Blog Entry #1 - Reflection
I’m a major grunge and alternative music fan from the 90s. My older brothers listened to Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, The Beatles, anything from the 70s and early 80s, and while I admire those bands, I needed to listen to something different, something to call my own. It’s a sibling thing. They already had their music. I needed mine. And while I love music and play guitar, that’s not what I’m here to talk about.
Today’s opening is quite simple, I’m starting something that might never catch on, something no one will care to read (just like my Instagram posts), but I’m a thinker, and I like to write, so here goes nothing………..
Photography and music are my chosen art forms. They allow me to express myself in ways only I can understand. I tend to obsess over things no one else will ever see or hear, which also works well for my career as an independent contractor responsible for Art and Photography books for Puritan. You should check us out @ www.puritanpress.com
I made an Instagram post last night that became more about reflection. As I was processing my photos from a Saturday trip to Plum Island in Newburyport with my lovely wife, I began reflecting on my so called “keeper rate”, or “success rate” as I called it in my post. I drop the photos into Lightroom and I have 20 photos from two cameras. 10 out of those 20 were keepers, with different themes, landscapes or concepts.
Years ago, I used to shoot a lot of frames to yield about a 2-3% keeper rate. That used to be an acceptable process for me, but as I look back, it was a waste of time, but digital was cheap so why not?????? Well, Saturday (and most shoots) that keeper rate is at 50% (or better). Somedays I may shoot as high as 100%. One frame………..
What got me here was going back to film for some of my work. It made me slow down, see things clearer, less distorted. I’ve become more decisive with not only what I see, but what I photograph. Compositions became more natural. Light easier to define. As nature speaks to me in ways only nature can, a photograph needs to make me feel something.
As you find inspiration for your next photo think about photographic design. Light, shape, form, texture, pattern, color, repetition and concept. All important components to how we see and shape (no pun intended) a photograph. My cameras have low mileage while my feet have high mileage. A worthy photograph is worthy of a good walk or an inspiring subject just off your doorstep.
The majority of my time is spent making my photos come to life as I see it, not necessarily what was presented before me. Often times the subject determines the camera I use, whether it be my 4x5 Chamonix View Camera, my 1984 Polaroid or my Hasselblad X1DII. I love the process of creating a photograph, often times more than the photograph itself. The final result is the bi-product of my process, yet the most difficult part of photography for me is creating a photo that remains true to how I saw the photo before even exposing a frame.
May the photos you take be the inspiration from a deeper place.