“I am not interested in shooting new things – I am interested to see things new.” – Ernst Haas

If you’ve ever read “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” you’ll be familiar with Pirsig’s ideas about quality. Sometimes I think the only skill I have is often, recognizing quality. Be it in a book, or the lines of a boat or the curve of a Windsor chair arm and hopefully in a scene. The ability to see beyond the obvious is what I think Ernst was talking about and what I like most in photography. It can start with what Alister Benn describes as the 5 triggers. Luminosity, contrast, color, geometry and atmosphere. On a walk, you notice highlights on some leaves or some parallel trees, or the color in the grass and stop and see if they might inspire an image. Now you have a good start to learning to see. You don’t even need a camera to practice! Jeff