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The Wayside

Oregon · USA

McCord Creek rushes by under a canopy of autumnal big-leaf maples in the shadow of 213-foot-tall Elowah Falls, out of frame to the left. Also out of frame in that direction is my brotog TJ Thorne, waist-deep in the water in his waders, doing what he does, while my other talented friend Justin Poe had to return home a few minutes earlier due to parental obligations (doing what he does, too, I suppose...).

Keen-eyed fellow photographers may note the presence of what I call (Marc) Adamus Rock at the 8:30 position in the image, replete with Adamus Puddle setting up nicely for the well-known Adamus Composition in which Elowah reflects pristinely within the pool. It would've made for a gorgeous photo, certainly, but I personally have no desire to replicate someone else's work*...let alone a certifiable masterpiece.

It's interesting: Photography seems to be unique as an art form in this respect, as those aspiring to such imitation within the realms of literature, music, painting, dance, or other such media might very well open themselves up to cries of unoriginality or, at worst, plagiarism. That's not to say I wouldn't shoot a familiar composition if exceptional circumstances leant some refreshing uniqueness to it (as it did with brotog Terence Lee here), but by and large I've missed out on too many more varied photographic opportunities when I get overly locked in on reproducing an existing image (even one of my own) than when I deliberately look elsewhere or just allow a scene and image to naturally come to me...as it did here.

(Note that this is just a personal statement on my own approach to photography and is not intended to criticize those photographers who have no qualms about chasing down a previously existent composition...though I certainly do take issue with those who choose not to give credit to their original source of inspiration.)

*Disclaimer: Actually, I did do this once, but the effort left me feeling rather destitute artistically, and I've since vowed never to put myself in that position again. The few other times I've replicated existing compositions (see "Soul Sister" and "Adagio", with preceding works here and here, respectively) have been completely unintentional byproducts of ignorance or because a scene's been shot so often it's unavoidable landing on a preexisting composition (such as any number of Multnomah Falls images).