The triangulation of photographic events in my life.
I won't be doing the one-photo-a-week sort of project this year. Mainly because I can't figure out why I was doing it. I'm not sure where my motivation was, nor what I hoped to achieve. I joined the growing number of photographers in internet-land who do these sorts of projects. While I am impressed with those who actually complete a 365-challenge or a 52-week challenge, I know that I am not one of them.
I did manage to finish my 28 day challenge and when I look back on that, I am in awe of my own dedication. I attribute that event to post-partum mania.
Several events that started at the end of 2011 combined with new things in 2012 have created an auspicious triangulation, a convergence that's leading to a whole new emphasis on photography in my life. Indeed, this does seem to feel like the Year of Photography.
First, I have a new (used) camera and am stoked to learn all about it. It's lighter and faster than my old camera. I am working on shooting manually again. I used to do that when I was young and naive - before the digital age.
Second, I have joined Gratitude 2012. I have always admired Karen Walrond's photography and blog. Recently, I have come to admire what she has achieved with her daily gratitude practice and pursuit of creativity. Already, she has me looking through my lens differently.
The third thing has to do with my reading list. I recently finished The Only Kayak within which there were stories of Michio Hoshino. I immediately requested a couple of Michio's books from the local library and fell in love with the images he had created. I was already in love with him just from reading Heacox's book, but seeing Michio's images took me to a whole new mind-blowing level of consciousness.
I don't think I'm going to go right out and shoot images of Minnesota black bear, although I certainly have done that before with surprising results.
I believe what happened is that I fell in love with Michio's passion for photography. Now that is something I have felt before and that is the fire I hope to stoke this year.
And, truly, that's not too hard to do when I get chances to visit places like this:
I made two resolutions on New Year's Eve. The first was to enjoy my images more. The second was to get a babysitter. I have already achieved the second one. Woot! I did get a babysitter for last Friday night which made it especially enjoyable to look back on this image and know that I devoured the whole plate without the chitter chatter of a toddler on the side.
I'm getting darn close to achieving my first goal, too!
I did manage to finish my 28 day challenge and when I look back on that, I am in awe of my own dedication. I attribute that event to post-partum mania.
Several events that started at the end of 2011 combined with new things in 2012 have created an auspicious triangulation, a convergence that's leading to a whole new emphasis on photography in my life. Indeed, this does seem to feel like the Year of Photography.
First, I have a new (used) camera and am stoked to learn all about it. It's lighter and faster than my old camera. I am working on shooting manually again. I used to do that when I was young and naive - before the digital age.
Second, I have joined Gratitude 2012. I have always admired Karen Walrond's photography and blog. Recently, I have come to admire what she has achieved with her daily gratitude practice and pursuit of creativity. Already, she has me looking through my lens differently.
The third thing has to do with my reading list. I recently finished The Only Kayak within which there were stories of Michio Hoshino. I immediately requested a couple of Michio's books from the local library and fell in love with the images he had created. I was already in love with him just from reading Heacox's book, but seeing Michio's images took me to a whole new mind-blowing level of consciousness.
I don't think I'm going to go right out and shoot images of Minnesota black bear, although I certainly have done that before with surprising results.
I believe what happened is that I fell in love with Michio's passion for photography. Now that is something I have felt before and that is the fire I hope to stoke this year.
And, truly, that's not too hard to do when I get chances to visit places like this:
I made two resolutions on New Year's Eve. The first was to enjoy my images more. The second was to get a babysitter. I have already achieved the second one. Woot! I did get a babysitter for last Friday night which made it especially enjoyable to look back on this image and know that I devoured the whole plate without the chitter chatter of a toddler on the side.
I'm getting darn close to achieving my first goal, too!
I did Project 365 for 3 or 4 years and finally realized I was spending more time looking for the perfect photo than actually enjoying the moment. I still like taking photos but having that pressure gone was a relief.
ReplyDeleteKat - that's amazing you were able to sustain that for so many years!
ReplyDeleteManisha - I just made the decision to really get to know my camera this year, since I'm probably using it at 10% capacity, and this post hit me just right. You've got a great eye, and I look forward to watching your growth. Onward!
ReplyDeleteDeonne - It's interesting how I feel like I'm going to miss a shot if I don't shoot in automatic, yet all those shots are mediocre. Then when I take the time to set it up manually, the shot almost always is better and what I was hoping to achieve. I'm glad you are going to try to get know your camera better. We should share tips!
ReplyDeleteYes! Would love to share what works. I'm about to email a friend - a pro photographer whose work I admire - and ask if he knows of any low-cost or free training resources. I'll let you know what he says. (I like a starting point, then I like to go off on my own.)
ReplyDelete