audio-only version on podcast platforms that might be preferable for you. For your consideration! And thanks for being a new subscriber - I hope you find value in the conversations already had and those yet to come!
Most of the things resonate with me too. Thanks .
Glad to hear it! Thanks for watching.
You did ask us for general feedback, not just this interview. I generally will watch any 'cast that Guy does (and yes, it was nice to see him smiling LOL), but I find using jump cuts as an editing tool just too hard on my eyes. I know it's a popular method with TikTok and IG, but on a lovely long interview like this, it was just too much. Glad to know it's available in a listen-only format, and will take advantage of that. Thanks to you both for the interview.
Lori, I really appreciate your feedback. My video editor saw your comment before I did, and we'll be talking about how to dial it back a bit. I certainly want to minimize anything distracts from the conversation! :-) Thank you for sharing your experience, as well as for checking out the audio-only version. Enjoy!
@@PixelsHeartandArt much appreciated, both of you!
Very inspiring thank you all.
You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed the conversation.
Having photographed the world, prolifically, for decades, I can look through my photos and see my evolving self through the world I chose to record. This enhances the value of my life's catalog.
Ultimately, I think usefulness is too esoteric for me to understand. As Guy mentions, we define existence. Usefulness is a process within my perception only. Is oxygen useful to hydrogen from water's point-of-view?
You seem to be describing a highly personal relationship to photography, one that has great meaning for you. Thank you for sharing your reflection.
Guy: Would you consider making a book or exhibit of "before" and "after" prints? For example, the photo of the purple flowers, have the image shown in this video and next to it a photo, taken at about the same location but as it is after it was "discovered".
Interesting idea, Thomas. There's likely a sad number of locations that could be given this before/after treatment - it would be eye-opening to a lot of people.
So interesting thanks 😊
You're welcome, glad you enjoyed it!
I try to create what is unique to me and worry not if is viewed as unique to the world. Hence I suspect my photography is not truly unique out side of my small world and I do not fret about it😊. Oh yes, I just discovered this channel and I plan to stick around for awhile to absorb the various content. Thanks
@@hubertcole1645 Appreciate that refinement of the idea of uniqueness. If it's unique to *me*, then does it matter beyond that? Good fodder for reflection! Welcome to the channel, and I hope you find more content that inspires you!
Whenever I encounter someone questioning the ethics of intentionally manipulating an image for effect, I ask: "If we were painters, would anyone question the colors, composition, techniques, etc. that we would use to create an image? Or would it simply be judged by the experience of the person viewing it, and NOT by the method used to create it or its fidelity to the original scene?"
why should people burst their "bubble"? what is that mystic "bubble"?