The have been a lot of posts written the past month about self assignments and I figured I’d throw my take on the issue into the mix. To often I see a take on self assignment that involves technical issues, the idea of only using one lens or fstop or something that has to do with the tech of making an image. This is great for learning the gear but it won’t make better photographs from a vision point of view. Technique is fine but isn’t a substitute for something to say. I am as guilty as the next guy for making technically good image that isn’t something that you really want to go back and look at twice. One of my mentors in sculpture Gerry Conaway once told me that “Great art was art you saw something new in every-time you looked at it”. For what it is worth I believe these should be words to live by if you want your work to mean something and stand the test of time.
I know not much of an image it is for illustration purpose
So for a self assignment I have reached back into something I used to do in the old film days when I was broke and a student. I take an old ‘not so worth keeping’ slide (I’m pretty sure most of us have a few) and cut out the film then slip it into my wallet. When I see something that may make a decent image I take out the slide and frame the image and then once I have an idea of what I am trying to say here I think thru the tech of Dof, exposure etc. The point is to see the image without all the tech stuff getting in the way.
The most well lit, perfectly exposed image can also be the most boring thing I have ever done if all it has to go on is the technique that was used to make the image. Less gear!- is the rally cry that seems to be gaining momentum and I think it should be- Right gear for your voice! I don’t think they built the Taj Mahal with using just a hammer. Gear gets in the way to often I will agree but using the right tool for the job is also what good craftsmanship is about. So I say learn your craft and gear, but first develop the eye and vision then buy the tools to make telling that story in the best way possible. Don’t let gear drive the vision, let vision drive the gear. Using a piece of paper cut out for your aspect ratio or an old slide to see thru, then using your arm as a focal length will cut down on gear for learning and using your mind and imagination to build the image before you ever take the camera along will in my mind make you able to see better.
Give it a try it only takes up a little space in your wallet and it is always with you. Besides it isn’t as noticeable as a camera and will get you plenty of space in the coffee shop if it is noticed.
I do so frequently
There will be more on this if I can ever get the ringing in my ears to stop from all the head banging. Make new mistakes today, it is a sign of progress.
Been a little busy here and I had another idea all ready to post but decided to save it for after the holidays when it may make a little more sense. So here is a little bit of what all I have been putting in front of the lens.
For Me
Katie
For Katie
Katie
For Me
Early Morning Diner
For work
Homeward Bound Board Members
So that is a little bit of what has been going on around here. Hope you all have a great holiday and as they say more to come soon. For an ongoing update visit the flickr stream now and then at www.flickr.com/rlketcham
This isn’t what I had planned for a post today but the challenge was thrown down. My friend Mark K at JerseyStylePhotography saw a post over at Zack Arias blog about Get Off Your Arse or GOYA. So Mark challenged a few of us to get out today at lunch time and make a few images. Great idea until I noticed the pounding rain and wind. Anyway I got at least 2 for the GOYA challenge and a couple for another post I have planned for later this week. Glad you pushed me Mark, it was a good day to try out a couple of things with the G9 and a flash, if the weather cooperates there will be more this week.
f2.8 1/30 yeah it is dark this time of year
The above was taken in back of the shop by the old heating oil barrels and it is dark this time of year even at mid day. Below is the front yard by the fire pit and I liked the B&W conversion, and yeah I need to do yard work.
Ok not much but it really was wet and I have more for later this week.
I drive past this place at the very head of Discovery Bay everytime I go to Port Townsend. It hasn’t been open for years, but used to be a great place to explore for fairly odd treasures. It always seemed to catch my eye but I could never quite visualize how I would photograph it. Last week I finally took my own advice and went to take a closer look. Sun was all wrong, it was also 18 degrees out so I drove the 6 miles home and started to stew on it. Finally looked up the exact spot on Google Earth and tried to figure out when the light would be better. Went back made a few images of this and some other old buildings that are next to it. I will now be going back there a lot at different times of the day til I get the image I see in my head. I may even have to drag the lights out for this.
Point is I see the image I want a lot of the time before I try to make it. I have looked at that spot for years with a vague feeling about what I wanted to say and it finally is bubbling up so bad I have to get it out. Previsualize and have something to say in mind first is a help to me, and a lot of things get into the notebook for rethink until I just have to get them out. I keep a note book of things I see and ideas that pop into my head for images and then revise them until I just have to see how they will look in the viewfinder. The notebook is never very far from me and is continually updated and added to. I can end up laying awake in the night for hours seeing images I want to make until I decide to just get the idea down on paper so it will keep til daylight.
Just wondering if others wake up in the night or morning with an image they have to make that day or have images in their head that just won’t go away until it is on film?
I guess I’m not much of a walk around and take pictures kind of guy, I do walk around and take ideas for pictures though. Yes the occasional image comes out of the walking around but I still end up thinking about it and going back a lot to make something I saw in my head. That ‘decisive moment’ for me is more often one I put together than observe.
Of course it helps if the weather cooperates when I get this way.
If the sound bothers you mouse over above the thumbnails and adjust it on the right or let me know and I’ll remove it( changed the start-up to manual so hit the play to start). With that said, I spent a day last summer when things were slow for everyone following Diane around her work for a couple of hours. This is the result of a few hours in a high quality print shop. Diane is a 4th generation printer and been at it herself for over 30 yrs. High stress work which made me think in B&W for the effect. Had to put together a slideshow with sound and this has been sitting on the HD since last summer. Made with Slideshow Pro in Adobe Flash and the sound was done in Audacity. Figured ambient sound for the print shop would work for this after seeing what Matt Brandon did for his The Hands of Rat Island slide presentation. Matt is a master of doing interesting slide presentations and I do my best to pick up ideas from his work, not to mention the images he makes are truly inspiring.
rlketcham.com
