Happy New Year!
Going to head in a slightly different direction for this Sunday Photo/Art quote. Was directed to this video on creativity by Nick Pappagallo, Jr. from the Photographers Adventure Club. The message is designed for beginners but I posit that we all need the reminder, especially if we are trying new things. To push the envelope and keep the creative mindset.
The video is about a minute and a half and I recommend you give it a look…
Aspiration!
Today’s Photo/Art Quote has to do with something I aspire to.
And I’ll bet you do also.
“You can look at a picture for a week and never think of it again.
You can also look at a picture for a second and think of it all of your life.” Joan Miro
To create an image that sticks with people long after they have seen it is an amazing accomplishment. I’m not sure I’ve gotten there yet but the constant striving for creating this kind of photography keeps me going. How about you?
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
PS – Joan Miro was not a photographer but was a Spanish abstract painter, writer and artist. You can check out some of his work here.
Let’s pick up where we left off in last week’s Sunday Photo/Art Quote where Diego Rivera shared that he got more painting done when he wasn’t actually painting. Here’s another artist that gives us more thought on that subject…
“I think good dreaming is what leads to good photographs.” Wayne Miller
Wayne Miller was a Magnum photographer who also worked for Life Magazine. Mainly known for his series of photographs The Way of Life of the Northern Negro. He was inspired to photograph is own family and produce a book after he was inspired by Edward Steichen’s “Family of Man”art exhibition.
In his quote I think Miller touches on a very important idea. Creation of images starts long before the press of the button on the camera. It starts with allowing your brain to roam free. To connect ideas. To anticipate what might be. Many times we get caught up in the business of photography and forget to allow for the ‘down time’ to allow our mind to help us create new imagery.
I found after I started scheduling time to ‘play’ and mess about with personal projects my images took a step up in creativity with more depth. When there is no pressure to create a specific image you take away the fear of making a less than stellar image but you learn so much more.
Cut some time out of your schedule to dream. Some time to play and see where it takes you…
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
Do you see your image in your mind before you push the shutter button??
Should you?
Probably if you want to create more artistic and impressive images. Today’s photo art quote comes from Painter Diego Rivera
“I dream a lot. I do more painting when I’m not painting. It’s in the subconscious.” Diego Rivera
I feel a good amount of pre visualization can move your images to another level.
This brings to mind a thought to spend lots of time with other people’s images and artwork to spark ideas. Just remember that just like a computer GIGO. (garbage in = garbage out) Look to find great imagery and art to study. You will find that some of the ideas will mix and match giving you a whole new way of seeing and creating your photographs.
Arthur Rainville passed on an idea that I try to keep up with. Arthur suggests each night before retiring try to study an artist for about 15 minutes. That could mean quickly reviewing a prolific artist’s entire catalog or studying intimately one or two paintings. You can do this with books, magazines or the Internet. It is amazing how your brain will incorporate things studied just before falling asleep. Arthur is a true photographic artist always trying to push the bounds of wonderful image making. I admire him greatly.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
Happy Sunday!
Let’s talk about a mindset for creating photographic art courtesy of Henry David Thoreau in the book Walden.
“Only that day dawns to which we are awake.” Henry David Thoreau
Why do pop into philosophy when talking about creating art? I believe to create the best work, or to see many things to which we are exposed that could become art, we have to live and be in the moment. Many times in our lives we tend to miss out on many opportunities because we are living either in the past or the future.
“What the heck are you talking about Bob???”
How many times in the day do you put yourself in automatic mode? By that I mean as you do things are you aware that you are doing them while you are doing them? Or, are you thinking about something that happened yesterday that was a problem or worried about something that hasn’t happened yet that MIGHT be a problem? Ever driven home and wondered how you got there? Do you always brush your teeth exactly the same way? Eaten a meal but not tasted the food? These are all signs you are not in the moment and might be missing out on your life.
It is the brain’s job to create thoughts. Tons of thoughts. When chatting about this with another photographer she said, “I know what you mean! I call it my ‘circus’ when I can’t get my brain and inner voice to be quiet!” It’s also the brain’s job to do things automatically for us like regulate our heart. Make the lungs take in air and expel it. All that is great, and quite wonderful, until we allow the brain to control too many things without being in the moment concouisly thinking.
How can we start to take back the brain and make it help us better?
Learn to meditate.
Here are some simple ideas for getting into meditation. Brush your teeth or shave with your opposite hand. Take a different route to and from work or the store when driving your car. Concentrate on one thing at a time. The idea of multitasking is a misnomer. Your brain can not do multiple things at one time it must switch modes and it will actually take longer to do the tasks.
SIT for a little while and be here now. What sounds do you hear? Take control of your breathing and be aware of it. When a thought comes unbidden let it go. There is a book that I found helpful on learning how to meditate by Jon Kabat-Zinn called Wherever You Go – There You Are It gives you exercises and ideas on learning to quiet to mind so you are here now.
Ever notice when you go on a trip you find a lot more photo opportunities? That’s an example of leaving our automatic self behind and seeing what s right in front of you. That’s what I’m talking about!
BE
HERE
NOW
As a friend of mine used to say, “I have an extremely busy day today! I better meditate for an hour rather than for fifteen minutes…”
Seems counter-intuitive but she accomplished an awful lot on a regular basis!
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
If you are a photographer the mere mention of the name brings at least one if not more images to mind. Well today I turn to Henri to help us think about photographic creativity, inspiration and art.
“Make visible what, without you might never have been seen.” Henri Cartier-Bresson
Many of these things only we can see which means only we can share. Sometimes it may be as simple as a snapshot capturing a fleeting moment. It’s important but is it art? Only time will tell which is which. I believe the answer will be art more times than not depending on how much we practice. How well we know our equipment. How we can pre-visualize the result of what we may be photographing because we know our craft so well.
Photography is so much more than just pushing a button. Although today the technology has gotten so good a mere push of a button will often give a result that is exposed OK and probably in focus. The difference lies in our ability to harness the camera by knowing what and how the camera sees verses what and how the eye sees.
This, I believe, is the difference between an artistic photographic image… and a picture.
Learn to see as the camera sees, Create art. Help people see.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
Henri Cartier-Bresson photo
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