Here's a link to a very interesting blog entry on square format. Lots of other links to good examples of its use. Also links to interviews with photographers who use the format.
Thank you, what initially brought you to the article?
It's a long story... 8)
I was web surfing and ran across a video of a seminar that David Duchemin ran about a year or so ago. In the video he pluggeed his line of e-books. Gibson was one of his authors, and I got his books on black and white (very good, IMHO) and found my way to his website. I now follow his blog and read his entry which I posted here.
Incidentally, Gibson has published his own e-book on square format. I've bought it, and I think it's very good.
I have no connection with David Duchemin or Andrew Gibson except as a satisfied customer.
Totally off topic, Craft and Vision books is a really cool concept. Most of the "books" (they are short -- usually under 75 pages) are five dollars (four if you get them within the first five days of publication) and in .pdf format or iPad apps. They have a lot of eye candy and some good information. Again, my NSHO.
Good, I opened my mind more to this format. However, it is subject dependent. A square format does NOT work for all images.
I've been thinking about this comment. I understand it, but I disagree with it. Every photographic opportunity, every subject, includes a workable square format option. You just have to see it.
Maybe Richard's point really is that if you see the thing by default as a 4:3 or 3:2 or whatever your viewfinder shows you, then forcing a square format does indeed not always work. But you can choose to see it square as your default vision, and then it does.
I love square, probably because I use a 6x6 medium format film camera as a first love. If you see in square, then every picture is square until proven otherwise.
I'm convinced that seeing square is more stimulating, more flexible, and more penetrating, and it makes better pictures for me.
Totally off topic, Craft and Vision books is a really cool concept. Most of the "books" (they are short -- usually under 75 pages) are five dollars (four if you get them within the first five days of publication) and in .pdf format or iPad apps. They have a lot of eye candy and some good information. Again, my NSHO.
Ursula originally told me about this set of books and I have the one called "The Vision Driven Photographer." I'm really looking forward to the Square book! Thanks!
