Finding Faces in the Rocks – John Paul Caponigro & Joel Simpson
“If you look very intensely and slowly, things will happen that you never dreamed of before.” This Aaron Siskind quote neatly sums up the deeply contemplative discussion we had with landscape photographers John Paul Caponigro and Joel Simpson in this week’s podcast.
- 3:30: Joel Simpson describes his early landscapes as a way to re-experience being elsewhere.
- 9:24: Pareidolia: what it means and its relationship to Joel’s photographs.
- 13:24: John Paul’s relationship to the term pareidolia: a way to find patterns and make sense out of chaos.
- 19:12: The influence of Gestalt psychology when interpreting abstract patterns.
- 24:55: Differences between pre-visualization vs going in empty. Plus, getting beyond imitation.
- 35:58: How do you know when your unique vision is ready to be released into the world?
- 42:12: Episode Break
- 43:24: John Paul’s approach to post-processing—using the tools as a laboratory to make multiple iterations.
- 47:00: Joel describes the discoveries he made finessing photos of Zhangjiajie, China.
- 50:21: How does AI factor into crafting an authentic vision, plus the mind as the original AI?
- 1:03:18: Using photography to tap into things that haven’t yet been discovered and elicit wonder.
- 1:06:50: Joel and John Paul talk about the places that inspire their respective photographic projects.
Find more about Joel Simpson and his book Faces In The Rocks here.