What I learned at camp, mom…

The way I approach my photography has radically changed. This change came about as the result of my having attended JP’s workshop. Before attending, my photography can best be described at times as unfocused and chaotic. My work evolved more from “drive-by” and “carpet-bombing” shooting than actual project planning. I did have several active projects, however, but their objectives were never clearly verbalized and subject to change based on the latest hike I took or shoot I made. I had very little ability to pre-visualize the kind of shot I needed next. Although I now have a better sense of recognizing a good picture when I see it, to actually sit down and put together any kind of desired structure was a skill I sorely lacked.

All that has changed. I now have an artistic mission statement that will carry me forward for many years to come. I have goals to support this statement and multiple projects developing simultaneously which flesh-out my goals. All of my projects have “next-step” items which will help me not to stray far from my original goal. I will soon have artist statements for of my projects. The trick for me over time will be to keep open to new ideas while I remain structured and committed toward each of my projects. I must work constantly to maintain a balance between project structure and idea receptiveness.

Can creativity become a learned skill? You bet! I had my doubts before I went, but now I actually have tangible tricks to draw from in my “bag of tricks” to use in developing artistic projects now or in the future. I also have a better understanding of how to pre-visualize what I need for my next shot. “Writer’s block”? No such thing! I have specific techniques to use to keep the creative idea pipeline flowing. But can I sustain this explosion of creativity and direction for the long run? Time will tell, but if enthusiasm is the fuel for achievement, then right now I have enough to propel me for many months to come. The creative drought and “day-job” stress of earlier this year is suddenly no match for the power and rush that the artist gets when everything seems to be coming together as part of some wondrous master plan.

I am not so high as to know that nothing can last forever. There are more droughts and setbacks on the horizon just waiting to derail my creativity train. But now I feel I have the tools and some tricks to use to get me back on the idea trail and the productivity express. This will all hinge on my ability to practice daily all of my newly-learned tricks. These need to be made second nature. I will also need to keep adding more skills and more tricks to my bag so that I may stay in my groove and not fall into a rut.

artsy Rockland area...

During the workshop in Maine I attended recently, we went on various photoshoots. Each one was designed to emphasize a certain aspect of idea creation and composition. These tricks or gimmicks are now techniques in your own “bag of tricks.” Each one won’t always work for you in certain situations and require practice as does any new technique. But now I can say that I indeed do have a “bag of tricks” when approaching a potential location. Rather than merely using my previous favorite, “carpet-bombing” a site, I now can draw from several other techniques. Blindly approaching a scene with the vague hope of coming away with something a little more meaningful tends to yield very few “keepers” and can be quite frustrating in the creative long run.

So, here is a summary of the techniques we learned to come out of our comfort zone. Each one was designed to have us branch away from the usual methods we often lock ourselves into. Although we may feel we have a proven approach to composition when we first approach a new location, there often are other dimensions that can be explored to help us come away with something a little different; something that we may never have even considered as valid before. An additional goal of this is to get us involved with the scene, to commune with it. Unless we can connect with what we see, how can we expect our viewers to connect with it?

Try different perspectives

Take a series of shots of the subject at various positions: far, closer, close, right, left

Which one(s) produced the best results?

Try different amounts of time to setup and take the picture

10 secs, 1 min.,5 mins., 15 mins., etc.

What is the impact of setup time on the picture?

Too often we use just our eyesight when accessing a potential location shot.

What about using your other senses, rather than just sight?

Find a possible shot location.

Sit down and close your eyes.

Feel the scene around you: what do you hear, smell, feel, taste?

Do your other senses suggest a different approach to this location? This is one I did:

Use gesturing with your outstretched arm to very superficially sketch the major scenic forms/objects that comprise the potential scene. Be aware of how your body feels to the movement. Does this suggest a different placement?

Journalize, using third person, in a series of brief phrases or sentences what your eyes and other senses see/feel about the scene in front of you. Tell the story of the scene in your own words.

Anthropomorphosize the scene before you. How does that tree, that boulder, that mountain, etc. feel in this scene? BE the tree! Here’s one I did:

Sketch on a sheet of paper. Put a box on the paper, to frame the scene. Within this box, crudely sketch in the basic shapes/forms of the scene, in broad detail only, eg, a triangle for a mountain, a squiggly for a river, etc. Examine the sketch to determine scene validity, placement, framing, etc.

I put together a set of candidates for a new series I am developing. You can see the rest of my selections here.

Rockland, Maine...

During the workshop in Maine I attended recently, we went on a photoshoot to Owls Head Lighthouse . The area is rich in textures, shapes, and forms, not to mention a landscaper’s hotspot. Here are a few:
You can see the rest of my selections here.

Illuminating Creativity...

Back in March, I signed up for what I hope will be a great week-long workshop, Illuminating Creativity. Well, I leave tomorrow for John Paul Caponigro’s studio in Cushing, Maine. Maybe, I’ll even get to meet his legendary father, Paul Caponigro, one of the icons of photography. I hope to learn alot from John Paul, especially in terms of project creation and project management. And of course, I hope to learn alot from my fellow photographers, their struggles and their projects. This will also be a shooting workshop which will be fun.