Good photography, like other art forms, should make the viewer stop, think and reflect on what the photographer is attempting to communicate. Visual symbolism, metaphors and the placement of subject matter in relationship to other elements in a scene are intended to convey a message, feeling or meaning from the photographer’s perspective.

However, one should not over analyze photographs to derive meaning or the photographer’s intent. David Plowden, Ansel Adams and Edward Weston were often perplexed by critics analyzing their work to find a message there that had never even crossed the photographer’s mind. Sometimes, the beauty of a photograph is simply the artistic impression of the photograph itself… nothing else and nothing more.

This recent photograph, “Wandering Man” was taken in January of this year with a Fuji x30 camera in Woodstock, NY. Woodstock, NY is a interesting place to photograph and this particular camera is an amazing tool for documentary photographers.

As I made this image, there were many thoughts and feelings that came through. I know what this photograph means to me and how some of the symbols and visual elements represents iconic metaphors in life and our journey through it. What is important is what it means to you, the viewer.

Please share your thoughts and comments. After all, a photographer’s success with a particular image is function of the viewer experiencing the same feeling and vision as the photographer did when the exposure was made.