Paul Janders wrote:
Whenever I have a good idea that I think is unique and then see it executed by someone else I ask myself this question:
Did I really have a good idea or just an obvious one?
I was drawn to this old thread through a link on a current thread. I commented in that current thread by replying to another's post. They both got removed. I guess it was off topic? I don't know. But that caused me to visit this concept discussed in this thread.
I love what Paul has suggested here above. I have been shooting for years. It is no secret. Most serious photographers when heading to a locations do research to what has already been done to refine their time and concentrate in a area with the hopes of coming up with a unique image. There are uncountable scenes I have come across that have obviously no other view to shoot but the ones shot before. Maybe with those the weather and season might lend itself to something different.
What initially drew me to Death Valley the first time was a shot by Larry Ulrich CA base photographer whose beautiful view camera shot accentuated the cracked desert floor while sweeping out to the forms of the dune and mountains in the distant. I was hoping to experience something similar to work with. Guess what, though there were great opportunities, non like this other than my finding the exact location where he shot it and I was very impressed with his find. In this case there was no other view worth doing to vary his composition. In frustration, I passed on the shot altogether. It obviously would have been a half-as*ed attempt of duplicating an original perspective.
There are other scenes though that do give more license to capturing that you know have already been taken. There are even memorialized tripod markings for Ansel Adams shot of Yosemite Valley near the tunnel. Subway, the Wave, this one old dead gnarly tree in the Tetons and the Statue of Liberty with the huge sun emblazoned beside it. On and on. Over and over. What I do get the most out of these similarities are to find unique unexpected opportunities within many of those environments as well.
Another example, in a photo magazine I saw a shot taken in region I had been somewhat near in several previous trips. It was what I considered a very inadequate 35mm capture which I knew had great potential and I wanted to give it my take on it with my 57 view camera. When I arrived, it was even more grand. In the distant I could recognize Monument Valley which I had now clue from the magazine pic. I spent couple, maybe three days there to work with the weather conditions. In this case I had absolutely no concerns that I was duplicating. I was applying my skills and eye to render what I cared to present of this scene.
The japanese maple discussed here, to me, is one of those subjects that because of the nature of itself does not lead to much variation to shot angle if you want to capture backlight from under. It would be very hard to claim original capture for this kind of shot and to hope others would not have found it as well would be wishful thinking.
As frustrating as it is, those with marketing skills can and do get notoriety ahead of originators and this occurs in all realm, music, science, fashion knock-offs etc. It's unfortunate that many of us who are lucky with having creative abilities do tend to suffer in the marketing realm of our endeavors. I am one of them and that is why I had stock agencies do that work for me most of my years.
