how come no one tells you that the second blog post is harder than the first? i feel all this pressure because this is the SECOND post . . . this is potentially the post that sets the tone . . . it’s not the first post. everyone kinda expects that to be a little lame and “hi my name is”-y. . . no, this is the SECOND post…or, more aptly, the first REAL post. . . .
i have a running list of things i want to blog about but none of them feel “second post/first REAL post” worthy. . . i feel like we’re still getting to know each other, this blog and i, and i don’t want to jump into it too quickly. . .
so here’s what i’m thinking: let’s talk about one of the things i did this week to work on my photography (in addition to starting this blog and having a wicked bad cold all week) and maybe you ( i know there is at least ONE of you that is following this blog that i don’t know personally and that is interested in photography. . . ) can share what you did/what you do to continuously improve your art.
one thing i’m doing and REALLY enjoying is a fantastic class by Kim Manley Ort, (@kimmanleyort on twitter) http://www.365daysofinspiration.com/blog/, called Photo By Design. this is the second week of the class. last week we studied light and this week we’re noticing lines. i’m really enjoying the class and kim’s emphasis on what is known as “contemplative photography” (i highly recommend checking out kim’s site and blog and/or googling the term for writings on the subject that are far better than mine) i’m realizing that that is what drew me into photography in the first place, the noticing and being able to document details and perspectives in new ways and that it is what i think makes me feel so at peace behind a camera…it’s the slowing down, the noticing, the being present, the observing that is a big part of why i enjoy it so much. being present is hard. really, really hard. but photography is teaching me how to do it more often and better.
that said, photography and all that is related to trying to be a photographer on a larger scale sometimes takes me away from the things i want to be most present for, namely my family. so i’m going to end this post now (it’s getting too long anyway…admit it, you pretty much skipped to the end or have stopped reading altogether) and go snuggle with my son. (there will, i am sure, be more posts on this balance in the future…)
i leave you, though, with a couple of shots that i’ve shared with the Photo By Design class celebrating light and lines (and sometimes both in one photo) . . . what are some of the things that you love about photography? what did you do this week to practice or enhance your photography skills?
have a great weekend!
(ps – that’s a @LoogGuitar in that first picture. these things are awesome and a great way to introduce your child to an instrument! http://www.loogguitars.com/)
Thanks for the shout-out! Love that bridge by the way, where is it?
you’re welcome! and thanks — it’s in San Luis Obispo, CA… It follows the edge of the ocean where you can watch the seals…beautiful spot!
Huh, I find the being present thing interesting, as I think sometimes photographing an experience can take a person out of the experience, but I like thinking about how it makes you more observant and appreciative as well.
FM, I agree that photographing an experience can easily turn into being less present although I think the person photographing potentially gets to observe and remember parts of the experience that others don’t. . . kinda makes the idea of viewing the world through a certain lens very literal. . . I also think (and this gets into an idea for another post so I won’t get into it too much) that it’s why I use my iPhone at times that others (with DSLRs) would never consider using anything other than their “real” camera. . . and why I have fewer pictures of E and certain “family moments” than most people with DSLRs. . . it’s a hard balance because of course I want to capture memories and would want to do so with a high quality camera (since I have one; not saying it’s necessary) but I also want to be involved in those moments. . .
it’s also, incidentally, why i recommended that camera we talked about — smaller, easier to pull out at a moment’s notice and less intrusive as far as taking the person photographing out of the moment.
i appreciate your comment and the chance to discuss it because it’s definitely a challenge!
Really enjoyed reading this, i feel very much the same about my own photography, My MA project was called “Nature of Contemplation” – playing between the nature/qualities of that frame of mind (particularly when taking the photos), and the fact that my photographs/video work was taken in woodlands and was very much intrinsic to the purpose of the project and what allowed me to settle into that frame of mind, allowing me to create the work etc etc etc….
And i totally agree with the whole family portrait/event thing, i’m RUBBISH at taking photos when i’m socialising in any way, its just a different approach i guess, not to mention different style, technique and all that… i love to be in the moment, but love looking back at photos afterwards (that other people have inevitably taken)… damn i need to sort this out!!! hehe xx
Thanks for the great post! 🙂
thank you for your great comments! i would love to see your work. you should definitely check out the “photo by design” class with kim manley ort — great class that i think you’d love! she’s also on Facebook: Adventures in Seeing with Kim Manley Ort.
thanks for that, i’ll definitely check those out! I’m gonna be posting some of my work on my new blog soon – http://catkinsdesigns.blogspot.com/ (sorry for the blatant plug!!) as I want to start really getting back into my photography again and producing short runs of prints….so gonna introduce the photography and have it sitting alongside my jewellery, i hope it’ll work!!! Really glad I found your work and your blog tho, really enjoyed every post!! :))
not blatant at all — i asked! 🙂 i look forward to checking it out!
hehe cool, and thanks! 🙂
p.s. the second post is TOTALLY the hardest, i’m itching to get on with my third so the second isn’t effectively the one representing me!! glad im not the only one who found it hard!! 😛