Validating Your Vision?

It is important for artists to take risks and put their work “out there” in some form. I haven’t pursued gallery exhibitions or had shows of my work very often because my time as a single parent/entrepreneur is very limited…but every once in a while I enter a competition to seek validation from others that my way of seeing the world is appreciated. This week, this image of a bleeding heart, grown in my garden, received a first place award in the plants category. I also took first place in the people category for an image of a homeless man which I posted to this site a few weeks ago.

Many photographers see the world at a level of detail that others often don’t comprehend. Beauty is everywhere…and I collect evidence of beauty and, in the case of the homeless man, evidence of sadness that stirs me. I can’t turn on the wipers in the car until I photograph the droplet patterns on my windshield. I can’t shovel the snow until I first take a picture of its soft drifts. At times, it is hard to STOP seeing these details and get about the business of life. But seeing is what I bring to the world and it is why I love my job as a photographer and graphic designer.

Seeing the Abstract

We received close to four feet of snow last week here in the Philadelphia area. It is hard not to be visually inspired by such an event. But it WAS hard to venture out into the stuff because of the endless shoveling and the ridiculous thigh-high depth of the snow.

I was looking for patterns and abstractions, not just the obvious piles of snow on top of everything. The above shot was one of my favorite captures. The early morning light made for strong shadows. The sunlight created sparkles. The wind created dune-like patterns. The natural world is a vast canvas and those with the eyes to see can hardly find enough time to capture it all.

Mother-to-be

Yesterday I photographed a lovely mother to be. The woman was so beautiful and was open to anything (not to mention sweetly patient when my dog entered the studio and sat down with her on the background and gazed up at her with complete affection). This morning I quickly reviewed the images and stopped at the first one I liked and played for a few minutes. Above is a final image extracted from the original below.  I am suddenly so taken with the beauty of the human form. I – who until a few months ago insisted I was NOT a people shooter – was reveling in wrapping a woman with her own wedding veil and celebrating the miracle that is the creation of life … and my task in the creation of art. I continue to open new chapters in my own growth.

Breaking the Rules

I was playing with what a photographer friend of mine calls “swipes” where you move the camera while you are shooting. Most photographers are firmly of the mindset that you want a rock solid camera when shooting. I usually use a tripod or if I shoot hand held, I hold my breath when I depress the shutter to prevent any movement from blurring my images. But the whole point of swipes is to move the camera and see what happens. I call this image, “Falling out of the Tree,” because I imagine this is what it would look like on the way down. What I like about playing with the technique is throwing rules out the window.

Rural America

I have always been drawn to rural agricultural scenes and this had such a simple and timeless appeal. The sky had the feeling of an old painting…it was only missing the crackling that old paint gets.

Boat Reflection

One of my photographic obsessions is reflections. I was so taken by this little red dinghy on an early morning photo shoot with a handful of photographer friends. As the light came up, I became even more absorbed by its reflection in the smooth as glass water. I was standing on a dock near the boat and decided to bounce to get the ripples going! I love it as much with the water smooth as I do with the various ripples. Is it “cheating” to impose yourself on a photo in this manner?

A ghostly path

Taken on the grounds at Ft. Ticonderoga in New York, this scene lent itself nicely to infrared, a non-visible spectrum of light. I use a camera filter which is virtually black to block out all visible light, allowing only the infrared to reach the sensor.

Life at Fort Ticonderoga

A Revolutionary era re-enactor at Fort Ticonderoga, NY. I don’t consider myself a people shooter, but I love this photograph. I had only had my Canon a few days and was not adept at working it yet. The light situation was difficult…but overall I like the effect. It reminds me of a Vermeer painting.

Castle in the Park

Central Park in New York City is a fabulous place to people watch and soak in a more relaxed city pace away from the crazy cabs and honking horns. This is a window detail on Belvedere Castle.