A photography tip that changed everything.

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Video Breakdown
00:00 Intro.
00:35 Everyone Has A Path In Photography.
04:27 Surfshark Segment.
06:00 Understanding A Photographer's Philosophy.
11:38 Outro.
Copyright disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research.
Under this guidance, I’ve created content which is guided towards the education, celebration and promotion of said photographs and photographers who have contributed immensely to the art of photography & filmmaking.
An effort is made by the presenter, verbally and through the usage of links (in the video’s description) to encourage the audience to explore the work presented beyond the video and engage with said content through books, articles and relevant links to each photographer’s own social media.
Therefore, I believe the inclusion of said images, footage and other sources can overall add depth and appreciation for the subject of the video whilst also enriching the visuals and dynamics of the it. All within what is within the fair use scope and KZbin’s policies.
How to find a direction for your photography?
By Tatiana Hopper
April 2024

[@TatianaHopper]

📌 What other tips would you give others in order to find new direction for their photography? Also to secure your privacy with Surfshark, enter coupon code TATIANADEAL for an extra 3 months free at surfshark.deals/tatianadeal

[@mid90s75]

Journaling works for me, maybe it will for some folks out there!

[@terrywbreedlove]

I wasted so much time trying to imitate what I was seeing in magazines back in the day. Now I just shoot whatever hits me somehow in that moment. Looking back on old photos it is always the ones of special moments that grab me by the heart strings. No matter if they are so in focus or exposed so correctly or not. Capture the moment however it comes. I tell everyone I don’t shoot sunsets anymore.

[@worldadventuretravel]

I don't know if this is a tip, but my aim and perspective may be something that helps clarify this for others. I know what my photographic philosophy is. I make photographs because it reminds me that no matter how bad or scary the world seems, there is still beauty everywhere. It helps me to get past my cynicism and fall in love with humanity all over again. It opens me up to life, gets me out of my head, and into the present moment. And I share my photographs to help show other people how to find it- especially in the ordinary, everyday things. I feel we live in such crazy times that humanity is struggling with a kind of dystopian loneliness and resignation. When I show people what beauty there is all around us, I feel like it is a win for humanity as a whole to remember who we really are. In India, I felt the same sense of nostalgia and longing. But in reality, contemporary India is not just the villages and the old traditions. It is a country in the midst of massive transitions and with all the contradictions you would expect as a result. To photograph India honestly requires decolonizing our eyes and not seeing it only through our western mythos. I imagine this to be similar all over the global south.

[@BenEdwards984]

Connecting a philosophical mindset as a direct link to our photography is a game-changer for me; I suppose using our core values and what's important to us will help eliminate the unnecessary and ultimately guide us to the photos we always wanted to take on a deeper level. I will certainly use this going forward. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@TatianaHopper]

100% in agreement thank you so much for watching!

[@worldadventuretravel]

I know what my photographic philosophy is. I make photographs because it reminds me that no matter how bad or scary the world seems, there is still beauty everywhere. It helps me to get past my cynicism and fall in love with humanity all over again. It opens me up to life, gets me out of my head, and into the present moment. And I share my photographs to help show other people how to find it- especially in the ordinary, everyday things. I feel we live in such crazy times that humanity is struggling with a kind of dystopian loneliness and resignation. When I show people what beauty there is all around us, I feel like it is a win for humanity as a whole to remember who we really are. In India, I felt the same sense of nostalgia and longing. But in reality, contemporary India is not just the villages and the old traditions. It is a country in the midst of massive transitions and with all the contradictions you would expect as a result. To photograph India honestly requires decolonizing our eyes and not seeing it only through our western mythos. I imagine this to be similar all over the global south.

[@apistosig4173]

G'day - you don't make photographs, your camera is the tool that makes photographs - YOU see compose and capture images.

[@kevinscotton]

You already know this is right up my alley. Leaving this comment to practice communicating my own philosophy behind photographing: I grab my camera and seek out photographs when I’m feeling lost. It’s an exploration of my loneliness in a way that feels productive and hopeful, it offers me a chance to notice what’s going on around me with an intentional appreciation and sense of wonder. Pushing through my really low moments to photograph also allows for a different perspective, one that’s vulnerable and confused and is searching for answers that I know aren’t there. In the past I’ve photographed the memories of other people, with an imagination looking towards what was and what might have been experienced in the places I find myself. Other times I’ve revisited places within my own memory, replaying those scenes often fueled by intense feelings as I experience a place again. These moments are important for me to gain a new perspective on things. Subjects I keep an eye out for are the problems and ideas that I’m working through in real life. Often these show themselves in metaphors and unclear connections, but there are a few times that I’ve directly examined these moments with a camera too. And my most common inspiration for photographing is intuition. It’s because I feel like I should be shooting, and making sure I’m open minded towards where it wants to take me. Those photographs have offered me more to think about than any of the work I make with a more defined intention, as I get to learn what I’m drawn towards photographing, and ask myself why it mattered to me.

[@LucaPasini2]

Hi from northern Italy! I would translate "pensare per immagini" as "thinking through images", as if your train of thoughts was originally composed of images as opposed to, for instance, concepts expressed with words: the image is conceived first, the words that encapsulate it and try to explain it come afterwards. Coming from the cinema industry I could name Federico Fellini as a great image-thinker: in his works you're often impressed by an image itself, for example the huge statue of Christ hanging from a flying helicopter at the beginning of La Dolce Vita or the old man wandering through the fog in Amarcord. Each viewer can try to give a personal verbal explanation of what that image means to them or for the film in general, but the more deeply the explanation tries to excavate, the more the original power of the image is lost: there will always be something that can't be explained with words. Many great pictures or paintings are powerful in the same inexplicable way: they're images and their power is enclosed in their image-ness, and not in a meaning that is given to them from the outside.

[@TatianaHopper]

Excellent points, however, I found different meanings when I read his essays and I read about his exhibition in Rome in which the curators used this following passage to describe his process of "Pensare per Immagini” (translated as “Thinking Images” or “How to think in pictures”): in order to immerse ourselves in his world of unnatural colours, we need to have the willpower to put the photographs themselves on the back burner and concentrate on the thought conveyed. It seems strange to say this about a photographer's work, but the most enriching part of this exhibition is Ghirri's personal construction of an annotation system made up of fragments. This was a direct translation of the original Italian: “Pensare per Immagini”. Per immergersi in questo mondo dai colori innaturali, si deve infatti avere la forza di mettere le fotografie in secondo piano, per concentrarsi sul pensiero. Sembra strano parlando di un fotografo, ma la cosa più intensa dell’esposizione è la costruzione di un sistema di scrittura molto personale, fatto di frammenti." I think it's a question of interpretation and not of direct translation I suppose. I found also similar remarks to the one you wrote but ultimately I sided with the author / photographer in the explanation of this concept, even though, in this video I'm talking also of a perspective where I interpret it in my own experience too. Thanks for watching!

[@emanueledonazza473]

​​@@TatianaHopper Knowing Ghirri's works and essays, I would say that the closest translation to the italian "Pensare per immagini" is "Thinking by (using the means of) images". 'Thinking images' doesn't sound that close to the original title. 'How to think in pictures' is closer to the italian meaning but different as it's an interpretation of the title indeed.

[@LucaPasini2]

@@TatianaHopper Thanks for your video, and also for the one about Ghirri himself that I just enjoyed! Indeed it's a matter of interpretation: there's not a direct English translation for the preposition "per" in English: depending on the context it could become "for", "through", "to", "in", "via", and even in Italian one could argue about its precise logical meaning. I am not a translator myself, so my suggestion was purely based on my own interpretation of the expression, with the images being considered as a tool used by the thought to make itself exist. English is not my mother tongue, so other solutions could represent this concept even more precisely in English and I wouldn't be aware of it. That said I think that overall the general idea is clear, and Ghirri was without any doubt one of the best Italian photographers of all time, and probably my favourite!

[@pauljenkin297]

Firstly, a very thought-provoking video, Tatiana. Thank you. I agree with what you say but one of my favourite photographers, Saul Leiter, once said "I don't have a philosophy. I have a camera. I take photos". A very famous drummer, Vinnie Colaiuta, said that "thought is the enemy of flow". Maybe, for us amateurs / enthusiasts, having a philosophy and working with intent is what separates us from the photographic 'greats' / professionals. They do actually have a philosophy but it is so much a part of them that they shoot instinctively and almost without thought.

[@mc5869]

Yes, I think like you - I just make photographs to document my journey in life, without philosophy. Or maybe that is a philosophy of sorts. A Keith Moon type of way ?!

[@skyyefinance]

This reminds me of Wu-Wei in Taoism. Literally “inaction” but figuratively acting without thinking.

[@rogerhyland8283]

It’s hard to pin down what motivates me to take a photo, and here i am talking about the photographs you make just walking around. There are things i feel an immediate connection to and then there is the idea, how can i make a good photo with this. Mary Ellen Mark said she wanted to make iconic photos. Lucky her. I want to at least feel the possibility is there when i press the shutter. It’s a mixed bag. Sometimes i take things because i can and often they don’t feel any more special than that. Sometimes i come away with more than i expected. Unless I’m working with someone specific, I often start by shooting details, making abstract constructions, playing with shapes, angles, light and dark. Becoming aware of things i might have passed by before but never saw the possibility of a photo. Then as i start observing people, light and the environment, i just look for someone or something that i connect with. I think of Mary Ellen Mark’s statement but i also think of Daido Moriyama’s philosophy, that everything is an equivalent, a photo is just a snapshot, whatever interests you take the picture, dont care about the quality of the image, just the sensation that made you take the picture. It reminds me of an element of Buddhist philosophy-if you have an impulse, act on it because that is karma. When you dont feel the urge to act, that too is karma. Don’t force or repress, just be. lol

[@petermach8635]

I don't think we can ever intentionally make something timeless, all we can do is to do our very best and to hope that the passage of time makes our images enduring ..... that's real, not faux timelessness.

[@honestpat7789]

Out of all the art mediums, I seriously think photography is the hardest in regards to developing your own style. In writing, if you’re authentic, and have a personal story, it’s hard not to be unique(not that it makes writing any easier). I’d say it’s similar with painting where you literally start with a blank canvas with a myriad of colours, textures and interpretations at your disposal. With photography, particularly street photography, you’re working backwards. Eg, you start with an already established subject then try to capture that within your own vision. Can sound easy to begin with, but as your photographer skills develop, the options dwindle. Nothing is original anymore. It’s hard to make your work stand out and find originality, in an age where everyone has a camera and everyone thinks their photos are awesome 😂 However, I think I like that challenge even if it’s slowly devouring me 😂 But as Charles Bukowski wrote: find what you love and let it kill you ✌️ Excellent, thought provoking video, as usual 👌

[@Vizihon]

Tatiana! I was subbed to 30+ photo related channels but reduced it for around 4-5. Yours is very refreshing for me and ads value to my everyday life as amateur photographer and philosopher (like everyone of us 😆 ). Thank You!

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you so much! I appreciate you taking your time to watch the videos and support the channel 🙏🏻

[@bushbeatnik4480]

Love your work and contributions here so much. Thank you. This video, for whatever reason, reminds me of a practice I started back in 91. Once a week, I go out with my m6 and no film. I spend a few hours shooting but come home with "nothing". I then write about what I miss the most not having from the things I remember "missing" . The "loss" helps me to focus and appreciate when I do capture. NOTE. This is especially helpful if you shoot digital now. I could see, if I still shot film, forgetting to load the film. LOL I know you are on your path but would be cool to see a vid of your experience and your well written and communicated commentary of said process if you were to give it a try. Cheers and thanks again for your contribution to the world.

[@mattsnaturalphotos7723]

I’m in love with the concept of ‘thinking in photographs’ as you’ve described it. Photography indeed surpasses mere visual aesthetics-it’s about encapsulating stories that might otherwise slip into the forgotten corners of memory. I believe that all photographs carry a narrative within its frame. These are stories that stir the mind, unearthing emotions and thoughts that connect us to moments in time. Just like with the evolution of painting, after you hit perfection in technique you have to think about what lies beyond the subject. Your presentation on Luigi Ghirri was particularly compelling. Revealing layers of depth in the seemingly mundane, and now I find myself eager to dive deeper into his work and philosophy. Great Video!!! ❤

[@gibsforgood7072]

I enjoy this aspect of photography - the perspectives and thoughts behind the photograph. Thank you for sharing.

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you for watching!

[@tresnic09]

your content is a breath of fresh air. thank you for your thoughtful video.

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you 🙏🏻

[@carlkligerman1981]

My favourite book of Philosophy happens to be about photography. Roland Barthes, ‘Camera Lucida’. It’s a masterpiece, IMO. Don’t know if it will help photographers per se, I’m a painter, but I think everybody should read this little book.

[@sebastiangatto1290]

Great video as always Tatiana and nice to see more of your work! What has been working for me lately is allowing myself the element of surprise by experimenting and breaking some (not all) rules. The unpredictable results may inspire you to look through your viewfinder with a fresher pair of eyes.

[@TatianaHopper]

What a great note Sebastian, glad you shared that, it’ll certainly bring another perspective to people :)

[@MatthewSutton1]

Thanks for activating my mind. I am currently in a sabbatical and not taking too many photos. I do carry my camera everyday mostly but have felt less need to take photos. So it’s been helpful to think what will motivate me or what new direction I will take. I realise my social anxiety and my need to connect with people motivates me to express myself in photos. What I may lack in social interaction with other photographers I gain through channels such as this one. Thank you 🙏

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you so much for your comment Matthew, I’m so glad the videos are helpful, appreciate you taking your time to watch the channel! 🙏🏻

[@nolannatashaTV]

just found your channel. Really loved this video and your work.

[@doughuras5407]

I like the quotes from other photographers. It adds perspective. Love your videos. I always learn something.

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you Doug! Appreciate it!

[@Wpoolesf]

Love Christenberry, Also, I have recently been thinking a lot of Paul Strand, who photographed widely (including, famously, in Italy!) but spent his late years highlighting the beauty of his own garden. Aging photographers might tell you that there is a benefit to woking with a reduced palate as circumstances dictate. If I have a philosophy these days it is to photograph what you know and will miss most when you can not longer photograph.

[@user-jy3io4iz2p]

A video by David Brommer (B+H NY) about studium & punctum (Roland Barthes) was what I needed to get my photography going.. Been to a HCB exhibition in Centre Pompidou 2015. Very nice, top floor completely HCB.

[@jean-claudemuller3199]

I guess french philosopher's Roland Barthes "Camera Lucida" is studied in most art school in the world. The explanation about what makes a picture exceptional, and why many, even pro photographers, pictures don 't retain attention.

[@user-jy3io4iz2p]

@@jean-claudemuller3199 It was much fun with Camera Lucida (studium/punctum) in mind after the HCB exhibition going into Paris pretending being HCB with my Fuji X100 I still own 🤠

[@mid90s75]

Loved the photo of the hotel sign, cheers!

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you so much!

[@alexbadeu]

Always an inspiration, both in thought and in sharing your work, thank you.

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you so much Alex!

[@frankgaglione8222]

I've been shooting more personal work lately than ever before in my photo career and looking for my voice,, I've also been a voracious explorer of philosophy, you have just helped me connect the dots.

[@craoladair]

Amazing production Tatiana

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you so much!

[@swande69]

Hope you have enjoyed anyway my city. It’s easy to feel disconnected from it, it is not an easy place to take pictures of. I lived there for most of my life, started my photography career there and still sometimes I feel disconnected as well when I come back to visit my family and I go for a walk to take pictures. Naples can be tough, and the Amalfi coast and the islands can easily end up being the classical Italian postcard. It’s a place where a lot happened in history, and can be really difficult to find a sense when you walk trough it.

[@JoeJoe4P]

Thank you for this video. I too am trying to be intentional with my photography. I find I’m being drawn to certain subjects more and more. My interests are varied but my passion seems to be growing for only certain subjects and areas. I’m sorry you lost an important roll of film, but I hope that trip over all was enjoyable. I have southern Italy on my bucket list and hope to get to visit. I hope all is well my friend. Still struggling with the eye issue here but making progress. God bless🙏🌹✌️

[@TatianaHopper]

Hi Joe! As always wishing you the best and a steady recovery my friend, I did enjoy my time there, I’d love to go to Sicily! Maybe next year, thank you for taking the time to watch the video!

[@ne0ne0]

Great content, Tatiana! Very inspiring.

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you!

[@toine1915]

Hi, Tatiana. This video couldn't come at a better time than now for me. I have been trying to explain my work for some time now. I try to give my work a feeling or a certain emotion. How I see my subject and what I feel about it. This is what I try to convey to the people who view my work. And I have discovered that this is becoming increasingly difficult. How do you convey the feeling you have about an image to someone else so that they have a similar feeling when looking at a certain photo? And this is much harder than I thought. I have discovered that most people look at a photo very superficially and do not think when looking at the image. It is becoming a bit of a battle within myself and that is not good for photography. That's why I find this video so interesting. Thank you, I will definitely watch this video a few more times. Kind regards from the Netherlands, Antoine.

[@TatianaHopper]

Hi Toine! It’s definitely a hard question to answer just over a KZbin comment, but I feel as though when we visualise a scene wether staged or perceive it in real life, you can definitely try to adjust your composition or try to focus on symmetry, lines or other elements that function as a visual language. For instance I noticed that Ghirri really explores symmetry, parallel lines and often frames his “subjects” with a lot of space above or below to create a sense of emptiness. There’s two photos he has one with a sign saying “mare” and the other with a little horse from one of those seaside rides that he puts on the bottom area of the frame and there’s all this space around it - gives a sense of isolation, emptiness and ambiguity. It really depends on what you want to communicate. A good exercise can be to look and write down how other photographers communicate their ideas (saturation, composition, perspective…) and try to apply these into your own images.

[@toine1915]

@@TatianaHopper Tatiana thank you so much for this very fast reaction. I will try this. And I let you know what it has done to my way of working. Thank you very much, my friend.

[@weshamilton4114]

Love this

[@jakubm5866]

What you describe here is what seems to be the biggest hurdle for me - to be more intentional with my photography. To see even a little bit more than just a pretty picture. Coincidentally I have already started applying your advice and I am seeking out interviews with and books by the photographers I enjoy. It has already given me some ideas for mini projects. Great video as usual :)

[@worldadventuretravel]

Perhaps this may help you as well: I make photographs because it reminds me that no matter how bad or scary the world seems, there is still beauty everywhere. It helps me to get past my cynicism and fall in love with humanity all over again. It opens me up to life, gets me out of my head, and into the present moment. And I share my photographs to help show other people how to find it- especially in the ordinary, everyday things. Every time I find genuine beauty and excitement in what I see and photograph, it puts me in touch with my heart. This is why I do it. I feel we live in such crazy times that humanity is struggling with a kind of dystopian loneliness and resignation. When I show people what beauty there is all around us, I feel like it is a win humanity as a whole to remember who we really are. What drives YOU to photograph? Why do you feel compelled to do it? Why does it excite you? That's all you need to know. You already HAVE your intention. Just listen to that and you will be intentional in your photography as well.

[@galessi1226]

I was lucky enough to have lunch with Ghirri back in the Spring of 1990.My brother lives in Italy, and I came over for his wedding.Ghirri had just just published a book, and my brother had managed to get me Ghirri's phone #.......and so I met him for lunch at a cafe in Modena...he was generous with his time, and took a look at my Black and white portfolio....We talked about Bob Dylan( who he claims as a big artistic influance).....and then he gifted me with 2 of his photobooks....with the promise that I would show them to some gallery owners in San Francisco....( those gallery owners were a bit short sighted, as they were not interested in his work)My impressions of him were all positive...Kind, Generous, Dedicated to following his Vision...to where ever it led him.

[@samueleguglielmo9465]

Thank you Tatiana for picking up Luigi Ghirri this time around. I appreciate your channel! Keep up the brilliant content! Cheers

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you so much Samuele, you’ll enjoy the next video dropping today if you like Luigi Ghirri :)

[@ernestthomas9406]

As far as advice to give you purposes in what to look for as a street or urban photographer, the way life evolves & how we cope with the changes, and look from past to present!

[@Maudey-jq1pz]

Yes fresh video, let’s get some perspective!

[@TatianaHopper]

Cheers for watching!

[@TheAnalogMoments]

A stunning view at the intro.

[@TatianaHopper]

And that footage doesn't do justice to the beauty of real life, definitely a must place to see :)

[@aes53]

One your wonderfully articulate and lyrically narrated films. I think the conclusion can be summarized by a Wallace Stevens quote: "no ideas but in things".

[@TatianaHopper]

Interesting quote! Thank you for watching and for leaving your thoughts!

[@aes53]

@@TatianaHopper I goofed, the quote is William Carlos Williams. If I screw up, I like to be the one to catch it.😃

[@terrywbreedlove]

I should probably;y comment more because I love your work here on KZbin. This video another great one.

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you so much Terry! Feel free to comment :)

[@ezagog1971]

Great video as always. Thanks

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you 🙏🏻

[@csbphoto2781]

Excellent insights. By trying to recreate a preconceived look you are indeed photographing with intent. It avoids the usual tourist 'snaps' and gives focus which helps to get in the flow. I think it's a great approach with the bonus of not just following the latest instagram trend. Well done

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you so much, appreciate your opinion. Best!

[@ralfschoeneck2089]

Hi Tatiana, you mentioned that you missed the nostalgia you find in the photos of photographers of the past. It’s exactly what I am looking after while travelling currently through the balkans and Greece (etc). But I think that is (at least for me) a pitfall. What these photographers saw was their present time. Our contemporary photos will become nostalgic in the eyes of future generations… Would like to hear your thoughts on contemporary photography through the history of photography. Best, Ralf

[@TatianaHopper]

Yeah absolutely, I agree what they saw was their own time, I think I was just feeling a nostalgia as if I had lived those times and now I was photographing what was left of them if that makes sense. Maybe too abstract. But anyways, I’ve been to Greece and the place I was in was also quite nostalgic - Corfu. I want to go again, a lot to discover! Thank you for watching Ralf!

[@ralfschoeneck2089]

Hi Tatiana, I am currently also with my motorbike in Greece on the way to Armenia and Georgia. In a few days I will be visiting Mount Athos in Greece (autonomous monks republic) for a few days. The monks there live under the ancient byzantine rules. Nostalgic or contemporary?

[@MrRgx521]

@@TatianaHopper So in a sense you were writing an epilogue or even a post mortem to their visual stories. A fascinating thought.

[@washingtonradio]

I find I have gravitated to specific types of photography mostly with an implied intent to show beauty around us in simple things, events, etc. a rather quiet statement.

[@TatianaHopper]

Very interesting, I suppose that’s why everyone has their own style, keep doing you!

[@jimwlouavl]

This is close to my philosophy. I like looking at things others may not see and sharing that with them. I mostly photograph beautiful scenes but not always.

[@richardrizzo_photography]

Great video Tatiana with much food for thought, thank you. 🤔

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you so much Rich!

[@VictorReynolds]

I’m like everyone else, it’s intention. This can be a challenge in my case since my only times I can create images are nights and weekends. Thanks for sharing!

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you for your watching Victor! Hope the video was helpful!

[@daviddyephotography]

wonderful insights, I tend to see life around as single images that are ever changing witing for me ti see the one perfect moment to freeze that image into my camera. I can't create the image,as much as I see it spontaneously as it appears and either capture it or adjust to perfect it

[@TatianaHopper]

Good insight David, I see what you mean and thank your for sharing and watching the video!

[@m.scottgordon3475]

Inspiring ..... thank you.

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you!

[@daviddrex9750]

Good video sometimes when I go on vacation, I like to have the attitude that my lens on my camera would have I shoot everything I see and make no judgments at all

[@TatianaHopper]

Good approach! Thank you so much!

[@durango-CODEBUILDER]

Interesting video! I've been struggling with the idea of intention within my own work for the past couple of years. As soon as I try to look for a specific narrative I become constricted and am unable to produce anything meaningful to me. I'm not overly fond of the idea of a narrative anyway when it comes to my own work. I need to feel free when taking pictures and not have anything specific on my mind. Also, have you ever seen the painter Cy Twombly's photography? He's got some really lovely work. Another really great photographer that is producing work today is Masao Yamamoto. Some of the most soulful pictures I've seen. Definitley check them out if you've not seen either of their work before and see what you think. Cheers ✌

[@TatianaHopper]

Hey thank you so much for watching! I feel like maybe narrative might not be for you and that’s okay look at Daido Moriyama, he doesn’t necessarily work with narrative! I haven’t seen any Twombly’s photography even though Sally Mann talked extensively about him and her book, they were friends! I’ll check the other references too, it might be that I’ve seen it before but don’t remember the name!

[@duringthemeanwhilst]

the video may not have been about your images, but they were lovely all the same. when I used to be able to do a lot of landscape stuff, I always set out to capture a feeling, and not a view. I think I only managed around 4 or 5 images where I can honestly say yes, I succeeded. And that was in over 10 serious years of trying!! I look at your pictures and feel you have that same ethos, and also that your success rate is a lot higher than mine!! 🙂

[@TatianaHopper]

Hi Nick! I hope you’re doing well, thanks for commenting, I appreciate your insight maybe we are indeed close in the way we perceive the world! I appreciate your compliments, thank you and as always wishing you all the best!

[@MyChannelAboutNothing]

I wanna say this, Thank you. As a novice photo journalist, one of the things I recognize is that you better understand the art but respect the fact that not all artists are created equal. I just stumbled onto your channel, and I must say that I am very impressed. Not many people are highlighting the great ones or giants of the field anymore. I think I'm going To enjoy your channel very much. Well done

[@geoffmphotography9444]

Interesting and thoughful ideas.

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you!

[@ulfjonsson2122]

Great video and thoughts, keep on

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you Ulf! Appreciate it!

[@joshatyt]

Well done and love Ghirri

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you 🙏🏻

[@matteoenricocattaneo]

I don't know...I think that it's important to look at other photographers...but then it's more important to look at yourself, inside yourself. My journey with photography started, or it's better to say re-started, 4-5 years ago after my burn out, or during my burn out as a form of therapy. So somehow my photography reflect this period of my life, done of walks in the nature and solitude. Sometimes I would like to try something different, but I realize that I tend to copy others...leaving outside my inside.

[@Cybercygni]

Thanks for a great video. What kind of book do you have in the movie?

[@TatianaHopper]

I displayed two books on this video: The mind’s eye by Cartier-Bresson and Holding Still by Sally Mann.

[@ASCMarco]

Hi Tatiana another great italian photographer is Mimmo Jodice. In 1984 he collaborate with Luigi Ghirri and a group of other great photographers like Gabriele Basilico, for a book called "Viaggio in Italia". If you don't know him looking fir his work.

[@TatianaHopper]

I’ll look him up, I’m not familiar with his work at all! Thanks so much!

[@hoagyguitarmichael]

Interesting perspectives. Also -how do you judge exposure when shooting with sunglasses on ?

[@TatianaHopper]

In those cases i had checked before with my shades up and looking through the camera (the mamiya shows the values in its viewfinder)! Cheers.

[@ianforber]

Excellent video. Am I right that you were shooting 35mm as well as 6x7? If so, do you find your intent changing when using the different formats? I sold my Mamiya 7 so I can’t compare and, frankly, I don’t think I’ve ever consciously considered my intent.

[@enzo007v2]

great observations Tatiana. I love the perspective of humanness of things. Currently I do a project called Documenting Zanzibar & Zanzibarians. After the video I see my project with little adjustment where it is going. Anyway ... good video, thanks for it. When you be willing to travel to Zanzibar, let me know. Cheers !

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you so much! I’m glad the video was helpful and good luck with your project! Much love to Zanzibar and will do!

[@getmethere6437]

Hello. Beautiful video. You should try Roland Barthes book “Camera Lucida”.

[@anantamulyono6121]

Yeah

[@HankTVsux]

I loved the color images! I wonder if you are familiar with Susan Sontag's book On Photography? It was really impactful to me in the way it got me deconstructing photography and even imagery as a whole concept and let me get more loose and carefree with my art.

[@TatianaHopper]

I’ll double check I think I have it but I’m not sure where anymore, I’ve read tons of passages from it particularly in uni but I don’t think I read the whole book, thank you for watching!

[@numbersix8919]

Hi Hopper! Great photos, by the way! Your first mention of thinking visually was a refreshing reminder. Thinking (cognition and conceptualization) is so verbal, it's so easy for the eye and mind to drift apart! But a visual artist must think visually, or at least be able to do so! Edward Hopper is a very good example of that. Thank you! Don't forget war photography. Free Palestine, Free Europe 💔

[@TatianaHopper]

Yes! Thinking visually is so important! Thanks so much for watching! And yes war photography has never lost its relevance!

[@ddsdss256]

Interesting (as always). I actually find that much of my work is an effort to escape "the human touch," given the way we humans continue to defile nature. We have created some amazing things (some most certainly "photoworthy"), but our lack of respect for the only planet we have (and each other), leads me to focus more on the beauty of nature and man's (almost exclusively negative) impact on it. I hope that people "get" the point of such images and realize that we need to change the unsustainable way we do things--it's the least we can do for future generations and fellow lifeforms. Sorry about the "rant," but Earth Day was yesterday so...

[@AnnkurKumar]

Doing one type of photography is advised or diversification is better??

[@paulodefeyter]

Olha lá, quando é que vens a Lisboa outra vez, Tatiana? O teu canal evoluiu bastante :)

[@nickfanzo]

Check out Philip Perkis if you haven’t already. He’s one of my favorites, especially his later work

[@TatianaHopper]

Will do Nick!

[@nickfanzo]

@@TatianaHopper❤❤🎉🎉

[@TatianaHopper]

🤝🏻

[@johnsobenne]

What was the sally man book that was shown?

[@TatianaHopper]

“Holding Still” by Sally Mann!

[@tcc9826]

what is the song name at the ending of your video? it is beautiful Thank you

[@TatianaHopper]

It’s a cover of smooth operator by Vanessa Elly!

[@tcc9826]

@@TatianaHopper Found it, thank you so much.😄

[@user-iz2ph1lp9g]

🎉

[@TatianaHopper]

🙌🏻

[@fineartfotos]

You nerd, yes i loved your essay and your images weren’t bad either lol! Yesterday i spend the good part of the day in New York at AIPAD the photography show. So finding and watching your latest was very timely for me. I photograph because i am, here…. When one is always seeing (things) one misses as much as one gets. What i mean by that is if your camera is not up to your eye a moment might fly by even if shooting by the hip. Yes my dialog here has nothing to do the style you are attempting lol but Your video made me long for the day when i worked w Leicas. Ha i use mostly a cell phone for my personal work now, Feel free to cast me out!

[@wolfgangk1]

From a 40-year professional. You're overthinking. Photography doesn't have to be that existential and cerebral--unless that's your shtick. The notion of thinking in images is part and parcel of editorial or creative photographers (in all its flavors). We're given a garment and a theme and from that we're expected to create an image. I imagine everything as a backdrop for a potential image. It's what most serious photographers do. We can't turn it off and on. I got weary after listening to how you complicated the act of photographing. It reminded me of when I was a student living in Cambridge, England. I'm an American, but I'd never go on a formal tour of London. Later, when friends would share their sights, I'd say, "I never saw or knew that." It's okay to photograph a cliche... It's okay to just be in the moment and not attempt to get into another photographer's head.

[@TatianaHopper]

Thank you for your comment, appreciate the insights!

[@apistosig4173]

Some of us see things others do not / some of us hear things others do not / some of us taste things others do not / some of us feel things others do not / we are not equal within the realms of persecption

[@EspenAas-br8bg]

I find it difficult to find interesting angles in picturesque places, like Italy.

[@Steve-Dilks]

Overthinking stifles creativity. Do your own thing and enjoy it.

[@nikolai_art]

The reason why you were feeling „disconnected“ is because you were. You visited as a tourist. Photographic tourism will never give you the type of insight you’d have about the place where you usually live. I’m propagating local photography. It’s a better way to produce meaningful work. Of course if you stay somewhere for a long time, you can get a feeling for that place, even as a tourist. But almost no one does that. Most photographers just visit a famous place, go through their bucket list, and off they go. Local photography produces better work, and is better for our planet too.

[@TatianaHopper]

I totally see your point, I’m speaking from personal experience in this video, I didn’t feel like this before when I travelled to a new place, on the contrary, so it was an interesting experience to reflect on. You can defend local photography if that works for you absolutely, I think each to their own and what works better to each individual in this scope of photography. There’s nothing wrong with photographic tourism of course it has cliches like everything in life. But most of the images we know wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for people travelling to find new places and exploring to take photos - Ansel Adams, Sebastião Salgado, Ernst Haas to name a few…

[@Feierprinz82]

​@@TatianaHopperI think everything has its interesting side. In the end, it's all about the interpretation of the photographer. Even as a local photographer, everyone has different interpretations. It's not about telling the truth, it's about how we as individuals reflect reality through our photography.

[@TatianaHopper]

Absolutely.

[@nikolai_art]

@@TatianaHopper I just think that there is a popular misconception that you need to have „interesting subjects“, to make good photographs. Which leads to many photographers, enthusiasts and amateurs especially, flying around the world to those „spectacular“ places, to get „inspiration“. I think good art comes from within, that’s where people should search for inspiration. The best works show me a glimpse of the inner workings of an artist. It’s not about „traveling“ per se. Someone like Fukase also travelled, but then photographed ravens and his family.

[@forneverarrow]

You are in my mind! I am shooting entirely in the place where I am living for the last 5 years. Even though I’m am not a local (I am Greek and I am living in the home country of my wife, in Cyprus) I got to love the country and particularly the city of Limassol. I’m am shooting during various daytimes and seasons documenting almost every aspect of the place. And I can totally agree with the feeling of disconnection in different places, because I am feeling that emotion the times I am photographing in different cities of the island occasionally, even when I am traveling to my own country for a few days! You can only blend in a place you live and have your daily routine. Only then you will be able to know the place and the people, things that make your photography more engaging and emotional.

[@andrewgulland3925]

Shhhh don’t tell everyone that the secret to successfully art photography is the manipulation of the viewer’s memory…it’s a secret that only a very few photographers understand!

[@sipatron6141]

"Thinking in images" here means exactly the opposite. There is no "translation" of one's thoughts to pictures. It's the same idea as in "thinking in [foreign language]" for non-native speakers.

[@markielinhart]

Thinking in images. Yes, but in the moment…

[@themastersofshadow8670]

That’s a beautiful camera @4.17…what is it?@tatiana