PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE 5

CaptureYour365 
Prompt 5: 'Makes Me Happy'


For those of you paying close attention, you probably noticed that Prompt 3 and Prompt 4 are missing. As I wrote in a previous post, I probably wouldn't be able to participate in the CaptureYour365 photography challenge everyday. 

(In the interest of full disclosure, the photograph below comes from my achieves.) 

This photograph 'makes me happy' in a couple of ways. First, I can't help but smile each time I look at it. The dog in the photography is Enzo, my buddy. And there is nothing that makes Enzo happier than going for a ride in the car!

I hope 'Drive Through Coffee Stand' makes you happy, too!

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PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE 2

CaptureYour365
Prompt 2: 'One Word'


I think I may be bending the rules just a bit, as this photograph was not taken on the second day of the challenge. It was taken on day one, but I think it fits the bill.


One Word: 'Blue'

PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE 1

CaptureYour365 
Prompt 1: 'Fresh Start'

Many people mark the start of the new year participating in a polar bear plunge.

Jan. 1 was clear and bright. The temperature a brisk 39º F.

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I have entitled my photograph 'Final Instructions'.

HELLO, 2016!

You know what that means...new year resolutions.

Since it's already Jan. 3, I'm a bit late to the party. My grandmother always said, "Better late than never", so here I go...

I have decided to call my 2016 photography resolutions goals. Resolutions sounds so black and white. You achieve your resolutions or YOU FAIL. Goals, on the other hand, seem to me more forgiving. Even if I don't make my goal, I can take comfort in the fact that I at least moved in the right direction.

Photography Goals for 2016:

1. Be more consistent in blogging about my photography
2. Create an efficient workflow from camera to final photograph
3. Participate in the CaptureYour365 Challenge (OK, maybe not everyday, but as many days as possible)

With a nod to the great Jackie Gleason..."And away we go!"

SAILBOATS

This post was inspired by an article I read recently: The Struggle for Photography Perfection - Is It Worth It? by Jason D. Little. lightstalking.com/photography-perfection

I am a perfectionist. 

Being a perfectionist is both a blessing and a bane. Seeking perfection motivates me to improve myself and my efforts. My perfectionism, however, too easily morphs from the role of creative consultant to tyrant. 

As I wrote in a previous post, most of my photographs are worthy of only the delete button. But, here and there is a photograph that makes me sit up and think "Hey, this is good!" The feeling of "I did it" is exhilarating. I stand up and do a little happy dance in front of my computer.

Then I sit down and Perfectionist Susan takes over. She carefully unfolds The List, a checklist of the qualities good photographs should have. Composition: check. Exposure: check. Sharpness: check... I begin to analyze the photograph, pull it apart. Is this photograph good enough? What would other people think about it? Would they like it? Before too long, the excitement I felt is gone and what I thought was a good photograph is now only mediocre. 

In his article, Jason Little wrote...

"The ability to create compelling photos relies most heavily on vision and instinct; 

it’s about capturing a moment. 

Moments — if we were to somehow think of them as being sentient things — 

don’t care about your f-stop or ISO level. 

And neither does the person who views your photo and is moved by it." 

Perfectionist Susan shouts "But what if a professional photographer looks at this picture...?" as I stuff her into a mental closet. I can still hear her muffled admonitions, but for now, I want Jason Little's wisdom to reign supreme. 

Years ago, I visited a couple of Amish communities in Pennsylvania. To supplement their families' incomes, Amish women sew quilts which they sell to tourists. Dozens of these quilts were displayed on lines strung outside large tidy farmhouses. I learned something about Amish quilts when talking with one of their creators. Each quilt contains a mistake, put there on purpose as a reminder that only God creates perfection. More wisdom.  

So, in keeping with the theme of this post, perfection, or the lack of it, I present two photographs... 

The first 'Wind Turbines and Sailboat' was taken with my iPhone. It was all I had with me, my big camera being elsewhere. The moment, however, was too good to let pass. I had to capture it. The photograph, from a purely technical POV, shows that I pushed my iPhone camera beyond its abilities. That said, I like the grainy, out of focus result, so much so that I upped the grain further. (I also cropped the image slightly, converted it to B&W and added a slight vignette.) Score one for creativity over perfection!

I am a slow photographer. It takes me time to think through a shot, the composition, what settings I should use. To my way of thinking, greater care = greater chance of perfection, right? In short, I probably won't be standing, anytime soon, at a barricade snapping away as the Tour de France competitors whizz past. Still life photography suits me much more. 

Which brings me to my second photograph, 'Under A Summer Sky'. Again, another 'I have to capture this moment' effort. I was on a ferry when a sailboat suddenly appeared, moving quickly in the strong wind blowing that day. I grabbed my camera and began shooting. I was over the moon later when I reviewed the photos on my laptop. The picture was actually in focus. The horizon in the original photograph was skewed, but correctable. I did adjust the exposure, shadows and whites slightly. 

Two different photographs of sailboats. One it technically superior to the other. Does that make it the better picture? I find them both compelling. What do you think? 

DO WHAT YOU LOVE

As an aspiring photographer, and dare I say it, an aspiring artist, I have been searching for 'my style'. 

To me, that means the following... 

• THE PHOTOGRAPHY STYLE OR METHOD FITS ME.

Take shopping for clothing. You try things on until you find what suits you. Same with photography. 

I have accepted that I will probably never be a nature photographer. Hiking three hours up steep mountain trails to photograph a pristine alpine lake...sorry, not going to happen. Waiting patiently in a cold wet forest for a bald eagle or a stag or a bobcat or something to maybe make an appearance...nope. I deeply admire photographers who do that kind of work, their patience and grit. The accolades they receive are hard earned and richly deserved. 

• MY PHOTOGRAPHY MUST BE A REFECTION OF WHO I AM.

I think I'm a bit of a contradiction. At heart, I am a minimalist, but I like drama. Translation: I like simple things that make a statement. Years ago I owned a deep red sofa. Enough said.

Something isn't dramatic, in my opinion, because it screams at you. There is great drama to be found in the quiet, the still. Consider a drop of water suspended from a leaf over the glassy surface of a still pond. 


Today's offering... 'Steps to Somewhere'

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Taken with my iPhone. Edited 

"USE THE FORCE, LUKE!" I MEAN "USE 'THE MEH', SUSAN!"

(I wish I had made this post on May 4th...May the Force be with you! Stay with me now. I promise, Obi-Wan Kenobi's admonition to "Use the Force, Luke!" will make sense.)

As an aspiring photographer, I am often overwhelmed by what I need to know, what I need to master. 

I have on more than one occasion wished I had started this adventure years, no, decades ago so that I might have a hope of becoming a genuinely proficient photographer someday. To my dismay, I have discovered that my brain is definitely not as quick on the uptake at 55 as it was, at say, 25. I do eventually learn what I need to know, it just takes a frustratingly long time. 

Maybe, however, taking longer to learn something is really better. Lessons learned from repeated effort or from mistakes are the ones that take deepest root in my psyche.

Those of you who know me well know that I am "a keeper". I find it hard to part with things. For example, if I find a plant growing as a volunteer in my garden, I will transplant the stray rather than toss it into the compost dumpster. Spent a few hours this past week relocating wayward lamb's ear seedings.

OK, Susan, so what has horticulture got to do with photography? One lesson that is finally making its permanent home in my brain is "90% of my photographs need to go to the trash". Duh! I have found, however, practicing that simple rule to be a tough one. My overstuffed hard drive can attest to that fact.

Here's the problem: I don't consider myself a competent judge of what technically constitutes a 'good picture'. I rely on how I respond to my photographs. Unfortunately, I can look at hours of work and feel only 'meh'. I can't tell you why the photographs rate only a 'meh', they just do. After a couple of days of only 'meh', doubts about ever taking a decent shot mushroom. I begin to wonder if I should just hang up my camera. Me, a photographer, who am I kidding? Then it happens. This is a good one! The feeling of discovery, the sense of certainty is invigorating. Again, I can't tell you why I feel this way. I just know this particular photograph is a good one.  

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Alright, time to cue Obi-Wan. "Use the Force, Luke!" Just as Luke struggled to trust the Force, I have struggled to trust 'The Meh'. When I trust 'The Meh', I make better decisions about which photographs deserves to be kept. Photographs that get 'The Meh' get the delete button. No reprieves, no second guessing. Of course, my 'meh' may not be your 'meh'. That's OK!

May 'The Meh' be with you!