The essence

Too often we attempt to force a photograph out of a situation rather than allow the situation to speak to us.

John Sexton

Many times I have gone to a photogenic location with pictures visualized in my mind before I get there, which I think is a good way to start. But I am always pleasantly surprised once I get there if I take the time to set aside my original agenda and let the area speak to me. I sit and pause and allow my mind to wander without any prescribed outcome.  It may seem a little weird, but there are certain characters that seem to emerge. Maybe a tree that all of a sudden sticks out because of its white bark. Maybe the horizontal line of a shoreline. Maybe the blue color of restaurant lights. Maybe the reflection of one building in the window of another.

I think most, if not all forms or art, are an attempt to get at the essence of something – or maybe the truth. How can we become better at pausing first to allow the one main thing to emerge and then see if we can capture it?

PIC-OF-THE-WEEK

During the month of March I’m going to post a series of “raw, cooked” images to give you an idea of the metamorphis some of my photos go through. This was a "drive-by" on Route 376 in PA right after you cross the Ohio River.

 RAW

COOKED

Capture the feeling

Often I approach photography by thinking of the subject I want to shoot. Every year in the fall I look for opportunities to get that colorful landscape or that tree that just turned bright orange.

But lately I've been thinking about how to capture a feeling instead of a subject. For example, what does "peace" look like? What would represent the idea of peace or rest? For me the color brown immediately comes to mind for some reason. Then I think of other things like a calm lake or an empty bench or a crackling fireplace or... sheep (see below).

So, could you do this in your creative pursuit? If you're into visual arts, how would you capture "energy"? What would represent that idea? If you compose music, what kind of score would embody the idea of "whimsy"? If you dance, think of how you would choreograph "elated".

PIC-OF-THE-WEEK

One morning on the way to work I took a brand new route and discovered a field full of sheep.