by successfulbob | art books, kudos, Lumix GX7, Lumix Lounge, photography books, photography education
Julianne Kost rocks!
Saw her presentation at the Sedona Photofest last week and picked up more ideas for my creative work. She has been an inspiration to me for many years and even seeing her program again I always get fired up about creative imaging all over again.
This post is a salute to Julianne turning a lemon into lemonade. In case you didn’t know she is not a fan of flying. OK maybe that’s a bit to soft. She really is uncomfortable flying. But, as she speaks to image makers all across the country for her job at Adobe flying is a big part of her work. So she chooses to get the best view from 30,000 feet and started capturing and creating interesting images from the air and compiled them into a book called ‘Window Seat’. I got my copy autographed back in 2006 and still pop back into the pages for ideas. In addition to sharing her images she gives some tips, tricks and ideas on how the final images were created using Photoshop.
As I flew across the country this week from Phoenix to Philadelphia I made some photos from my own window seat and share them with you here.
Phoenix from the tarmac while waiting for some crossing traffic.
Phoenix neighborhood… a study in line and form.
It feels like an ocean wave working it’s way over the desert hills.
It was a really good cloud day. Fun shooting them from above for a different perspective.
My images were created using a Lumix GX7 my favorite travel camera using the 35-100mm f2.8 Vario Lens. Julianne suggests a bit wider lens and shooting at f2.8 to make sure the outside of the window does not get in focus. In using the longer lens I was able to isolate and crop in on details as they unfolded. Be aware that as the plane is traveling over 500 MPH if you see something fire the shutter fast or it’s gone. Also don’t tilt the camera too far down as you’ll be shooting through too much glass and get the bottom of your capture blurred.
Order up Julianne’s book. You’ll get lots of ideas and inspiration to find your own personal project turning lemons into lemonade…
Yours in Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | art books, photography, photography - art quote, photography books, photography education, success education
Always looking for inspiration outside of photography to help with the creative side… And today let’s take a walk far, far away from the photographer’s world and into getting the brain to fire on all cylinders for some creativity.
“Only that day dawns to which we are awake.” Henry David Thoreau, in Walden
Have you ever driven somewhere and wondered how you got there??
Do you enjoy the cascade of water flowing over you during your shower? Do you even feel it?
What was the last really good meal you had? Were you actually there for it and can remember it? In detail?
Do you really look at yourself in the mirror or are you so busy doing whatever it is you are doing you don’t really see?
“What the hell does this have to do with creativity Bob??” You ask.
Here what I believe. We are so busy living in the past or the future that there is no way to truly harness our brains for as much creativity as possible. By that I mean we spend way too much time fretting over something in the past like an angry conversation that keeps playing over and over in our head. Or, we are constantly worried about the possibility of something that might go wrong in the future. Or, trying so hard to get to that ‘successful’ place that will make us finally make us happy – you know, having more money, or being able to travel to that magical destination, or finding a new partner… Pick that thing that’s always in the future that we KNOW will make us happy, rather than being happy now.
If we enjoy THIS moment – RIGHT NOW – and live in this moment as much as possible we open up our brains to concentrate on what we are working on with no distractions from the past or future will allow us to be open to new ideas and creative combinations.
The job of the brain is to create thoughts. LOTS of thoughts. Many of these thoughts can take us away from where we might want to be at any one moment. It is also responsible for doing many things automatically to keep us alive like breathing, our heart beating, muscles moving so we can walk and move. The problem comes when we are so busy allowing our brain to do so many things automatically we don’t control our thoughts and allow our them to control us our life can pass by in a flurry and we have not had a chance to enjoy it – or be as creative as we might be.
How do you gain back control? Meditation is a great way to find out how the brain is working to our detriment. “Wait a minute Bob, I’m not going to sit in a corner looking at my navel!” I don’t suggest that by any means. What I do suggest is learning how to “be in the moment”. Learn a practice called Mindfulness.
I’m still workng on it myself but finding it to be extremely helpful and this is a great place to start. A book called Whereever You Go There you Are, – by Jon Kabat-Zinn Give it read. (I’ve given you a link to the Kindle version as the hard copy is currently out of stock) Try some of his suggestions and let me know how it’s been a help to you. It’s under ten bucks and a little bit of your time. I think you will be extremely surprised… in your everyday life as well as your creative life.
Your in Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | art books, photography - art quote, photography education
I often find myself thinking am I really any good as a photo artist? Some days the answer is a timid yes… Some days not so much. Am I a pretender? Sometimes I just don’t know the answer. Which brings us to today’s Photo/Art quote.
“If you find yourself asking yourself (and your friends), “Am I really a writer? Am I really an artist?” chances are you are. The counterfeit innovator is wildly self-confident. The real one is scared to death.”
― Steven Pressfield, The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks & Win Your Inner Creative Battles
Personal projects are a fabulous way to stretch when confidence wanes.
I want to share a TED TALK with Miru Kim who explored ruined urban spaces with a camera and an imagination to tell a story. You can see she is really brave with her art but nervous to talk about it. Called My Underground Art Watch and see if any ideas occur to you. Spread your wings. Open your mind – and see where you are taken….
Yours in Photography, Bob
PS – You don’t have to do your personal project naked…
