Art In Creation....

"A Coming Together"

Two separate falls rushing towards the same creek bed below.

St.Catherine's, Ontario, Canada

Am reading Freeman Patterson's latest book "Embracing Creation" this week... if you are not familiar with the legendary photography that is Freeman Patterson's collection, then I strongly suggest you check it out. Today's image reflects perfectly the influence Patterson has had on my own photography over the years. When I wanted to express how these two waterfalls felt like two old friends who finally found their way to the same sweeping ledge and could rush together with glee, I instantly tried to "think like Freeman".

Not that I'm trying to be him. I do have my own specific style that I work in, regardless of whether it's nature or architecture or whatever, but his approach and his style were both very influential to me when I first started photography, and as usual his latest book is full of philosophies and explanations that create more questions than answers when I hold them up to everything I think I know about making images that feel like art. And I love it. In a time when I see so many photographers trying to outdo each other with the latest trend, the latest "look", and completely controlled and manipulated subject matter, super dramatic, always containing some element of digital "wow", he challenges the photographer to find those moments in nature all around you that hint at something fleeting, beautiful, and delightful in and of itself.... with nothing more than your ability to compose around it, to do justice to the quality of light it's resting in, and to use your gear and vision to communicate why it caught your attention, or what it was waiting to reveal in the lens. And for that to be enough.

Again, for me, its that treasure hunt feeling. What will thrill me today? What will nature prompt me to create today? If you look with expectation, creation reveals it's artistic nature... through real colour, real texture, real shadow, real light, natural patterns, wild spaces, and those that inhabit them...

The image above was taken near Ball's Falls Conservation Park. You can't see it, but the actual ledge went in a big arc, so the waterfalls are almost across from each other in this shot, with a great deal of space between the two (the bigger falls almost in the background the arc was so wide). I was kneeling on a dry part of the same lip, shooting over and down. I get dizzy just thinking of it! (Feel free to click on the image for enlarged viewing.)

Everyone is different, but I love looking for art in nature, and after reading 'Embracing Creation" I think I have the motivation for better photographs this year that will not only show off the art in creation, but the art residing within me as well.

Who's up for releasing their inner artist? 

I see that hand... thank you...

More Imagination Please...

Out of the Blue

If you haven't been to my Facebook page recently, you might wonder why I'm posting satellite images from space...

Where Two Worlds Meet

Cool images right? The roiling frozen ocean in the first one. A distant deserted valley colliding with a body of water in the image directly above. Dry and hilly terrain flanking two distinct roads in the photo below.

Paths Divided

Wow, Christine... when did you have time to fly to the space station? 

Those of you who have been on my Facebook page in the last 24 hours know exactly what you're looking at... the rest of you aren't sure but you're pretty certain that in between my last blog post and today's that I did NOT take up space travel. You can click on each image to see it enhanced. What you see is an abstract study of frost on a window and this photographer got excited about it. When was the last time my imagination soared? How about yours?

Whatever you see in those images right now is why this is so fun and so rewarding by the way. Three minutes ago you were contemplating how to start your day, or how spend your next break at work, or if you really want to fold another basket of laundry, and within the first minute of perusing the blog you suddenly had your imagination engaged... and as imagination is usually apt to do, you were transported with very little coaxing.

I've been asked before about the point of abstract art by folks who "just don't get it". To which I always answer with another question: Well, what's the point of imagination?" The answer I get ranges from 'it let's you explore life unhindered, free of stress, open to magical possibilities' to 'it's what lets the giant box the refrigerator came in turn into the invisible plane you fly as a superhero!'... 

Both answers are correct. And that's Abstract art too. For the viewer, it can be whatever you want it to be. Or you can use your imagination to gage what the artist's intent was... and you might get it right, or you might not care if you do at all... what matters is if it stopped you even for a moment and made you mull the possibilities over, got your imagination going, musing, or transported you elsewhere. And do you walk away slightly altered... ?

And for the creatives, for the artists, abstract is the chance to take what you love about compositions, and the power of shapes, lines, and colours, or the lack thereof, not to mention the medium itself, and infuse it with whatever strikes your fancy. It can romp, it can be expressive, it can be purely aesthetic, a puzzle to be solved,  or it can have important concepts needing to be conveyed. 

Or it can just be some everyday winter frost on a window pane photographed out of context. Personally I say let the 5 year old superhero out, and wreak havoc. Your art will thank you every time.

And all our 5 year old selves chant, "MORE IMAGINATION PLEASE!!!"

It's Been Too Long

"Opening Night"

I know you're shocked. Or maybe not. No sunset shot today, no towering architecture, no flowers, no historical ships. This is my image for today, and it's been too long since I've explored the streets of downtown Hamilton with the Nikon. It's been too long since I've had something so different to share with you all. I kind of did a little jig when this image demanded my attention!

Joined our local Hamilton Flickr Group last weekend for a photowalk. And I'm glad, very glad, I did. Not only did I get a chance to connect with a fabulous group of people for a few hours, wandering the streets, being inspired by the different things that would stand out to different people, but I was reminded that it's still fun to hunt for those "photographic gems" that are available to us if we care to look hard enough.

Several telephone and hydro poles were sporting this particular poster... for a rave or music event... and the eyes would follow you no matter where you stood. They really got my attention, and the graphic face emerging from the shadows screamed to be photographed. In my experiment to see how far the eyes would follow me, I wandered past the pole, then looked back in the lens... I realized if I got my exposure right, I'd get the "open" sign in the dark window of the dance studio behind it. Take what you will from it, paper vs neon, the solitary vs the city bustle, blue vs red (ha). Is it the most stunning image I've ever produced. Nope. But it was so much fun to take, and I can't wait to print it up. And that's the point.

If it's been too long since that was you having fun, being excited, creating something you can't wait to share, causing you to give an unrestrained giggle of accomplishment, then maybe its time to revisit something you once had time for. Doesn't have to be photography, and it doesn't have to be complicated. Just has to bring you joy. 

Thanks to the HFG for the great night, for John who got us into the local fire hall with our cameras last minute (and to all the firemen out there, stay safe and thank you for all your hard work at all hours of the day and night)... 

..... and thanks for the Ramble here on the blog, gang! Have a good one!

Rethinking The Plan ~ Wide Angle Wednesday

"The Long Way Home"

How's your week been? Mine has been one of rethinking. I find it very easy when working for myself to forget my long term goals and start drifting along, content to let things come to me... whether they're really the things I should be pursuing or not. Needless to say, this leads to discovering you're directionless and wondering how you wound up that way in the first place.

I know somebody out there must be able to relate.

So I've been setting aside time once again to pinpoint where I've gotten distracted, where I've veered off course, where I've neglected using my abilities and skills, and what to do about it. I already know I haven't been working hard enough on the right things, and I already know that things I started on a whim need to be abandoned. I need to concede that it's back to picking out the route that best gets me to my ultimate destination (as a certain Canadian photographer would say). You may see changes here on the blog, projects retired before they begin, and whatever else that has to be affected. But that's because detours happen. And then we see our route clearly once more.

Sometimes getting back on track starts with acknowledging what started you on the journey to begin with.

My concrete list of things I love about photography looks like this:

landscapes

city life

great lines

heights

connecting with people

inspiring others

nature

design

perspectives

traveling

instant art

How long has it been since you thought about what's really important to you and what you're passionate about? It'd been awhile for me, so don't fret if you've been feeling the same. Redirect your focus (cough, cough, what? No, that wasn't a photo joke.... ) and find a way to get back to doing what you're called to do. I'm about to do the very same thing myself.

Thanks for the long winded ramble gang! Have a great night!

Signs, Signs... Telephoto Tuesday!

"Blended Right!"

(1/125 sec.@ F/7.1, ISO 160, 55mm fl, 55-200mm tele zoom VR, late morning light)

Right here in Hamilton I'm surrounded by art. Obviously we have art promoted to the masses, through the AGH or the James North Art Crawl to name a few. But wander down the right street or alley and you're faced with art on a larger scale and with definite purpose. Ads painted on the sides of retro cafes, old factories, and mom & pop shops will always stop me in my tracks. Always. Think about all the design work and branding, the use of color to draw your eye up way above the street, shapes that cause you to slow down to take it in better, and perfect text and wording to make you remember it long after you've moved on. Art at it's most practical, but art none the less.

And sometimes it's tricky to get the right shot of it. Usually the buildings are very close together in the downtown core, lighting is either harsh or almost nonexistent due to all the tall office buildings crowding out the sky, and if you try to shoot from across a city street you've got power lines and stop lights galore. You either find a way to make it work, or you walk away.

This was my dilemma last week when I was out on a walk downtown. I loved this wall. Who wouldn't? Great texture, great color, and aging nicely. But the street is tight, a fence keeps you out of the side alley, and the trees that shade the stores in front keep you from getting the entire sign when you move back. These are the days I wish photoshop applied to real life, cause I'd cut an' paste this sucker into a much easier location to shoot from if given the chance. Maybe there's an app for that?

Anyways, as I stood there trying all sorts of things to get a unique enough shot in the small amount of time I had, people passing me started slowing down to see what I was staring at, and so to avoid the unavoidable, "hey, you wanna take my picture sweetheart?" that always comes from some guy or other sitting on a step having his first drink of the day, I aimed the camera from down at my side having already set my exposure and shot part of the sign at an angle. Looked into my view screen, liked what I saw and moved on. Being female, and often out on my own, I've become very skilled at moving on. Not drawing attention to myself or my gear. Not taking very long to work a shot. Assess the subject, think hard about what I like, and get the shot.

And what do you think? Think it worked okay? I like it. In fact I may do a series, as this is not the first signage I've shot. This shot taken a couple years ago remains one of my best sellers. And I'm very much in city mode lately. Not sure why. But I like it.

So Google, Yahoo, Apple, and the rest of you... wanna get crackin' on that location transportation device app for photographers? Thanks. I know it'll be the next big thing eh.

Thanks for the ramble, and have a great Telephoto Tuesday folks!