Saturday, July 10, 2010

Labels








I don't use labels on my photography website very often.  For example, how would you label this photograph?  Weeds or wildflowers?  Common name (but wait-- that varies from place to place) or Latin name (for those scientists out there?)  Or should I make up a name for the composition, which I would invariably feel was silly/pretentious/misleading/limiting or some other characteristic the made the effort and effect unacceptable?


I'd like to have my viewers not think, but rather experience.  I'd rather elicit emotions and memories.  I'd rather stimulate the imagination.  Labels are too limiting.  They lead the viewer down a garden path, when I'd rather they were wallowing in an entire field of wild flowers.