How
we see –I feel it is partially mixed with psychological makeup and where we
grew up. In my case being a product of
a city environment where you are confronted with concrete, street traffic and
tall structures surrounding you -there is diversity all around you. Therefore, I tend to focus on lines, shapes
and maybe look at things differently.
Contrast this with someone from the Midwest – the focus may lean more
toward floral, landscape and less diversity.
This of course is only a theory.
Also, how willing you are to really look at the
world around you to see the images that abound there. The picture of the fire hydrant and the
person silhouetted in the background was an image I made wanting to capture the
urban landscape. I actually waited for someone
to walk by the wall in the background before making this image – I saw this
image in my mind and waited for the moment.
The chairs neatly lined up in a restaurant window
with the wall art reflection in the background was another image I saw as I passed
by the window -again this is something that I find familiar from living in a
large city environment for most of my life –and therefore this kind of
observation becomes automatic.
Also, how curious you are – and willing to explore
your surroundings is a fundamental ingredient in “seeing” coupled with your
ability to imagine your final image.
Some images will be dramatic and work well in black and white –while
others will be best in color. This of
course is personal and depends on what attracted you to the image in the first
place. The wall image and the staircase
outside a building attracted my eye because of the shapes and colors.
All it takes is the ability to observe –seeing the
shapes and color of the environment you are in, and a desire to turn the
ordinary into something visually interesting.
