The earliest inspiration for me was the photographers from Life magazine. Many of the images that really interested me were the black and white photos from photographers such as Alfred Eisenstaedt’s photos of a young Marilyn Monroe, Bill Ray’s photographs from the concert for Bangladesh, and Art Ricerby’s images of a young J.F. K. in Dallas, Tx before, and after, his assassination. Photography has drastically changed since then.
My inspiration now comes from so many competent photographs. The world is over-saturated with good images now. But the great ones still stand out and I still have a soft post in my heart for candid images such as those made by street photographers. One of my current favorites is the work of Vivian Maier, whose images were not discovered until after her death.
What inspires me most is good light. It’s what makes a photograph. Not necessarily sunny bright light, but light that creates a mood. Then composition.
People often ask me what makes a good picture stand out from the average? There are so many different ideas on what makes a good picture. Different people see the world differently. But most photographers would agree that there are a few important elements that make a photo stand out. First, does the lighting suit the subject matter? Sometimes soft light works best. Sometimes hard light. Both can make for a impactful portrait…… or landscape. Second would be composition. Some would say that’s first. They are the “big two.” Subject matter is also key. Some images have universal appeal and some not.
In the visual world when one looks at an image,a conversation begins. It’s a private one. Unlike words that have an exchange of ideas and conversation ….the viewing of a photograph is largely a private affair. This language is universal. Talking about a photograph is quite different. Then it enters the world of the mundane. Then it looses it’s purity and the witness disappears.
Photo Credits
All Photographs Are © Ed Brooks
Ed Brooks Photographer Bio
I began making photographs while in school for the annual yearbook and soon after began writing a column for the newspaper on events in my school. Finding newspapers interesting, I soon was contributing photographs of events. At 17, I began working full time as a newspaper photographer [in Prince George, BC]. My passion for photography has carried me through my adult life.
As a teenager, I had discovered what I wanted to be in my life’s work. Earlier in my career, I pursued newspaper work [in Prince George, Campbell River and Courtenay] but by the time I was 30, I knew I needed to create a job for myself, which is when I became the Backdoor Gallery. In 1994, I acquired an allergy to darkroom chemicals and began to work with digital. That was significant and amounted to a “career change.”
I had never been happy with the commercial work that labs produced for me and with digital I was finally able to do all my work in-house. For the last 38 years, my business has been located in the downtown area of Courtenay [in several different locations]. At present I offer custom framing services as well as photo restoration.
Connect with Ed Brooks at:
Backdoor Gallery and Studio
520 Duncan Ave.
Courtenay, BC
Telephone: 250-338-8690
Blog / Website: Coming Soon!
Thanks Ed. I agree light is the photographers paint palette.