cbtsam Loc: Monkton, MD

This thread is proving inspirational for me. My wife has a little garden - about 10 acres, with 99% ornamentals. About 20 years ago, I began photographing her botanicals in decline, when I discovered some tulips that had withered in a vase, but still struck me as interesting. About seven yeas ago, I took a non-credit course in photographic portfolio, and ended up focusing on those decline botanicals. Pressed to present a document describing my work, I stumbled across the concept of wabi-sabi, with which I had had to that point very little familiarity.

Something else I've been taught is that the best photographs tell a story, an idea I always likened to the deli meat I liked best as a small child. There's no story in a portrait head shot, or a portrait of a flower, or an abstract icicle, I believed. Now we're talking about the beauty in impermanence, imperfection, and interconnection, and I think I'm learning something about story telling photographs.

Wabi-sabi is a set of ideas, and I think wabi-sabi photographs tell the story of those ideas. The image of an older woman who has hit the lottery tells the story of striking it rich, not the story of impermanence, imperfection, and interconnection. The image of an obviously older person playing in a band can tell a story of musicians, or it might tell the story of impermanence, imperfection, and interconnection, and sometimes it might tell both stories. An image of a decaying building can tell the story of impermanence, imperfection, and interconnection, or it can tell the story of a moody scene, and sometimes it can tell both stories. So, I think the best wabi-sabi photographs do the best job of telling the wabi-sabi story, that everything is impermanent, imperfect, and interconnected to everything else.

Anyway, that's my latest take on it; tomorrow's another day.

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Well said. That is what I was trying to understand all along. Wabi-sabi is a philosophy so general that it can apply to any endeavor. In photography is simply is simply a label someone hung on a image and the term caught on.

CaltechNerd Loc: Whittier, CA, USA

Years ago, I saw a wonderful exhibit at the Met of the original wabi-sabi ceramics. A total repudiation of the perfect ceramics that had evolved in Japan. They were so perfect that they might as well have been machine made (though there were no machines back then). Such perfect uniformity was no longer attractive or at all natural.

The wabi-sabi ceramics were rough, seriously imperfect, and all very natural. No tree or rock is perfectly symmetrical. That was the aesthetic of the ceramics on display.

For me, personally, a wabi-sabi photograph would be imperfect in an interesting way. Taken with a pinhole camera. Or just enough movement to partially hide the subject. Or seriously over or under exposed to hide detail but show something of interest. Or an interesting double-exposure. For me, the picture would have to be compelling, not just messed up.

Achieving this is way beyond my artistic/photographic talents but I'd be interested to see a master who can pull it off. Here are some examples of photographs labeled wabi-sabi. I agree with these and I think you can go much further with wabi-sabi as I've described above.
https://www.digitalphotomentor.com/wabi-sabi-photography-challenge-embrace-imperfection/

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

cbtsam Loc: Monkton, MD

No offense, Jack; rather, appreciation. As I noted, I have found the discussion useful.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

?????

I don't believe you've insulted or alienated anyone, Jack. We're just talking. If you inferred a certain tone from my comments, it may be simply my frustration in not understanding some comments.

I just read ctbsam's latest entry and was very inspired!!

CaltechNerd Loc: Whittier, CA, USA

cbtsam,
I love your thoughts on wabi-sabi and photography.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

Thanks, Jack.

cbtsam Loc: Monkton, MD

Well, thank you very much.

gener202002

I don't know if it is Wabi Sabi, but it is nicey nicey.

great bird pic

yorkiebyte Loc: Scottsdale, AZ/Bandon by the Sea, OR

Yes, please!

yorkiebyte Loc: Scottsdale, AZ/Bandon by the Sea, OR

So, this subject is actually… new to me.
I’ve never, that I can recall, heard this term before. Maybe I should get out more!

Dead, but not taxed….
….. prolly belongs in the “Bird” section….

User ID

As with the human visage, decining botanicals seem to convey some message that is absent in the fresh young face or fresh flower.

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srt101fan

I hope your equating B&W photography with tattoos and torn jeans is not emblematic of your knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the visual arts!

BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA

Have to agree with you on this one.