The Rules of Photography

For this entry, I am going to use an image that is not necessarily a departure from my previous style because it fits with my discussion.

I met this man on a street corner, obviously attracted by his beautiful camera. His name is Louis Mendes, and (as I learned when he handed a copy to me), he even had a newspaper article written about him. He wanders around the city with this camera, attracting attention and potential customers. Then, he gives them the photograph that they want, and receives payment.

He challenged me to take a photograph of him, and I began stepping back, in an attempt to follow my new policy of fewer close-ups. He, however, directed me to step closer; then, he had me take a picture with flash, which he apparently preferred. The lesson: the customer is always right.

He said a lot of things, and I will admit that my Swiss-cheese-brain has lost a lot of it. However, I remember that his general idea was this: if you want to make money, you should be able to please the customer, and to take advantage of any attention that you garner.

It was definitely interesting to hear his opinion, but I think that it contradicts with my current goal. At the moment, I think that it's more important to discover myself as an artist - after all, I want to deserve the money that I make, and be able to clearly know my vision.