In the previous post in this series I presented the idea that calendar art is a worthy first goal for serious photographers.  (Read Taking Your Photography to the Next Level.)  And aside from the fact that the subject matter of calendar art may be fairly run of the mill, the technical and aesthetic qualities are generally excellent.

In that post I ended with this thought:

Calendar art is about the subject of the photograph.  The photographer is transparent.  In fine art photography the influence of the artist becomes more apparent.

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Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in.  ~Amy Lowell

Join me on an upcoming workshop.  Click here for more details.

To see more of my photographs click here.

I love flickr.  It’s arguably the best photo sharing site for photographers.  I get to see some really good, inspiring work from the other photographers I follow.

And, like most photo sharing sites, you can add comments.  When I post photographs I always look forward to receiving feedback and encourage anyone who visits my page on flickr to leave copious comments, both complements and criticisms.   If you haven’t visited yet, here’s the link.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ralphnordstromphotography/

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We all communicate with each other.  In our every day dealings we use our verbal vocabulary.  But as artists we also communicate, this time through our medium.  And for this we have another vocabulary, our Creative Vocabulary.

Let’s take a closer look.

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Studying the master painters has taught me a lot about light and making a sculpture taught me a lot about the power of the message: the more I take away from the block, the more I’m adding.  To me, a body of work is like the human body.  It has three elements that I believe to be most essential.  First, it should have very strong bones – able to stand on its own.  Second, it should have a distinct and clear voice in order to communicate impeccably.  That voice should be able to create the intellectual connection and emotional depth necessary within peoples’ hears, minds and souls.  Third, it should have a strong heart to pump blood all the way to one’s fingertips – to pump life all the way to the corners of one’s art.

To see more of Yousef Khanfar’s photographs, visit www.yousefkhanfar.com.

As I read more and more about photography in particular and art in general, I come across quotations that resonate.  This series of posts will be used to pass these along.