Guy Tal | Photographer, Author
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Art is only a means to life, to the life more abundant. It is not in itself the life more abundant. It merely points the way, something which is overlooked not only by the public, but very often by the artist himself. In becoming an end it defeats itself. —Henry Miller A new calendar year... Continue Reading →
This post expands on an article I originally wrote for LensWork Magazine. In this longer version, I incorporated some ideas emerging out of recent thinking about photography’s standing as an art form, relative to other media. These thoughts may lead to more writing on this topic in the coming weeks. As always, if you find... Continue Reading →
My book, Another Day Not Wasted, is now available in both print end PDF editions. The print edition is hardbound. If purchased directly from me, your copy will be personally autographed. If you have already purchased and read the book, thank you! I'll also be grateful if you consider reviewing the book on Amazon or other sites.... Continue Reading →
Some photographic movements have had a following in America, but none has ever held sway for any length of time. The Photo-Secession, documentary photography, photo-journalism, f/64, all made valuable individual contributions, but they all had to give way to the self-assertive individual photographer. Of course, individual photographers do bind themselves to certain limiting systems of... Continue Reading →
The following is a rather prolonged train of thought about misconceptions having to do with the practice of mindfulness and the common advice to "live in the moment." If you find my words and work useful, please consider even a small contribution to help support these writings, which I offer to you without advertising or... Continue Reading →
I recently had the great pleasure of joining my friend and workshop co-instructor, Michael Gordon, on a couple of events now available online for anyone to watch/listen: Our presentation Finding Meaning in Photography, hosted by Harold Davis, is now available for streaming on Harold's YouTube channel. Our conversation about The History of Photography via the podcast, F-Stop... Continue Reading →
We all agree that our senses and emotions are engaged when we look at art, but we do not readily appreciate the prominent role that knowledge plays in this experience. ~Arthur Shimamura Winters are hard in this desert. Hard for me, that is. I am a being maladapted to this environment: improperly equipped to survive... Continue Reading →
If the remission of pain is happiness, then the emergence from distraction is aesthetic bliss. I use these terms loosely, for I am not making an argument but rather attempting to describe the pleasure that comes from recognition or rediscovery of certain essences permanently associated with human life. These essences are restored to our consciousness... Continue Reading →
There are so many stories, more beautiful than answers. ~Mary Oliver For several years now I’ve been coming to terms with some transformative events and new circumstances in my life. These things changed me and my outlook in important ways, some of which I likely don’t fully understand yet. If you look at most of... Continue Reading →
Of this there can be no question-creative work requires a loyalty as complete as the loyalty of water to the force of gravity. A person trudging through the wilderness of creation who does not know this—who does not swallow this—is lost. ~Mary Oliver Many thanks to those who sent me ask-me-anything questions in the past... Continue Reading →