artist = angst

when I was young (weren't we all just so smart when we were young?), I thought the premise that great art is born out of angst.... was silly. surely one did not have to suffer for their art! but, after a while, making pretty pictures becomes almost comtemptuous. yes, there are beautiful, breathtaking places and things all around us... the 80's song "Is that all there is?" comes to mind. if these scenes just pass through my camera's eye or my painter's brush and I haven't added any of myself, they are no different than what a thousand other cameras would produce.

hoopla

today is my birthday... no need to specify which one. ;) everyone wants at least a little hoopla on their special day.... I used to be disappointed when nothing happened. then I decided that if I wanted hoopla, I needed to make it myself. 

what mark

what mark will I leave on this earth?
will a grain of sand be displaced because I walked there?
will a waterfall fill a spot where I once stood?
will a beam of sunlight shine on a place that recalls my name?
will a soul remember my kiss? my touch?

ear worm

"Song that is stuck in your head."

This happens to me all the time and my ear worm today is Gordon Lightfoot's "If you Could Read My Mind". Occasionally, I will use this as an idea for a photo.... hmmmmm

it's all been done

is there anything or anyplace that hasn't been photographed? peruse some of the online photo sharing sites and it would appear that it has all been done before. maybe that's why we eventually begin photographing people - each one is unique and we believe we can capture them in "wow".

favorites

music - lizzie west
photography - ralph gibson
author - anne tyler
poetry - rilke
food - pasta
color - black
place - the italian coast
artist - john singer sargent

copyright dammit!

I do not understand people who have no problem taking a photo of someone else's artwork and posting it on the web. They admit that it belongs to another artist, but they don't provide a name, so they obviously haven't received permission. As if putting your art on display in public places makes it fair game for any talentless creep with a camera.

say no to non-photography day

some fool in britain came up with non-photography day, purportedly to make people put their cameras down and enjoy the life around them. if your camera is interfering with your life, you have bigger problems than a 24 hour fast can fix. go ahead - take a picture! take two!!

the frame

I admit that I don't always compose my shot in-camera... shame on me. Instead, I rely on post-processing cropping to achieve the composition that I want. This often results in an odd size, which may be okay for the web, but printing/framing is another matter.

the empty third

I see so many photos with the subject off-center and an empty void filling the remaining space. the 'rule of thirds' has been drummed into every photographer's head and it can be a very useful tool, if you know when to use it and when to disobey. the rule does not intend to leave a third of the frame empty, unrelated to the subject.... instead, create a background that supports the main subject, without competing for attention; use the edges of the subject matter to create an interesting negative space.

titles

I usually give a title to my photos... and most of the time it has a personal meaning to me, rather than trying to convey something to the viewer about the subject or scene. other times, I don't want to influence any recognition or empathy and I omit the title, allowing the viewer to interpret.. or not! it would be interesting to know if the photography biggies titled their work at the time it was made or if that came later, for marketing purposes.

ack!! photos

mamas - don't let your babies grow up to take macro photos of flowers, with or without water drops! I admit, I've posted flower pics myself, but I hope they are at least a bit unique.... I recently picked up a copy of look-look magazine for young artists and the content is so fresh and untainted! I hope at least one of those featured artists keeps their artist's eye. I'll take a photo that speaks to me over a technically 'perfect' one any day of the week. now... what to shoot for my daily?