Study in Black and White

You don't have to travel beyond where you are standing.  Images are all around you - and how you decide to interpret these observations can be a rewarding challenge.  Study in black and white is a creative challenge using some green peppers.  While cutting up some peppers for a later meal, I noticed the light from a nearby window falling on the peppers - and became aware of the shapes and shadows created by this light.  I immediately went for my camera and began arranging the peppers according to the light  - click, and you have captured these thoughts and ideas, allowing you to freeze a creative moment in time.  I believe that your photograph can be a narrative into your mind as the photographer –of what you see and feel. 

The Art of Photography

Photography is part mechanical and part creativity.  The mechanical tool, the camera, comes with a manual; however, the creativity part has no manual but is totally subjective.  Creativity demands that you observe, isolate, study the light falling on your subject and choose a perspective that defines what you want your viewer to see.  I think Thoreau said it best "the question is not what you look at, but what you see."

Creativity is personal; I think an important part of creativity is a willingness to lose yourself in the process of seeing.  You immerse yourself in an idea of what you are observing- attempt to capture that thought on the camera's sensor.  You abstract what you are looking at, seeing lines, triangles and circles within the image.  These are the abstract devices that help define what you want the viewer to see.  So, creativity is a lot about you, a bit of design, toss in some light and the ability of the viewer to digest the image you present and you have art.

The images presented here are small things that caught my eye and the desire to capture these simple subjects – as I said, a little bit about design, some light, and me – mix gently and here is what I see.

The Art of Seeing

Photography is not only an art form but it is also a way of seeing the world around you.  Leaning to really see what you are looking at takes time and practice.  Close-up photography is a way of training the eye to see.  It forces you to focus in on the detail of the subject. You become aware of the lines and form of a subject within the defined space it has been placed upon.  Here I have used two brass compasses to form lines, triangles with a circular object to create simple designs and compositions.  Observing how angular designs on black and white surfaces can give a different depth of mood and perspective to the same subject.  Seeing your subject from different angles and under different lighting -this the art of seeing –creativity for the eyes.

More Faces of Exit 270 Part 12

More images of the people that make up this place I call Exit 270.  I try to move in close on my subjects while also tying to respect their space - a difficult and sometimes an impossible task.  The camera I use is a Sony Nex 7 -small and not intrusive.  The key is to pre-focus, move quickly take the shot and move on.  Sometimes I ask permission of the person, and the subject is usually agreeable.