RonJohn, Editor@StartPhoto

Please reach out! I'd love to hear from you! ron@startphoto.com
An abstract color photograph featuring a spiraling white shape in the center of the frame. Around it, a series of off-white, comma-shaped marks radiate out from it.

The inconceivable improbability of your art

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Which is to say… your art is one in a million* <3 A special warm WELCOME to new subscribers: Charlie, Glenn, Patrick, and William, and a huge THANK YOU to all subscribers, old and new, for reading and being a part of this community. *I struggle with really big numbers; I can’t visualize a million. Hell, a thousand somethings is hard to picture without organizing it somehow in my mind. Like, how many stars can you see in the sky? (Five thousand, at best). How long is the average person alive? (Around 29 thousand days.) Contemplating a million? Forgetaboutit.  As … >>

An abstract color photograph featuring a blue plane on the bottom, a large white square near the top, and 5 white rectangle objects in the center of the image.

Quitters never win and other half-truths about art

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Or, “Should I stay [with my art] or should I go [make something else]?” A special warm WELCOME to new subscribers: Judy, Kristin, and Will. Thank you to Mark Foard (who writes I’ve Snapped) for recommending Viewfinder, and a huge THANK YOU to all subscribers, old and new, for reading and being a part of this community. In this issue: The Dip (Quitting vs. keep going) If you’ve been around the business world in the last 15 years, especially in technology and software, you’re probably familiar with one of the many variations of the graph above. I first encountered it … >>

A color photograph made with a low-angle, showing the ground (which is red and white concrete) and yellow stairs.

“Where is art?”, as answered by Brad Pitt

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Thoughts and a hypothesis about a question you’ve probably never asked. In this issue: Where is art? At one time or another, you may have heard the question, “What is art?”. Perhaps you’ve even given this some thought and have arrived at an answer that works for you. If you’ve read previous issues of Viewfinder, you know I have a working definition. Artists, academics, and contrarians enjoy this discussion because it’s complicated, highly subjective, and inflammatory. It’s difficult to define definitively. There’s really no one “right” answer (but many wrong ones). I’m not going to jump into that particular quagmire … >>

Close-up color photograph of a firework explosion.

Pushing new limits and expanding my creative practice

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A December to remember and a news way of working in 2024. A special warm WELCOME to new subscriber: Jason, and a huge THANK YOU to all subscribers, old and new, for reading and being a part of this community. In this issue: Hello and welcome to the first issue of Viewfinder in 2024! I hope you had a safe and fun New Year’s. Here in southern Washington we’re having the warmest, driest winter I can remember, which has been a boon for my daily photowalks and perhaps less so for the local flora, which seems confused by the ‘balmy’ … >>

A black and white photograph of a ball stuck in a tree. The sun is directly behind the ball, making it glow and making the tree a black silhouette. In the bottom left, the silhouette of a house is visible.

Make your own inspiration with your creative practice

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What is inspiration? Where does it come from? How do you create your own inspiration? In this issue: Inspiration and your creative practice There have been times when I’ve found myself creatively blocked. I’ve been unsure how to proceed in my work, or I’ve been unable to will myself to action. I’m just… stuck. This feeling goes by other names: “writer’s block”; “burnout”; “procrastination”; and the more flowery, “my creative well hath run dry”. In these moments of hopelessness, even more terrible monsters can rear their ugly heads: imposter syndrome and low self-esteem, among others. I might question, “what business … >>

A color photograph of an intersection made through the windshield of a car. In the scene, there are multiple street signs for "Interstate 5", a street lamp, and a stop sign. There is a crow perched on top of the stop sign.

Taking vs. making photographs; know the grammar of art

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Is everyone a photographer? The words we use matter. A special warm WELCOME to new subscriber: Barry! And a huge THANK YOU to all subscribers, old and new, for reading and being a part of this community! In this issue: Next issue: Dec 27 Skipping the Sunday issue of Viewfinder next week… a fresh-and-tasty email coming your way on Wednesday, December 27th. Happy holidays! Cameras are amazing; point them at something, push a button, and you’ve taken a picture. With digital photography, you can see what you took in an instant. More pictures are taken now than at any time … >>

Color photograph of a road with using shallow depth-of-field.

Zone of focus, depth of field, and what you set your sights on.

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Choices and the focus of your attention. A special warm WELCOME to new subscribers: Jason, Mark, Neil (who writes Photos, Mostly), and Orelad. And a huge THANK YOU to all subscribers, old and new, for reading and being a part of this community. In this issue: “How much Viewfinder do you want?” poll: inconclusive Thank you to everyone who voted–I really appreciate it! Results were split between “Slow it down to once a week” and “Keep sending twice a week”. No one voted for “I hereby challenge you to write as much as humanly possible”; I am grateful this was … >>

A black and white photograph of a white, triangular building. In front of the building, a dark, leafless tree contrasts with the light toned facade.

Know your why: 14 powerful art making motivators

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The “why’s” of art making, and what keeps us going. It’s almost assuredly incorrect to say that apocryphally-apple-loving Sir Isaac Newton was talking about art making and other creative endeavors when he created his Laws of Motion. Since he was a mathematician, physicist, astronomer and all that, evidence suggests his interests leaned towards the hard sciences. After all, Newton helped kick off the Scientific Revolution–he was very much a S.T.E.M. guy. Art making? Probably not so much. Regardless, good ole Sir Issac gets us started today. Newton’s Law of (art making) Motion Newton’s first Law of Motion has two parts: … >>

Black and white photo of a etching of a campfire and mountain scene, originally found on a grave marker.

Impermanence, last chances, and the inevitability of loss

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Like everything else, art has a lifespan. A special warm WELCOME to new subscribers: Colin (who writes PictureRoom), Julia (who will soon start Tetisheri), and Tish. And a huge THANK YOU to all subscribers, old and new, for reading and being a part of this community. In this issue: Hello from gray and damp Washington state. I read that we just had the shortest day / longest night of the year, so hang tight, things will get lighter (though not necessarily warmer) from here on out. And to the folks who celebrate it, I wish you a bright and meaningful … >>

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