Howzit all!
Hope you're having a great day

The Main Frame:

Earlier this year, I was visiting a friend. One morning, she was making pancakes for her daughter, and I watched with complete fascination.

She took out a recipe, a set of measuring cups, and all the ingredients. I watched her carefully scoop the flour into the cup, level it off with the back of a knife, measure the milk precisely, crack the egg, and then mix everything for exactly the amount of time the recipe told her to.

For her, this was completely normal. It was simply how you make pancakes.

Meanwhile, I was standing there thinking, “You are just making pancakes.”
My version of this is very different. I put a random amount of flour in a bowl, throw in an egg, pour in some milk until the consistency looks right and then put it straight onto the pan.

Two completely different approaches. Two different personalities. Yet the pancakes taste more or less the same in the end.

And that brings me to something I saw yesterday.

Is photography an art or a science?

It is a familiar question, but something I saw on Facebook made me think about it again. Someone in a darkroom photography group had posted a photo of their printing annotations. It included not only notes on the image but a full, detailed breakdown of every step and setting they used. It looked almost like a technical diagram.
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My first reaction was that he had boiled photography down to science. Instead of responding to the moment or allowing a bit of chance to play its part, he had turned the process into something structured and repeatable.

Before I go any further, I want to say this clearly: his prints are beautiful. And in a darkroom environment, I absolutely understand why having thorough notes is helpful. If you want to make multiple prints and keep them consistent, this kind of documentation makes perfect sense.
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There is nothing wrong with his approach. It is simply his way of working.

But my knee-jerk reaction was, “This feels so sterile and clinical. What a dull way to make photographs.”

And then I caught myself.

Because we all run into this kind of thinking.

We bump into people who believe their way is the only way. It shows up in camera clubs, in online groups and even in casual conversations. You try something that does not fit the accepted method, or your personality does not suit a particular approach, and suddenly you are “doing it wrong.”

I have tried being methodical myself, especially in the darkroom, and it was a complete mess. My brain just does not work like that.

Some photographers thrive with structure though.

Ansel Adams is the classic example. His background as a musician helped him balance discipline with creativity. He once said, “The negative is the score and the print is the performance.” For him, that system gave him freedom.

So what does this mean for your own photography?

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Over the last week quite a few new people have joined the TPE Tribe. One thing they keep mentioning is how much they enjoy the diversity here. Different photographers, different ideas, different images. Not everyone making the same type of work in the same style and talking about it in the same way.

And that is the point.

If you struggle to be methodical, or if breaking everything down into steps makes you feel boxed in, try ignoring the process for a while. See what happens when you follow your instincts. Let things get a little chaotic and see where it takes you.

But if you feel lost without structure, then it might be worth creating a system to help you feel grounded. Some people need that sense of order before they can create freely.

This is not really a problem to solve. It is just the heart of that old question: is photography an art or a science?

For me the answer is simple. Photography is whatever it needs to be in order for you to make the images you want to make.

Inspiring Me This Week:

​https://chriscummins.cc/about/​
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"Chris Cummins was born in 1991 in London, England. He began making photographs at an early age — wearing out his first three 35mm cameras — drawn always to landscapes and analog processes.

He photographs primarily in California's Sierra Nevada, the eastern deserts, and along the coast. As of 2024, he works exclusively with an 8x10 view camera and gelatin silver printing. He has studied with noted large format photographers Lynn Radeka, Alan Ross, and John Sexton. His primary photographic influences are Brett Weston and Bill Brandt.

His love for creative problem solving extends beyond photography. He has a PhD in artificial intelligence and works in the field of mathematical reasoning. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and two dogs."
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Over to You:

What do you think? Which is the primary driver in your photos? Art, or Science?

Inside the Tribe:

Had a great chat this week - talking about overcoming winter weather slumps, and looking at the work of Michael Kenna and David Goldblatt amongst others.
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That's it for this week - have a wonderful weekend.
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Alex
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​P.S. Don't let your free 30-minute coaching call slip away. Join the annual TPE Tribe plan now, get a free 30-minute Zoom call and guarantee your spot for personalised direction in 2026. https://www.skool.com/thephotographiceye​