Ed Schlotzhauer

An artists journey

Category: Uncategorized

Does the Image Find You?
Does the Image Find You? It is often repeated. I don’t think I agree with this. Maybe it is just a matter of semantics.
It finds you
I have often heard it said that the image finds you more than you find it. I can’t find a print reference, but I know Kai Hornung said it in a very good recent Nook presentation on Inspiration.
This sounds reasonable in a Zen sort of way. And sometimes I agree with it. I know it is sometimes frustrating to go out determined to “make an image.” They don’t seem to be there when that is our attitude. But then we give up and put our camera away and suddenly images seem to come out of hiding. They are everywhere. We frantically get our camera out again and snap away.
Was this a case of the image finding us? Or was it us taking the mental barriers away and finally being able to see the images that were there?
©Ed Schlotzhauer
It doesn’t care
This leads to my quibble with the quote. The responsibility is with us, not the potential image.
My cynical nature does not believe images come looking for us. I think they don’t care. They just are there. Images don’t look for us, they just go about their life on their own terms. They are doing their own thing with no particular interest in or need of us.
Think of scene like a child playing out in the yard. They are in their own magic world. They may be acting out roles or playing an imaginary game or just moving and enjoying themselves. It could be them following their curiosity on a voyage of discovery.
Beautiful, meaningful images are being generated constantly while they play. Not for us. Not because of us. But they are there for the taking if we let ourselves see them and react to them.
In moments like that, the best we can do is be aware but be careful to not interfere. Don’t get in the way or interrupt the flow. It is not about us.
©Ed Schlotzhauer
Wisdom of Jay Maisel
So, if images do not come looking for us, all the responsibility is on us to find them. We must stay receptive to what is happening around us.
Jay Maisel is one of my favorite photographers to quote. He is a rich source of wisdom.
Here are a few of his gems that I believe apply to this subject:
It’s always around, you just don’t see it.
It is important to realize that the pictures are everywhere, not just where you want or expect them to be.
Don’t overthink things in front of you. If it moves you, shoot it. If it is fun, shoot it. If you’ve never seen it before, shoot it.
If you’re out there shooting, things will happen for you. If you’re not out there, you’ll only hear about it.
What you’re shooting at doesn’t matter. The real question is, does it give you joy?
You can’t just turn on when something happens. You have to be turned on all the time. Then things happen.
Had I not been told to look, I would have quit, ignorant of what was really there, because I had “made plans” and was wearing visual and emotional blinders that limited my perception and vision.
Try to go out empty and let your images fill you up.
Being receptive
From these quotes and from my own experience and beliefs I think I can safely say good photography is not a passive experience. In most cases, we can’t just sit around and wait for images to come find us.
Pictures are everywhere, but when we try to make them happen on our schedule and to our expectations, it often doesn’t work. What Jay called “visual and emotional blinders that limited my perception.”
When we limit our perception, we are usually going to miss the exciting things that are happening instead. And as he says, the pictures are there, just probably not where and when we expect them. Sometimes you have to turn around. The interest may be happening somewhere else.
One of Jay’s most famous themes is that we must “go out empty.” We must put our expectations aside and be open to see the images that are there, not trying to “make” them happen. And the images are going to happen where and when they happen. We must always be ready when we’re out shooting. After they happen is usually too late to react.
©Ed Schlotzhauer
Whichever, take it
So, whether you believe images come looking for us or you believe we must go looking for them, do it. Don’t let semantics get in the way.
Not much advice is universal. I realize that commercial photographers always do planned and staged shots. That is not what I do so I don’t talk about it. I am just talking about what works for me.
The rest of us who rely on everyday magic must be ready, mentally and with our equipment at hand. Be prepared to respond when we recognize that great image. Get out of your own way. See it – shoot it.
Let your images fill you up. Collect them with gratitude.
February 11, 2026
Reaching
I recently heard a phrase along the lines of keep your taste above your current skill level. This keeps you reaching. It resonates with me as good advice and a good model of our photographic growth.
Skill
At any point in time, we have achieved a certain skill level in our photography. We start out taking terrible to mediocre pictures. That is not a failing, it is the best we know how to do. It is never a failing to do the best work you can at the time. With time and training, we improve. Our images get better technically, and we learn to apply the “rules” of making pleasing pictures.
But we feel something is missing. A fact of the artistic life is that we will always have dissatisfiers. Something is nagging us, pointing out that we haven’t arrived, yet. We can do better. We want to do a little more and better than what we have done so far.
At this point in our journey, we realize that technical ability is not the main thing limiting us. Our images are OK technically, but they are still missing our expectations. If the unmet expectations are not based on the technical qualities of our images, then there must be another dimension to it.
©Ed Schlotzhauer
Taste
In the quote I used to start this, the author called that other dimension “taste.” This is a word that is not used as much as it used to be. Our current culture promotes an “anything goes” attitude. There are no real standards in fashion or furnishings or behavior. If I like to dress this way, generally you are not supposed to be critical.
But we know that is not entirely true. We do have our own ideas and standards of what is good or acceptable. While we may not openly criticize other people, we still make our own judgments.
An applicable definition of taste is “the ability to discern what is of good quality or of a high aesthetic standard.” Notions of culturally shared standards of taste may be breaking down, but in our own lives and our art, we form our own standards of quality and aesthetics. These drive our vision. They form a basis of what it means for us to call our work good.
Our sense of aesthetics is something that is a mix of our natural inclination and what we learn over time. One of my sons is a t-shirt and shorts guy. He would go to almost any event in his normal preferred attire, regardless of expectations or how everyone else is dressed. That is just a weird bent he has. I don’t know where it came from.
Our taste typically gets refined over time as we mature and expand our intellectual circle. We study the work of other artists we admire and pick up things we want to add to our vision. New ways to visualize or compose scenes or express ideas. We constantly shape our desired vision.
©Ed Schlotzhauer
Vision
I would like to generalize the idea of taste a little to include what we often call vision. Very simply, vision is the sum of all our experiences and beliefs and preferences and knowledge. As photographers, our vision is expressed in our images. If we go out shooting with our buddy, our photographic vision is what makes my images different from his, even though we were at the same place at the same time.
Vision is something that changes and develops over time. We can refine our photographic vision (improve our taste) by studying the work of great visual artists. This can be by going to museums and galleries, buying art books, or looking at their work online. Maybe even take an art appreciation class. When we expose ourselves to other artist’s visions we can’t help but grow and expand our own viewpoint.
And we can refine our taste introspectively by closely examining your work that you like best. Try to understand why you like those images and what they say about your vision. When you understand what you like, stop shooting images you know you will not like.
But i do not want to leave this as a one-dimensional view. Cole Thompson describes vision as “the sum total of my life experiences that caused me to see the world in a unique way.” The sum total is more than just photography. The incredible Jay Maisel once said “if you want to make more interesting pictures, become a more interesting person.”
There are many ways to become a more interesting person. This is part of what life is about. Read more interesting books, surround yourself with more interesting people, and have actual conversations with them. Study new subjects that your curiosity draws you to. Broaden your interests. Without breadth to support it, depth is uninteresting.
©Ed Schlotzhauer
Reaching
The interesting concept to me is that our taste causes us to be reaching for more in our art. This is a good thing, and it is encouraging. Without something to challenge us, we stagnate.
As we refine our taste, we get new insight on what we want to say and how we want our work to look. This makes us not quite satisfied where we currently are. We know we can get closer to our vision. That makes us put in the extra thought and effort to stretch toward this new understanding. We may not yet consciously understand what we are reaching for, but something is drawing us. We will know it when we see it.
©Ed Schlotzhauer
Growth
Becoming a better photographer is a process of growth. We grow in our technical skills; we grow in our taste. Our expanded taste draws us to experiment, to work toward a vision hanging just out of reach. When we finally express that vision, that is satisfying, but we discover we have now refined our taste slightly and now want to push for something a little different, still just beyond our grasp.
So, photography is a constant cycle of growth. We may love what we are producing right now, but something is nagging us to change it is some way, to do more, to expand on what we have done, to experiment. This is healthy growth.
Is it frustrating for the prize to always be a little out of reach? Not really. It means we are growing and getting more capable all the time. Our taste expands with our ability, and it leads us to desire to do better. Along the way, we are much happier with the work we are producing.
January 21, 2026
Run & Gun
There are arguments for working slowly and carefully. But there are times when we must be fast and in automatic reaction mode. There is no one-size-fits-all in photography. Sometimes the best choice, or your only choice, is run & gun.
What is run & gun
I doubt there are any hard definitions of this, but by run & gun I mean shooting fast and without prior planning. It is working fluidly, rapidly, instinctively, without setups or lots of takes. Some would call it “fast and loose.”
This is often constrained by external circumstances. The. idea comes to mind for me because I just got back from a vacation in Europe where I was put in exactly this situation on most of the tours I did. These were not specific photo tours. Rather, one where the guide says, “here is the Strasbourg Cathedral; go in and look around and meet back here in 15 minutes.” Gulp. No planning, no chance to work the scene, no bracketing, not even a tripod. I have never even seen this place before and do not know what to expect, other than that it is one of the tallest churches in the world.
Other situations where this is necessary are sports photography, concert photography, or candid wedding photography. All are places where we cannot control the action or pose the subjects.
©Ed Schlotzhauer
Arguments for slow
It’s easy to argue the merits of shooting slow. We have time to contemplate, to consider options. To walk around and look at different angles. Maybe to wait for better light.
This is the kind of shooting Ansel Adams or John Fielder would do. When you are carrying heavy, large format cameras way out into the field and exposing expensive film plates, it imposes a discipline on you.
You would always use a tripod (necessary for slow film anyway). You would compose carefully and thoughtfully. Exposures would be calculated in detail, maybe using the Zone System to make sure all the tones are captured and placed where you can do the darkroom work you want later.
In slow shooting you may go out for a day of shooting and come back with a dozen or so exposed images. But each is very carefully considered.
©Ed Schlotzhauer
Arguments for working a scene
On the other hand, in Light, Space, and Time: Essays on Camera Craft and Creativity, (I get no consideration for the reference) David duChemin argues eloquently for working a scene thoroughly. That is, to shoot your first instinct, then to move and shoot more, look at it from different angles, try to refine your idea and improve on what you did.
He says that, when teaching workshops, if a student says they are not happy with their work, he scans through their images on their camera. He is not looking for technique but for the number of frames they shot of it. His point is that if the student shot 3 images of something and then stopped, they did not explore the possibilities adequately.
I believe most photographers would improve their work if they did this. Most of us shoot digital now, so we are not limited by the cost or bulk of film. We can review our images immediately on the camera. This quick feedback can help, especially if we are learning composition and camera technique.
It is amazing how even a slight movement or re-framing can make a huge difference in the impact of an image. Having the time and self-discipline to do this can be beneficial.
©Ed Schlotzhauer
Arguments for shooting less
On yet another hand, I just read an article by a friend, Dean Allen, arguing that we should shoot less. His is a minimalist argument. The burden of sifting through all those excess images we shoot to find the few good ones is time consuming. It is hard to find the needles in the haystack.
Doing this would certainly save a lot of time culling and editing. I think most photographers would rather be out making images instead of sitting at the computer. So yes, in this sense, fewer is better.
It sounds attractive to say to only shoot the good ones, but I would counter that it is very hard to tell at the time which one will be the best.
But when that doesn’t work
There are situations where one of these disciplined approaches can’t be used effectively. I mentioned being on a tour with limited time to see a spectacular location. There are others.
My nature is that I do not like to perturb a situation to set up a shot. Whether that is on a tour in a cathedral or at a sports event or a family gathering or doing street photography, I prefer to accept what I find then use my skill and experience to be able to get a good image.
This is a basic conflict with my wife. She thinks good pictures of people have them lined up in front of whatever the scene is, staring at the camera, with big smiles on their faces. I would never do this. To me the shot to work for is a candid capture that reveals someone’s personality or thoughts or feelings. One that shows them doing something natural and characteristic.
Not trying to control the situation is a healthy acceptance of reality. And an opportunity for creativity.
©Ed Schlotzhauer
Skill and reflexes
Sometimes you must shoot fast and instinctively. There is no opportunity for planning or even thinking much. The run & gun approach. This is a learned skill. One that I enjoy working on.
To me this is a kind of dance between me and the subject. They are moving or doing whatever they do, and I have to be in sync with them, to anticipate the movement, to recognize the right composition and moment and be ready to react instantly.
It would be nice at times to be able to spend time to move and re-frame and shoot lots of trials, but that is usually not an option in this style of shooting. I find that I am in reaction mode. That is not bad. It is a kind of hunting, where I have a general idea of what I want, and I am patiently looking and waiting for the situation or composition to develop, then I must recognize it and act fast.
It is a rush of adrenaline and satisfaction when I press the shutter and know I have captured a good image.
One way to practice this is to go to a High School football game. Decide what the interest is to you – the action on the field, the sidelines, the cheerleaders, the fans – and to concentrate on that.
If you have kids or grandkids, they are a rich opportunity. They will be comfortable enough with you around that they will ignore you and go about their play.
Using a camera is the best practice, because you are working with the actual framing and exposure and lighting and people. And the get the real feedback to see how you did.
But sometimes in these situations, I simulate it. That is, I imagine I am using a certain focal length lens, I try to visualize the composition as the camera would see it, then think “click” when I would press the shutter. It is good practice for reacting, but you do not get the feedback of seeing actual results.
Expect lots of bad pictures until you get the timing and reflexes. Don’t be discouraged when good results do not come fast. Keep on learning and practicing. Even after a lot of practice, do not expect the same percentage of keepers you normally get.
©Ed Schlotzhauer
Adapt to the situation
I do not believe there is a single right approach to photography, unless you are a commercial photographer in a narrow product niche. Different situations present different opportunities and challenges. It is good to practice approaching scenes from a variety of perspectives and with different skill sets.
Shooting in a run & gun manner is right for some times. And there is a certain wild exuberance from shooting this way. Especially if you are comfortable with it and you have practiced enough to have a good success rate. It is one of my preferred ways to work.
I love the challenge of taking things as I find them and seeing what I can make of them. In some situations, it may be the only way to shoot.
Try it. You may love it.
September 10, 2025
Solitude
Solitude is a longed-for state for some, a fear for others. I am going to argue in favor of it, but maybe in a different sense than normal. I believe learning to embrace solitude is a component of fine art photography.
What do we think of?
I think most of us, when solitude is mentioned, picture being completely alone in a remote location. No connection with the outside world. No cell phone service.
How do you react to the thought of it? Does it sound like a welcome break from our too busy, demanding, normal life? Or is it terrifying to think of being cut off from human contact. To be cut off from the flow of events and the latest news.
Many of us have been so trained by our devices and social media that fear of missing out would paralyze us. I mentioned before that studies show that some people would intentionally inflict pain on themselves rather than be alone or bored for a few minutes.
So, to a great portion of people, even artists, the idea of solitude sounds like pain and suffering. Something to be avoided at all cost.
Is that how you feel?
©Ed Schlotzhauer
Why seek it?
Without talking about what solitude is, let’s talk about why we may want, or even need, it. Most of us live in a world of constant demands. We are over scheduled, always running to catch up. There is a constant bombardment of outside sources telling us what to think, where to go, what to buy, what to do.
This is the noise of modern life. It is as real and debilitating as the constant loud noise of a busy downtown.
In this environment, we are in a constant state of distraction. Our thoughts are not our own. From the demands of our soul-sucking job to having to run the kids around to their after-school activities to keeping up our image on social media to just constantly fighting to keep our place in the world, we are pulled in a thousand directions at once.
I’m told that a trend in startups is to adopt the “996” system. In that, you work 9am to 9pm 6 days a week. That is a scheduled and expected 72 hour work week. Hiring advertisements proudly list this as a “feature” of the company and plainly say that if you do not buy into this, don’t even apply. I hope you don’t buy in.
Our brains can’t thrive in such busy environments. We are organic beings, not machines. If you want to use your brain, you must care for it and strengthen it. A key to this is to give it time to rest, to build and maintain connections, to sort through its accumulated input and discard some and build the rest into memories and knowledge.
Solitude provides opportunity for this brain healing. Like a field that lies fallow in winter is renewed, so too our brain needs some down time.
©Ed Schlotzhauer
What else is it?
I have a photographer friend I have mentioned before who routinely does solo wilderness trips in the Colorado mountains. That has to be a form of extreme solitude. But I do not think that is the only way to achieve a goal of relaxing and refreshing.
Solitude is an attitude at least as much as it is being alone. With the right frame of mind, we can have solitude riding on a crowded bus surrounded by people glued to their cell phones. The key is, where is our mind. Are we thinking or are we letting some external entity think for us? Are we disengaged from the external demands and noise, or are letting that direct our mind?
Here is a similar example of what seems to me to be the same problem, but at the other extreme. We just got back from a trip to Switzerland. There were times hiking in the high Swiss alpine valleys that I would see someone walking along with their face stuck in a cell phone. They seemed almost oblivious to the incredible beauty around them.
Maybe I am judgmental, but it seems like they ignored an excellent opportunity to look and think and relax their mind. Instead, they chose the cold addiction of technology.
©Ed Schlotzhauer
Not mindfulness
I advocate mindfulness in a lot of my writing. But solitude is somewhat different. It is important in different ways.
Mindfulness, as I use it in the context of photography, is being very aware. Being in the moment and attuned to what is happening around you. That lets us see things other people might miss. To perceive relationships that are non-obvious. By having all our spidey senses on alert, we do not miss opportunities. We might even find insights that others miss.
Solitude, on the other hand, is being in a quiet place, at least figuratively. Calming our mind and letting it rest and review and build connections. Letting our mind wander. This is critically important to learning and making meaning for us.
Learn to do it
As I said, solitude seems to be fearful for many people. It is so alien to our normal life that it seems wrong. But perhaps it is our normal life that is the mistake.
Start small. Do not suddenly go out into the wilderness on a solo trek. That would be like deciding you aren’t going to be a couch potato anymore and going out and trying to run a marathon the next day. Your body would let you know that that is not a good idea without the proper training.
Start with going for short walks “all by yourself”. No cell phone in your hand, no music playing. Just walk around the block. Give yourself permission to let your mind wander. No fair thinking about the projects you are working on or the concert you are going to next weekend. Try to make your mind blank and see what surfaces.
The first few times you try it, it probably won’t work. That is, you will think about work or what the market is doing or the political situation or what you will fix for dinner. That’s OK. It takes practice. Push through it. After a few times you will find your mind wandering to unexpected places. Things you didn’t think you would think about. That is very healthy. Your mind is learning to accept and use solitude.
Increase the length and frequency of your walks. Extend it to sometimes just sitting quietly at home with all your gadgets off. Just thinking.
Eventually we can learn to be happy and accepting alone. We are no longer dependent on the constant entertainment we were used to in the world. Now we have some time to think and dream and envision. Even just letting our mind wander is healthy.
©Ed Schlotzhauer
So what?
Why should you go to this trouble and learn the discipline of disconnecting from the world? It is healthy for you in several ways.
Solitude recharges our batteries. We connect with our heart and feelings. It helps us develop relationships with others and more understanding of ourself.
Solitude helps us develop our emotional resilience and independence. We re-develop the ability to think for ourselves. To be able to figure things out. We are better able to trust our judgment.
It also helps our creativity. We give ourselves the space to explore ideas and conceive of new possibilities.
The sound of silence is good for us. It helps reduce the toxic byproducts of the stress generated in us in our everyday life.
©Ed Schlotzhauer
Solitude, them mindfulness
i am a proponent of mindfulness as an ingredient of becoming a more creative photographer and artist. But I am also coming to see that many people first need to develop the ability to give themselves solitude. That helps us be a stronger human being.
Solitude gives us the energy to be creative and independent. Mindfulness helps us look and see better. They work together, but solitude comes first.
I hope I have encouraged you to stop fearing being alone with yourself. Learn to embrace solitude. Practice until it becomes part of your creative life. It is well worth it. There is power in learning to be comfortable alone with yourself.
I hope it becomes a sought for, pleasant state. Not something to fear.
Post script
At a recent doctor visit, I thought I would be a hypocrite after writing this if I did not consciously practice it. So I sat in solitude for the 40 minutes I was waiting in the exam room. I didn’t read my book or open my iPad or phone or AirPods. At first my mind was swirling with thoughts about the procedure I was about to have and some other things that were bothering me. After a few minutes, I got control and just let my mind wander. It was healthy and the time passed quickly.
But then I realized that I do this almost every day. When I go out wandering and walking and photographing, that is a solitary session. For the 1 to 3 hours I seldom allow distractions and I do not open my phone or listen to music. Solitude.
September 3, 2025
Do You Like It?
Do you like your art? Are you shooting what someone else wants or for yourself? Do you hang it on your own wall and proudly show people? I believe that answering the question “do you like it” is very important.
A marketplace
Some people view the world as a marketplace. The only thing that matters is what sells. To sell, it must meet the current definition of popularity and be “trending”. That implies our personal likes do not matter compared to what is selling.
I realize there are reasons an artist may feel like this. Perhaps you have committed to photography as your livelihood. You will, of necessity, have to follow the trends and give the market what it wants. Unless you are in a position of setting the trends, but very few of us are.
The second reason is based on your personality type. If you are extroverted, you probably have a strong tendency to get your rewards externally. You want the validation of other people, and that comes from likes and awards and sales. These are external validations of our work. Inward satisfaction counts for much less.
I have a friend like that. Great guy. He has been a close friend for many years. But he cannot be convinced that anything he creates is worth more than what someone will pay for it. Or more than the lowest price he can find advertised anywhere. Because of this, he completely discounts his artistic work, because he does not think he could sell it for much, therefore it is not worth much.
©Ed Schlotzhauer
Intensely personal
My art is intensely personal. Except in very rare cases where I am doing work for other people, my subjects, my treatment, my style and presentation are all selected by me and for my pleasure.
My art reflects what I am seeing and feeling. The themes running through my life. It is influenced by my artistic taste and personal values. Printing an image and hanging it for others to see is an intimate act. It is giving others a glimpse of who I am, what I feel and see. Speaking as an introvert, that is very personal and terrifying.
What if people do not like it? That can hurt. It used to hurt more than it does now. At best, now, I may dialog with them to try to understand what their reaction is and why they don’t like it. At worst, I may change the subject and try not to dislike them despite their terrible judgment ☺.
©Ed Schlotzhauer
What if you don’t like it?
But what if you don’t like your work? I have seen it happen. People get bored with their work. They feel burned out. They may lose interest in the subjects they shoot. The creative spark and joy are gone. They may give up photography completely or only shoot selfies.
Or perhaps you feel trapped. You are getting likes and good feedback from social media, but your real interest has moved on and you fear that if you show the work you like now, it will lose your audience. Success can be a trap if we are not confident enough to go our own way.
Or maybe what you see when you review your images is far short of what you felt or imagined when you shot it. You just don’t know how to improve.
So, what if you don’t like your work? It is easy to get discouraged and even give up photography.
©Ed Schlotzhauer
I encourage you to clarify your goals. That should help sort out the objectives.
Unless you are a commercial photographer shooting for clients, no one other than you should be able to dictate your subjects or your vision of how to shoot. Does your camera club have a very narrow criteria for what is acceptable? Drop them. I did. Years ago. It was liberating.
Are you afraid of losing your social media followers? But answer this, how much money are you making from them? I’m serious. You like the dopamine hit of likes, but what are they worth in tangible terms? Trust your creative instinct more than the internet. Take a risk and show the work that pleases you. If your followers leave, that’s OK. Find new ones that appreciate the art you want to do.
If people look at your images and say, “that’s weird” or even, “I don’t like it”, so what? They are welcome to like or buy whatever makes them happy. But our purpose for creating images should be to make us happy.
He may be unpopular these days, but I think Bill Cosby was correct when he said, “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”
©Ed Schlotzhauer
Do you love it?
My point is that our art is our art. Unless we are working for hire, we ultimately do not have to please anyone other than ourselves. We should love our art. It should be a source of pride and satisfaction. An expression of our creativity.
Whatever subject and presentation you choose should be the thing that makes you the happiest. Go through your portfolio and honestly evaluate its impact on you. If you do not love what you see, change.
I can’t criticize your choice. But I hope you go deeper than just pretty pictures that get likes on Facebook. This is your creative outlet. It should feed your soul. It lets your viewers – and you – have a peek at what is deep inside you.
I know an artist who seems to be a happy, bubbly lady, but who does art that is dark and brooding and mysterious. Does that mean she has some deep mental problems? No. It just means that is what comes from her creative spirit and makes her happy. The same way that reading crime novels does not make you a potential killer.
Be passionate about your art. Fall in love with it. Be proud of it, whatever it is. Make prints and display them for people to see. Never be apologetic. Unless they are not well executed. Then work to improve. But well executed or not, like your work.
It is uniquely you. I sincerely hope you love your art as much as I love mine.
August 27, 2025