Sunday, April 22, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Self Portrait
I have decided to do a series of self portraits that hopefully describe my world, what is important to me, and ultimately describe who I am. Hopefully I can do this without actually taking a picture of myself! At least that is my goal.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
The Smile of the Mask
What was is, what is will be gone, and back again. A sense of timelessness emanates from this place.
Friday, March 30, 2012
A Playground's Eternity
Childhood is forever if you work at it hard enough. Expired Kodak Gold film from 1995.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Going Minimal
Simplicity isn't Simple
I like black and white approach to image making very much. In my opinion the range of tonalities of black and white photography can be and are very expressive. When you strip away the color of an image you are left with the 'bare bones' of the image. This forces you to focus on the subject, the composition, the light and relationships contained within and implied by the frame. I have been told by some that black and white images are "boring" ,"lacking" and "simplistic" (in a condescending way). I think that perhaps these individuals were blinded by the colors of the images they perceive as 'interesting', 'real' and 'exciting'. Within the limits imposed by the absence of color lies a universe of creativity that waits to be mastered.
Making rich, creative, meaningful images in black and white is harder and more challenging than it appears to be. It takes a learned eye to 'see' in black and white and visualize (think Ansel Adams here) what that image will look like without color. That translates into practice, lots of it.
Have I gotten better? Yes? - Am i where I want to be? No. Like the game of golf black and white photography and be 'played' but never 'won'. The most you can hope for is to get better - that's your reward.
I like black and white approach to image making very much. In my opinion the range of tonalities of black and white photography can be and are very expressive. When you strip away the color of an image you are left with the 'bare bones' of the image. This forces you to focus on the subject, the composition, the light and relationships contained within and implied by the frame. I have been told by some that black and white images are "boring" ,"lacking" and "simplistic" (in a condescending way). I think that perhaps these individuals were blinded by the colors of the images they perceive as 'interesting', 'real' and 'exciting'. Within the limits imposed by the absence of color lies a universe of creativity that waits to be mastered.
Making rich, creative, meaningful images in black and white is harder and more challenging than it appears to be. It takes a learned eye to 'see' in black and white and visualize (think Ansel Adams here) what that image will look like without color. That translates into practice, lots of it.
Have I gotten better? Yes? - Am i where I want to be? No. Like the game of golf black and white photography and be 'played' but never 'won'. The most you can hope for is to get better - that's your reward.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
How do you do it?
i am many things, i am everything, i am nothing - Anonymous
I have started this blog to help me clarify my thoughts, vision and rambles about things photographic. I know it will help me, and I hope it does you too.
Image Making:
Truly I don't think it matters how you get to a good image or a great one. Really. Film or digital either is fine if the end product meets your creative vision and is pleasing to you (and possibly others). Having said i subscribe to the notion that life is a journey and one of its greatest pleasures is enjoying yourself along the way. Personally I get a lot of enjoyment out of film - mostly i think because of the relative simplicity of (especially vintage 70-s to 80s) film cameras. Within the confines of their simplicity lies a universe of creativity waiting to be tapped. I have only just begun to scratch the surface of those possibilities. Film slows me down, helps me clarify artistic my vision for the image and ... maybe ... makes me a better photographer. So I shoot film, okay okay a lot really, both 35mm and 120mm. I love abandoned buildings, old infrastructure, abstracts, street photography, human made objects that thrust into the sky - whatever captures my eye and my imagination really. i shoot digital too - mainly for portraits (which i have grown to love) and when I travel. I do minimal to no post processing. Why? because i would rather be out shooting.It's a personal choice. If the image is not right, i would much rather go take another one than sit in front of the computer and try to 'fix' it. Go figure, that's just how I'm wired.
What do you shoot? How do you shoot? Whatever your photographic vision I hope you enjoy your photographic and life journey.
I have started this blog to help me clarify my thoughts, vision and rambles about things photographic. I know it will help me, and I hope it does you too.
Image Making:
Truly I don't think it matters how you get to a good image or a great one. Really. Film or digital either is fine if the end product meets your creative vision and is pleasing to you (and possibly others). Having said i subscribe to the notion that life is a journey and one of its greatest pleasures is enjoying yourself along the way. Personally I get a lot of enjoyment out of film - mostly i think because of the relative simplicity of (especially vintage 70-s to 80s) film cameras. Within the confines of their simplicity lies a universe of creativity waiting to be tapped. I have only just begun to scratch the surface of those possibilities. Film slows me down, helps me clarify artistic my vision for the image and ... maybe ... makes me a better photographer. So I shoot film, okay okay a lot really, both 35mm and 120mm. I love abandoned buildings, old infrastructure, abstracts, street photography, human made objects that thrust into the sky - whatever captures my eye and my imagination really. i shoot digital too - mainly for portraits (which i have grown to love) and when I travel. I do minimal to no post processing. Why? because i would rather be out shooting.It's a personal choice. If the image is not right, i would much rather go take another one than sit in front of the computer and try to 'fix' it. Go figure, that's just how I'm wired.
What do you shoot? How do you shoot? Whatever your photographic vision I hope you enjoy your photographic and life journey.
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