Masterclass 2026
Blue Mountains © Len Metcalf, 2013
Only one more week to secure the Masterclass 2026 for 2025 prices!
Book now to receive 30% off!
Len Quotes
©copyright, Len Metcalf, 2014
“Don’t try to photograph what you see - visualise what you see.”
Len Metcalf
Lunch with Len
As one of Len's valued newsletter readers, we are delighted to invite you to our inaugural
“Lunch with Len” event at Len’s studio in Sydney. We will be holding these events on a quarterly basis, (maybe in your city!) so if you can make it, we hope to see you there!
There are only 8 free tickets left so do not delay in booking your space!!!
Lunch with Len is a chance to drop by Len's Willoughby studio, meet the team (that'd be Len, myself, Clair and Momo) and hear about Len's various projects.
There will be a light lunch - Len's soup (I hear it's a drawcard) and a chance to socialise, receive a gift on arrival, followed by a presentation by Len about photographic prints and processes. He will be using his own prints as examples so you'll get a behind the lens look at rarely seen work from his archives, and an opportunity to purchase prior to being listed on Len's website.
As there are only a small number of FREE tickets still available, please book as soon as possible via the link below:
https://lenmetcalf.com/store/p/lunch-with-len
Please let us know if you have any questions or need any assistance booking your spot.
Looking forward to meeting you!!
Roadtrip Lens
Beside the road on the way to Albert River
©Len Metcalf 2025
Len has escaped the city and is journeying down the beautiful South Coast to a little hidden campsite on the Albert River, Victoria for a few days. From the gorgeous photos he keeps sending Clair and I to share with you, I am wondering if he is scoping out new spots for a tour? The scenery looks incredible!
Where is on your bucket list to fulfil your landscape photography dreams?
Big sign, Little Falls
©Len Metcalf 2025
Len’s Lounge
Len Metcalf in his Willoughby studio with Momo, sitting on Len’s Lounge.
© 2025 Photograph by Billie Roseanna.
Having never considered myself to be a “true artist,” I was both excited and admittedly daunted by the prospect of joining Len’s Lounge, which is Len’s online forum inspired by the creative conversations Len has with other people about art and expression, on his own lounge. As my new role with Len Metcalf, requires me to be familiar with every aspect of Len's business, it was inevitable that I was required to join and participate in this group. I must confess that the thought of stepping into an art club and showcasing my personal creativity in a public setting felt very overwhelming!
Although, I am comfortable to claim that I am a creative, I am a designer, or a maker, or a crafter, for some reason the word, “artist”, has always felt intimidating to me - much like a blank canvas or a plain sheet of paper does. The way I perceive art, rightly or wrongly, is that art is the ultimate invitation to express oneself infinitely and vulnerably. Which then, unfortunately, sparks self doubt to manifest, and the unhelpful self talk says, “Am I good enough? Who cares about my stories anyway? Where do I even begin?” Then, the process becomes so overwhelming that I do nothing. Sound familiar??
One of the first things I noted upon joining Lens Lounge is that this online space is for every artist, not just photographers, and it is encouraged that its members work with any medium or mediums to connect, learn and share art. This immediately helped me feel a little more at ease, seeing as I don’t have a photographic background, and I discovered the existing group of 85 members to be supportive and encouraging no matter what skill level or prior experience I have or they have had. Len Metcalf included! I found Len’s Lounge to be an inclusive and supportive space.
Amongst other activities, there is a weekly challenge, and this week the subject is “triangles”.
This came as a relief to me, to be prompted by a starting point - a place to begin. I was also delighted to learn there was a constraint - as a weekly challenge, I don’t have time to procrastinate and overthink.
As from today, I will be embarking and documenting my own artistic journey in Lens Lounge and I do hope you feel inspired to join me too! It’s free to join, so if you haven’t already, please do and we can all help each other achieve our creative goals in this wonderful space.
I have included the link below:
https://lenslounge.online/spaces/16161904/page
With love,
Tash xx
Trees are Poems
© 2025 Len Metcalf.
“Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky.” - Kahlil Gibran (1883 - 1931)
Cyclone Alfred
© Len Metcalf Photography. All rights reserved.
Boyd River Dragon captured on film
We sincerely hope that everyone residing in South East Queensland and the Northern Rivers area is safe during this challenging time. We've been thinking about you and are concerned about how this cyclone may adversely affect the delicate ecosystem along the coast, including its remarkable plants and animals. We've come across some troubling photos depicting serious beach erosion and can only hope that the damage does not escalate any further. Your safety and well-being are in our thoughts as you navigate through this difficult situation.
Warmest regards,
Tash
on behalf of Len’s Team
Len’s Journal Out Now!
Hello everyone!!
WHAT A WEEK!!
I want to express my gratitude to everyone who took the time to welcome me to the team! Your kind messages truly meant a lot, especially since I find myself in a rather challenging role! I am incredibly humbled and impressed by the remarkable artwork created by Len, as well as his ability to share his expertise with others who share a passion for photography and art. Furthermore, his dedication to fostering community connections, publishing journals, creating new works, teaching, touring, guest speaking at camera clubs and exhibitions, shows that Len Metcalf's world is as vibrant as ever, even after 40 years of commitment to photography—if anything, his passion is only intensifying!
You may have noticed an increase in activity on the Len Metcalf social media channels. We are consolidating all of Len’s socials into one unified platform—Len Metcalf. We will no longer post on Lens Journal or Lens School, but rest assured, both communities remain fully active; we’re simply moving all the little houses into one grand Len Metcalf castle! I am very excited to show you behind-the-scenes content, so if you don't already, please follow us on both or either of these avenues.
https://www.instagram.com/lenmetcalf/
https://www.facebook.com/lenmetcalfphotographer
Additionally, we are in the process of merging all of his websites into a single main platform: LENMETCALF.COM. If you haven't already been to see the changes, I recommend brewing yourself a cup of tea, as you’ll find it quite delightful to explore the site, featuring not only stunning new artwork but also online courses, workshops, and tours that Len will be hosting in the coming year.
In other exciting news: Lens Journal is heading out today! If you’re a subscriber, get ready because your journal will be arriving in the mail shortly! This edition—volume 5, issue 1—boasts an incredible lineup of artists:
📸 Jackie Ranken (https://jackieranken.co.nz)
– Originally from Australia and now residing in New Zealand, Jackie presents her stunning aerial abstracts captured in Australia.
📸 Enzo Crispino (https://www.enzocrispino.com) – An Italian photographer who takes us on a nostalgic journey through the enchanting streets of Paris.
📸 Roger Skinner (https://www.facebook.com/roger.skinner.549/photos_albums) – An Australian artist exploring technique as a motif in his captivating landscape series.
📸 Ben Coope (https://bencoope.com) – A skilled Australian videographer and photographer who beautifully captures the essence and movement of water in his seascapes.
📸 Len Metcalf (https://lenmetcalf.com) – Showcasing his exquisite images of Australian orchids.
We are confident you will enjoy this latest issue.
If you are not already a subscriber to this limited edition journal, there are only 11 copies left that are available of this issue on the website now
https://lensjournal.com/publications/lens-journal-volume-five-issue-one
and if you wish to become a subscriber, it is not too late to sign up for the next issue which will be released in May.
https://lenmetcalf.com/store/p/lensjournalsubscription
The team and I appreciate your continued support and interaction.
Have a wonderful week,
Tash x
Monochrome Lens
In South Africa looking out over the Orange River to Namibia, 2017.
© Copyright 2025 Len Metcalf.
The image was taken with my Olympus E-M1 and the Leica 100-400mm lens. I set my ISO to 100 for the best image quality, used an aperture of f/22 to keep everything in focus, and a shutter speed of 1/250 sec, which balanced the exposure while preventing too much camera movement.
This setup helped me capture a sharp, well-exposed shot with a deep depth of field, keeping both the foreground and background in focus.
Len is running Monochrome Lens as an online version as a Weekend workshop
3rd & 4th May 2025 10 am - 4 pm Sydney, Australia.
For more information and to book click here.
blossoming Lens
As a child, particularly as an enthusiastic teenager my dream was to be an artist. It was so simple. Make art, show people and change the world. I spent countless hours drawing. At one point it was to be a cartoonist, and I even studied at an animation studio for a couple of weeks whilst still at school. This dream led me to art school, and simultaneously I became an outdoor educator. The two clashed. Education won. The art world didn’t seem to work on merit, instead it worked on mysterious connections that needed to be fostered. Environmentalism was still in its infancy. I became more engrossed in education as it seemed like a more beneficial way of reaching people. The thousands of people I have connected with and taught, either directly or indirectly through my staff is indeed impressive. The message has always been the same. Communicate, work with others, care for people and build community. Look after the environment, for we are a part of nature, not separate from it, for it is our future and our nourishment.
Slowly throughout my life this dream of being an artist returned. In 2000 I opened the Leonard Metcalf Gallery in Katoomba. It was there that teaching photography returned as a possibility, and slowly I learnt that by combining my talents for teaching, educational design, outdoor guiding, art teaching, creativity mentoring and photography made sense.
Len’s School was born out of the ashes of that gallery. Metaphorically of course.
Through Len’s School I find myself still working on the same message. Build community, nurture others, look after the environment.
After fifteen years of running Len’s School, it is time to bloom and blossom and reinvigorate the dream of being an artist. Whilst not letting go of the magic of teaching creativity.
Over the years an incredible team has developed to support this dream. Clair Reynolds many of you know, who most notably produces and designs Len’s Journal and all my publications, is the backbone of the business. Her work is amazing and beautiful. So so gorgeous. And most importantly she makes my work look brilliant. She's hard at work today working on more publications for you. Next week we will be posting the latest Len’s Journal to you. It is gorgeous and a bit late, but it is coming nonetheless. Ben Coope has been incredible in making videos and is working on more to share with you too. So many, particularly in this day and age, prefer to watch rather than read.
It is time to introduce you to Natasha Cuevas, also known as Momo’s mum, or Tash. She comes on board as the creative director, and has been cracking the whip on recent changes to my branding, presence and future directions. Tash has so much experience, but most importantly she has the confidence to position me in the art market in a more appropriate place than I have had the confidence to do in the past.
Tash will be taking over our newsletter, our socials, and our presence. We have so much to share with you, including new brands. Tash has the incredible ability to curate, to present and tell my story. That is a gift in itself.
It’s time for change. Not just me, my art, and my teaching, but also for Australia and the world. We seem to be at a crucial crossroads in the world. But I will leave politics out for the moment.
I am so looking forward to the future. Am so thankful and feel so blessed to welcome Tash onboard.
You can look forward to an incredible visual story that will unfold.
Sending love to you all…
Len xxx
Flannel Flowers, after the fire. Photographs and text copyright © Len Metcalf 2025 | http://lenmetcalf.com
The Lens is Shifting
Tash, Momo and Len.
Copyright © Len Metcalf 2025
Hello!!
It’s so wonderful to be introduced to you by the fabulous Len Metcalf. I am absolutely thrilled to become a part of his team! What an honour!
Having collaborated with and worked for Len in some of his previous endeavors, specifically during his time creating artwork and merchandise to be showcased in pop-up shops in Kiama, Wollongong, and Sydney, I was fortunate enough to be shown some of his private art collections at the time. Little did I know that what I had seen was merely the tip of the iceberg of an enormous body of work either never seen or rarely seen by the public.
On my first visit to Len's Studio 3 months ago, which we now affectionately call Len's Lounge, what I discovered was undoubtedly a photographic treasure chest. Len unveiled that he had almost one million photographs stored in his archives. My jaw dropped. Thousands upon thousands of meticulously photographed flowers, leaves, trees, landscapes, animals, people, weddings, events, nudes, adventures, family, landmarks and homes! What was uncovered in this ordinary Sydney back yard, past the hills hoist and garden furniture, was 40 decades of Australian history from the quiet, thoughtful, precise viewpoint of Len Metcalf's lens.
I have worked in the creative industry for over 30 years, and on this day I bore witness to some of the most magnificent photography I had ever laid eyes on. I felt overwhelmed with emotion and had to take a moment to allow the tears to fall. I exclaimed, "It’s unbelievable that these works are not being seen by the world! Len!! People need to see this incredible art!!” Len, as sweet as he is humble, replied, “Do you think so?”
I am so looking forward to sharing Len's journey with you and meeting you, his loyal fans, students, and friends. It will be amazing to hear your stories and experiences that you have had with Len spanning over his 40 year career.
You will be able to find me in Len’s Lounge, or email me directly at tash@lensschool.com. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Love, Tash xx
Masterclass 2026
The Faces in the Canyon
© Len Metcalf Fine Art Photography 2025
If you have always wanted to enrol in Len Metcalf’s Masterclass, now is the time!
Until 1st April, we are offering an earlybird sign up price of only $6000.*
Secure your space and become a part of Len’s alumni, by completing this world renowned photography course, hosted online, each year, for only 20 students per year.
An incredible opportunity to take your photography to the next level…
Len has been teaching this course since 2009. Join many of the graduates who have benefited immensely from this unique course, improving their skills and making new connections.
The course offers you to work with Len over the whole year to assist taking your photography to the next level.
This course is fully facilitated. You will have Len with you, holding your hand if needed, every step of the way.
You will learn through project based methods, where you will work on your own projects over two months, finishing them and then starting new ones.
Immerse yourself in photography for a full year…
It is the ultimate gift to yourself.
One of the benefits is working together in a learning community with other keen adult learners who have just as much enthusiasm as you do. Often more.
It is in this safe environment you will be encouraged to explore, and challenge yourself. You will feel compelled to make photographic art.
This course is not rooted in genres. You are welcome to explore anything that inspires you. Bring to it your own interests, your own subjects, and develop your own voice and looks (style).
The course is inclusive, positive and supportive.
from $6,000.00
Book before the 1st April May 2025 at $6000* and save 33%
Book between 1st April - 30th September 2025 at $7500* and save 15%
Full price AUD$9,000* 1st October - February 2026
*paid in full in advance
FOR ALL INFORMATION AND BOOKINGS PLEASE HEAD TO LENMETCALF.COM
Clair Reynolds, Lens school alumni. Behind the Lens.
© Len Metcalf Photography 2025
Things are changing
We have been moving things around, and revamping our websites to make things easier to find and simpler for all of us.
We have rebranded our newsletter to simply Len Metcalf’s Newsletter.
This will be located at http://lenmetcalf.com which will become our home base for everything.
This will bring our publications, workshops, tours, online learning, and Len’s Journal, all into one place.
We hope you enjoy the journey as we change and grow.
You can expect to hear more about Len and his work.
A few black and white photography tips
Alan Schaller gives us a few tips on black and white photography
I love the first tip… it is good enough to write a whole article on….
The gentle art of critique
Giving feedback to other photographers requires effort. Before we start the learning exercises. You need to understand the power of positive feedback.
Giving feedback is hard. Receiving it is even harder for many of us, particularly me.
Read the following article I orignally wrote for Peter Eastway’s Better Photography Magazine.
When you post a photograph in the comments on any of these exercises I want you to come from a positive framework. Tell people where they are going right. There is no need to tell people what you think they could do to make the photograph more to your liking.
To follow up on this exercise, critique on someone else’s photograph in one of the exercises.
PHOTO CRITIQUES
The art of developing photographers with positive critiques and thinking
My growth as an artist relies on the attitudes and facilitation skills of my mentors and teachers. Under the careful positive guidance of some, I blossomed whereas with the negative and highly critical ones, I faltered and lost confidence.
Focus on the Positive
The most devastating time I experienced was with the drawing teachers at Sydney’s leading art school. My drawings didn’t fit the mould they wanted to put me in. Every negative comment about my work felt like bullying. I lost my confidence. My marks plummeted and I started to withdraw. Apparently, I wasn’t expressing my inner self. My tight and accurate drawings of nature didn’t fit the ‘paint on the floor’ abstract expressionist ideals of the eighties art world. My inner love for nature didn’t fit into the dominant art culture of the time. It wasn’t until I walked into an exhibition of botanical illustrators some twenty years later that I realised my drawings had a community where they could have blossomed. I stop to wonder where I may have ended up if I had found that community when I was younger.
I have now met quite a few people who didn’t fit in to their photography club, mentor or teacher moulds either. Some had even given up photography and most had left the group. It is so sad to encounter people who have lost their photographic mojo, just because of words from another photographer or worse still, an apparent expert.
Uncaring negativity has a huge toll on creatives, and it’s not just visual creatives who suffer. David Byrne, the amazing and talented lead singer of Talking Heads, says “While taking criticisms on board can be constructive, it can also be detrimental to the creative process.” Because of this, he won’t read or listen to a single critique of his performances during a season. Even his staff and family are banned from discussing what the reviewers are saying, newspapers are kept away and he uses his own judgement on quality.
Many of the people who come forth with these negative comments do it with the best intentions. They like knowing where they go wrong and assume others must be the same. However, just because you like to be told where you’re going wrong, doesn’t mean others do to.
For me, learning photography was a different matter. I was lucky enough to meet, be taught and mentored by some very positive and encouraging teachers, including Eardley Lancaster, George Schwarz and Gordon Undy. Being encouraged to photograph the things you love is a very important starting point.
Back at the ‘paint on the floor’ art school, in my photography classes I was encouraged to pursue my wilderness and nature photography that was inspired by Peter Dombrovskis and Eliot Porter. These positive teachers guided and shaped my inner direction. When I struck problems, I was encouraged to solve my way out of them rather than being shown the answer. I was given careful error correction and pointers on how to make my prints stronger. We discussed the ones that worked and analysed the outstanding ones.
Positive Encouragement
The photos that weren’t up to scratch were put aside and never talked about. The most outstanding photographs were admired, analysed and improved on. They became the target until a better one came along. In this environment, I developed quickly and blossomed. My photography took off. In nine months I went from failing art school to being acknowledged as outstanding and was awarded as the most accomplished and advanced photographer at graduation.
A key moment in my career as a facilitator was when I learned that I could teach in a positive manner. I was working with Estee Lauder at the time teaching leadership and teamwork. I was given the goal of fun instead of the usual specific learning outcomes. In one short afternoon, I learned a valuable lesson. Positive encouragement is a more powerful teacher than negative criticism. It was the first time I gave up on the error correction model I had been using for the past 10 years and trialled an encouraging approach where I kept identifying and praising the behaviours I was trying to instil in my students.
The success of this approach was life changing for me as a teacher. When you encourage and develop people’s strengths, they move away from the negatives and fill everything with the positives. The growth is amazing. My clients learned more from me in an afternoon than what was usually taking me a week to teach. Not only that, they loved it and bounced out of my session with boundless enthusiasm for what they had learned.
During the past 15 years that I have been teaching and mentoring photographers, I have found that taking an encouraging and positive approach with my students has brought endless rewards for them and me. If you can identify what it is that you love about some of their photographs, they will inevitably be out there trying to create more of them.
So, whether you are being taught, or trying to work it out for yourself, the key to your development as a photographer is working on your strengths and interests.
With feedback, it is the choice of words, and the way we deliver and structure them, that counts the most. Suggestions are much better than just telling someone what must be done. We need to flood the person in positives. Only discussing the negatives is detrimental to their growth. People need to know where they are going right.
Positive psychology is gaining momentum and is slowly being embraced in educational institutions. Having started in more esoteric roots, it is now gaining mainstream acceptance. There are many ways to include this in your photography.
First and foremost, you need to be enjoying yourself when you’re working on your photography. Time will just disappear, because you will be so engrossed in what you’re doing. Your attitude needs to be positive. Let go of work that isn’t good enough. It isn’t a mistake, it is a learning experience, a vital step in your growth. Concentrate on your good work. Figure out why it is good. Your best photographs are the ones you can enjoy looking at for a long period of time. Your outstanding photos are the ones that other people also love looking at. When someone loves your work, try and find out what it is they love about it. “Why?” is an important question to explore.
Tips for Positive Photographic Growth
Find a positive mentor
Finding a positive mentor or group is crucial. You are looking for people that are the ‘glass half full’ types, who glow with energy and support. They tell you very specifically which photographs are working and explain why. If you find yourself coming away from a meeting with someone and you feel like your work isn’t good enough then you are with the wrong people. Your mentor can be a photo friend or buddy.
Concentrate on the positives and the negatives will take care of themselves
Behavour modification experts have this down pat, as do animal trainers. When you concentrate on what you’re doing right, you will fill your memory cards with better photographs. It is better to have a list of positive things to do, rather than a list of negative things to avoid. Fill your head with what you are going to do right with your next photo shoot. A driver doesn’t concentrate on what they need to avoid, they concentrate exactly on where they are going. This is positive thinking.
Be specific with feedback and critiques
General positive and general negative comments don’t really help. The general positive ones make you feel all warm and fuzzy and the general negative ones make you feel hot and bothered. Specific positive feedback is like switching on the light. Suddenly you understand what it is that makes that photograph so fantastic, which in turn makes it easier to introduce the same benefit into your next photograph. Concentrate on error correction and techniques that improve what has already been done. Good examples of this may be suggesting a crop, or processing approaches.
Surround improvement points with specific positives
Always start on a number of specific positives and finish on even more specific positives. Personally, I always want more positives to finish on than I start with. Stop and think about what you’re going to say before you open your mouth or start typing that comment. Construct your feedback in a thoughtful and caring manner that encourages growth in the photographer.
Print your best photographs and hang them now
I always have my latest favourite photograph up on my wall. This reinforces my belief that I am a good photographer and my work is worth printing and showing people. It reminds me how good I am every time I see it and every time a visitor notices it. I make all my students create photographic products (prints, cards, calendars, books) with their work. Print it, frame it and hang it. Fill your walls with it. As soon as they do this they suddenly find extra support from their families and friends. Putting them into a book elevates their importance in everybody’s eyes. It helps reinforce your positive self-image that your photography is worthwhile; your inspiration to do more increases.
Think in positive, self-affirming thoughts
That next photograph you’re going to take is going to be fun, fantastic and fulfilling. Concentrate on what you need to do, on your feelings, listen to your inner guide. Shut out any negative thoughts and distractions.
Let go of images as soon as you’re finished
Many years of working with large format film taught me not think that I had a fantastic shot the moment I pressed the shutter. Looking through your photographs after the shoot and discovering the gems, allow yourself to be pleasantly surprised by your beautiful shots, rather than be disappointed with the ones that didn’t work. Every shot can be a learning experience. The more time you leave between taking and reviewing, the better your ability to be objective. Weeks are better than hours, and months are even better.
Photograph what you love
Photography is an outer expression of your inner self. Figuring out what you love and pursuing that subject relentlessly is a key to becoming an accomplished photographer. If you’re unsure about what you love, lay out all your favourite photographs and ask someone to show you which are your best. They are inevitably going to be the ones most about you. If you can’t figure it out, it doesn’t matter, just go with it and keep photographing more of same subject, or genre. Your best work will come from this.
Practice, practice, practice
The more photographs you create about the things you love and build on what you are already doing well, the quicker and better you will grow.
Len’s Rules for Photographic Feedback
Becoming an experienced and helpful mentor requires commitment and practice. You may even consider attending some mentoring sessions.
Good mentors are few and far between. Just because there are a lot of people listening to someone does not mean that they are good at this specific skill. We tend to listen to the loudest people or the ones who take photographs we admire.
Challenge this habit and look for someone who will bring out the best in you. Better yet, why don’t you become a mentor for someone else? You will become a better photographer from this process, because understanding why other people’s photographs work will help you understand your own practice.
Here are some guidelines on how to do it.
1. Feedback should be sought from the person, not thrust upon them.
2. If you can’t say something positive, then don’t say anything.
3. Talk about the components that work for you and why.
4. Be specific – the more specific you are, the better.
5. Use a ‘positive-improvements-positive’ structure.
6. Offer error correction by showing, or suggesting, how to modify.
7. Just because you like to hear what you did wrong, doesn’t mean others want to hear that too. If you’re stuck in this paradigm, try to get out of it. Your photography will improve quicker than it is now.
8. Be humble and sincere.
9. Encourage the photographer to do more.
10. Avoid personal attacks on the person at all costs.
As the receiver of feedback, if you find yourself justifying what you’ve done, then you’re not listening to the person.
At the end of the day, it is your photograph, you can love it as much as you like and you can leave their comments behind you. The key is to listen, not argue, or justify.
If you’re the one being asked to provide feedback, try these steps:
1. Look
2. Interpret
3. Technical points
4. Artistic points
5. Improvements
6. Good points
Wynn Bullock
Wynn Bullock is one of my favorite photographers, and is up there as one of my influences. I must get one of his books one day.
I had to complete an interview last night, and one of the questions was influential photographers in my life. Wynn Bullock is one of them. I used to stare at his images in one of his books at art school, over there in Paddington. There is one image I can still remember thirty years later, so I have included it here. The included short slideshow is a beautiful watch and only goes for 6 minutes... Beautifully edited and conceived.. The fade outs work perfectly, though are a little slow for my taste.
Child in Forest © 1951 Wynn Bullock
One photo in fifty rolls
"I am a tough editor of my work and usually when looking at my contacts I find I can go as many as 50 rolls without getting a good photo."
Bruce Gilden
Thredbo River during last years White on White Workshop in Jindabyne. Copyright © Len Metcalf 2017
Giving your work time to mature
Len muses of his latest photographic discovery when looking back through his work from a year ago. He then discusses how he uses time to help decide which are the masterpieces.
Mist in the Tarkine Wilderness - The Donaldson River, Corrina, The Tarkine. Copyright © Len Metcalf 2017
I have just found this photograph. Well a couple of days ago I rediscovered it, and today I realised how much I really loved it. That was looking at it on the phone. On the full screen of my computer, I am not so sure. So today I will print it out and pin it up on the wall to stare at for a while, to see if it really passes the test of time.
Time seems to answer many questions and solves a lot of problems. Yes, it is true that it doesn't solve all of the worlds and humanities problems, otherwise we would be happily living in utopia. But it does seem to solve creativity problems, it does help decide on if an artwork is resolved. It allows your minds to mature on an idea and on your photographs.
I have read recently that giving your images time to breathe, to mature and grow is bullshit. They cited reasons and talked about Garry Winogrand. How terrible it was that he didn't see all of his work. It seemed to play down on his obvious genius. Criticised his demeanour. It was actually very disappointing to read. I am surprised how dogmatic some photographers and writers on photography can be. I suppose they think it brings them clicks, or perhaps they are just like that as people. Who are you to tell someone what is right or wrong? Isn't better to just describe what you do and express your opinions as opinions. Nothing more. To urge people to experiment visually and with their thinking is to be celebrated.
To tell others what to do should be condoned. Is much like the photoshop argument, which I hate, we argue where the line of post-processing ends and manipulation begins. For me, it starts when I start to imagine the photograph. The manipulation grows as I use my camera, actively changing how the photograph is going to look. I stop with burning and dodging, and a bit of spot removal. That is because I love the taking photographs. I dislike (hate and despise even) my time at the computer. I don't think I have used Photoshop for the past ten years. I stop the post-production manipulation at a point that suits me. Who am I to tell you when to stop using photoshop. You should stop at the point where you find yourself with a resolved photograph or one you feel you need to abandon. Process as much as you love to do.
When I write that time is the answer to many questions, that is just my opinion. You don't have to follow my advice. I am actually just suggesting that you go back and revisit your work, and spend time with it. So with this in mind lets revisit the included image.
On first viewing, I would have discounted it because the branch in the upper right-hand corner is disappointingly soft. I tell people, sharpness is an illusion, and that sharpness like many things photographic depends on size. So I won't really know if it is sharp enough until I print it out at my favourite size. My eye scans the edges of the photograph. I am looking for distractions. There are some, but the question is are they too much or not. I could darken the vignette, but that would change the natural one. I could clone it out, but I don't like doing that. I could burn it down a bit. But I intuitively think it doesn't need it. Again, on my computer where the photograph is larger than the printed size, I can't really tell. So yet again I come back to the same answer. Print it out Len, have a look at it. And see how you feel about it over time.
So I print it out. Look. I stare. I analyse with my logic. I listen to my feelings. I judge.
It looks good, the branch is marginally soft, but not obviously so at normal viewing distance. The tree in the lower corner isn't the distraction I imagined. So as an act of finishing it, I number it #1. I title it, "The Donaldson River, The Tarkine". I sign it. I emboss it with my studio's stamp and the business logo.
I take it to my bedroom and blue tac it to my grandfather's wardrobe. Yes, that is also special to me, for he made it well before I was born. Now I can really live with it. Actually, if all of my picture frames weren't in an exhibition I think this one is worthy of a frame.
But the frame needs to wait. The next few months of looking at it will seal its fate. Will it get ripped up. Will it get thrown in the box of old prints? Will it get a frame? Will it get exhibited? Right now I don't know. But one day the answer will just arrive.
The real moral of this article, the one that I started with in my mind, is the same one I have been telling people for ages. Give your work time.
So here are some things I do:
I only have one rating system. Five stars for outstanding work. That is it. I don't use four stars or any less. It is the flagging system that is built into Lightroom. But I don't like to give a photography a flag, I prefer to give it five stars. A little bit of positive psychology just for myself. When I go through my lifelong digital catalogue on Lightroom there is just over 9,000 five star photographs. The reality is that most of them probably don't deserve that rating. But by doing so I get to revisit ones that I thought had merit sometime in the past.
I often let my photographs sit on my camera for some time before I download them. So last week I did a shoot with a model in lingerie, the first one in what seemed like years. I waited a few days before looking at them. So I could forget what I was trying to achieve when I took them. Forget the look I was going for. This is because I didn't want to judge them on striving for that look. If it I don't succeed I will often discount the photograph rather than judge it purely on its artistic merit.
I regularly revisit shoots from a year ago, and even longer. I pick a full trip. Say, all of my Tarkine photographs. I then go through all of the images again. I take my time, I savour them. I assess and judge them again, without the memory of taking them. Well, usually I can't remember. Some photographs are just so memorable I can't let them go. Do you know that every time I do this I usually find a better photograph than all of the ones I have previously given five stars too? That is what I am doing I am looking for the hidden gems. The ones I glossed over. The ones I judged as failures. My taste may have changed, my memory might have faded, my emotions will have shifted. Search for the gems, and the masterpieces. They are there hidden amongst your previous work.
I live with my work that I think is going to be amazing. I show people these photographs. I will put them on the web, present them in camera club talks, I will put them into my workshops. This is so I keep seeing them. It gives me time to live with them. Slowly my feelings change, either they grow or slowly they fade.
I print my work. I pin it to the walls. I blue-tac them to the cupboards. I use a magnet and put them on the fridge. I try to do this at the finished size, but I often do small little prints. I own a little Canon Zelphie printer, it only does 4 x 6 inch prints. It gives me a working proof that is great. If it is going to be an exhibition print, I print it off at A3 and live with it at that size too. Sometimes I even frame them and put them on the wall. There have been times when I have taken the frame down, removed the print and ripped it up.
Really look at your photographs. I mean stare at them. Not for a minute or two. But for much longer. Ten minutes. Twenty? An hour! Over a month. A year. Allow your mind to drift. Notice your feelings. Analise your work. Really get to know it. Work out what works for you.
Locations and possibilities
Do you chase known locations or photographs?
Still haven't captured those trees at Minni Haha to my satisfaction, but I do enjoy this one in the creek. Copyright © Len Metcalf 2017
I am driving down to Minni Haha Falls in Katoomba this beautiful misty foggy morning. I realise that many years ago I would be coming here because the place was on my tick list of search engine queries. I wanted photos from all the iconic locations that didn't look like the ones before me.
I realise now how wrong I was. Today I come here for the white gums. There is a stand of stunning trees here and I have failed to capture their beauty so I am hoping the mist will be thick enough and I will find something to photograph. Today, if the photograph doesn't come, I will happily move on.
Oh how I have changed. Instead of chasing places I now chase photographs. So much more fun, relaxing and rewarding.
