I think it's time i say a few words about photography, and about my homeland, Israel. What the two have in common? I'll explain...

I get alot of comments regarding the "Beautiful places i get to photograph", "I wish i could be in these places and photograph". Regardless the beauty of these places, the secret of photography is not the landscape. It sure helps, but it's not the key.

You know, every place on the face of the planet have been photographed before.
If you take a straight shot, like a postcard, you aren't much of a photographer, no matter how beautiful the picture turns out. The art of photography is not in the mechinical action, but in the process of thought that leads you to the photograph. The expression, the style, the point of view, the angle, the use of light and shadow, etc...
A group of photographers join together in one place, take 30 pictures each, and no picture will look alike. Why?
All the reason i mentioned.

What's my point?
Oh, a good thing you asked, i almost forgot.
The secret to good photography is not the place you leave in.
An empty room can be great frames for a good photographer, just as the beautiful Taj Mahal. Different, but just as impressive.

I shoot a lot of urban photography, cause i live in the city. If i was to live in the country, I'm sure my photographs would have shown nuch more landscape. But my style, and point of view, and my search for expression, concept, and abstract, would have be as obvies in any king of category.

And what has that to do with Israel?
Another good question.. well done!
Israel is a beautiful place, and a sureal place to live in.
Many people imagine Israel in a kind of a war zone. Well, Israel is in war, but as hard as it is to imagine, we live our everyday life.
Israel is very small in size, but we have here a small desert, a small metropolin, a small green country side. Israel is famous for the Holy Jerusalem that is secret to all religions, The Dead sea that is lowest place on the face of the earth, The kinneret where Jesus walked on water, Haifa with the Bahai Shrine.
With all these places I do have alot to photo, and it is an advantge.
But..
I have very little intrest in photographing the obvies, in taking "tourist" shots, capturing postcards of these places.
Even if i take pictures of these places, I'll try to do it differently.
I might as well be almost anywhere else in the world as a photographer.
My prespective is to capture expression.

My realization:
Finally....
I think we all can do that as photographers, regardless of where we are, or live.
Think of our point of view, and not of the view itself.

Yours, G