“A picture means I know where I was every minute. That’s why I take pictures. It’s a visual diary.”
Andy Warhol
Photography
Progress
Time to get serious and disciplined regarding digital asset
management (DAM). As I type, I am transferring files off of the various
external hard drives to a master file on my computer. Then I will use
Lightroom to remove the duplicates, sort the wheat from the chaff, sort
by year/month, geotag, keyword and then maintain this archive. After
this I will upload to my photo hosts. On backup drives, Flickr and
Smugmug.
With my new camera, I am considering this all to be a clean slate. Way overdue.
Photo Archeology
My very first digital photograph back in November 2001.
When
I was away at college I borrowed my father’s Olympus C2100. I loved the
zoom and bokeh it produced. This had helped solidify my photography
enthusiasm.
I discovered this when sorting through the archives
and organizing the digital assets (DAM). Yeah, it’s simple, but we all
start somewhere.
Photography misadventures
Now What?
“Anyone can take pictures. What’s difficult is thinking about them, organizing them, and trying to use them in some way so that some meaning can be constructed out of them. That’s really where the work of the artist begins.”
– Lewis Baltz
Muse
I need a muse to help influence and inspire my photography. Someone
who understands and supports my creative vision, even if I don’t. This
muse would inspire my creative vision. Someone that will allow me
anything and everything. Fearless. No comfort zone because of the trust.
Find the limits and then cross them anyway. Every photographer needs a
muse, not just a model. A companion, my biggest fan and maybe even my
biggest critic.
This muse will help guide and instruct my creative
process with trial, error and success just by being there. The muse
will be honest, free and open with me to unleash my creative flow.
They
will fill up my photo card, drain my batteries, use up all my film
because the inspiration will not stop. You are hers and she is yours.
That connection between her, my camera and me is magic. My muse won’t
care for other’s work, just mine. And hers, because she is a work of art
herself.
The sun sets on the last, coldest day of 2017 in Tulsa
Therapeutic Photography
As I’ve stated previously, it’s been a shitty year and not a lot to show for it. In fact, I have lost so much. There are times too, that I have been bored or uninspired with my hobbies, including photography. Most of the time, however, I just pick up the camera and go. Go out, anywhere. Shoot anything to make myself feel better. The camera and the process is therapy to me. It relieves me of stress and helps me create. Photography helps me to focus (see what I did there?) on what’s in front of me and allows for a pleasant distraction. It reduces frustration and anxiety.
self-portrait 5m after waking
Photo Walks
I am a big fan of photo walks. No agenda, no direction. I just wander with an open eye for something, anything of personal interest and capture it. Stretch, walk, breathe and relax.
Group Therapy
I’ve also discovered interacting with people to be therapeutic too. It sounds counter-intuitive, I know, but it works for me. I feed off their personalities and passions. Even their presence is energizing. Ever sit in a coffee shop and feel the buzz? Me too.
Getting out and talking to strangers on the street breaks down my walls and theirs. I’ve been doing quite a lot of portrait photography with my HOT project. These beautiful faces make me smile. See? Therapy.
Communicating with like-minded people is a huge positivity boost. Photographers are isolated and protective by nature (why?) so this could be more stressful at first…but the payoff is amazing. Who else but we, can understand and support one another? I am really excited about my new photography group coming soon.
Focus
One of the best things about photography is again, focusing on details. Distract yourself by focusing on the boring, mundane, everyday details that can deliver the best images and make for the best subjects.
Anything and everything all of a sudden becomes interesting. Beauty in the details. Forest through the trees.
I lean heavily on photography when doubt, depression and frustration kick in. I give them a kick back when I grab my camera and go.
Therapeutic Photography
As I’ve stated previously, it’s
been a shitty year and not a lot to show for it. In fact, I have lost
so much. There are times too, that I have been bored or uninspired with
my hobbies, including photography. Most of the time, however, I just
pick up the camera and go. Go out, anywhere. Shoot anything to make
myself feel better. The camera and the process is therapy to me. It
relieves me of stress and helps me create. Photography helps me to focus
(see what I did there?) on what’s in front of me and allows for a
pleasant distraction. It reduces frustration and anxiety.
self-portrait 5m after waking
Photo Walks
I am a big fan of photo walks. No agenda, no direction. I just wander with an open eye for something, anything of personal interest and capture it. Stretch, walk, breathe and relax.
Group Therapy
I’ve
also discovered interacting with people to be therapeutic too. It
sounds counter-intuitive, I know, but it works for me. I feed off their
personalities and passions. Even their presence is energizing. Ever sit
in a coffee shop and feel the buzz? Me too.
Getting out and
talking to strangers on the street breaks down my walls and theirs. I’ve
been doing quite a lot of portrait photography with my HOT project. These beautiful faces make me smile. See? Therapy.
Communicating
with like-minded people is a huge positivity boost. Photographers are
isolated and protective by nature (why?) so this could be more stressful
at first…but the payoff is amazing. Who else but we, can understand and
support one another? I am really excited about my new photography group coming soon.
Focus
One
of the best things about photography is again, focusing on details.
Distract yourself by focusing on the boring, mundane, everyday details
that can deliver the best images and make for the best subjects.
Anything and everything all of a sudden becomes interesting. Beauty in the details. Forest through the trees.
I
lean heavily on photography when doubt, depression and frustration kick
in. I give them a kick back when I grab my camera and go.
Now Developing…
I’ve redesigned and have a renewed focus.