11 from '11

I have many photographs that mean a lot to me because of places I have been or people whom I know but the eleven photographs that I have chosen are ones that evoke something inside of me, they have stirred up emotions or feelings; they represent an up or a down or a contemplative aspect for me and represent how I interact with my world and the special meaning that is derived from interacting with it.

Foreverland

Waiting for the Wind

The Definition of Beautiful Wishes

Translucent Happiness

Simply Pink

Reaching the Dream

Sakura Delight

Revealing All But the Secret Parts

Inner Beauty

Embracing the Fall

 Just Like Magic

I am looking forward to 2012 and raise my hopes for a more prosperous and forward looking year.  I am starting my year in a new part of the country and believe it will bring new inspiration along with its challenges.  My wish for you is a happy and prosperous year filled with clear vision and blessings.

Shoot from the Heart #photogs #togs

I grew up in a world where the current day “rules of photography” were an unknown, probably did not exist (at least not in art circles.) We learned to look, feel and produce from the heart; to see in our mind's eye first, then to move out in our specific medium to produce what our creative eye has seen.  We explored our inner souls and sought a way to express ourselves through the medium of our choosing.  We looked intently at our world; we framed things, watched light and color and saw shapes and forms.  We looked at how our world was put together and we studied the passing of our world around us. We learned how to see, how what we saw affected us and what we wanted to convey to others or produce for ourselves. We were taught freedom of expression.  Nothing was too outrageous and we learned to deal with our limitations by expanding our horizons or knowledge or we threw caution to the wind and stepped outside our comfort zones.  We learned to put our soul into what we did.  It is never an easy choice to do this; after all we bare ourselves for the world to see and leave ourselves open to rejection.  But there is also something to gain.  We gain respect.  We gain a freedom that only our souls can touch.  We gain a truth and loyalty to our soul.  We gain a unique expression.   

People may think we are a bit crazy; we have to be willing to let them.  Thankfully we are each a unique being with a unique expression.  Some of us love art, some do not.  Some see this kind of exploration as a waste of time when there are rules that exist.  Those who do not explore their soul take a risk that they will be producing just one more landscape that will be one that looks like every other one just with a different sunset, different water and different set of rocks instead of something that speaks to your own soul.  Or risk that they will produce one more portrait that doesn’t reach into the soul of their subject.  The elements or principles of art are not rules.  They are found everywhere in our world.  How we put them within the frame should reflect how we see and feel about that world.  Knowing our own response to these aspects of art helps us to create work that speaks not only from the heart but to the heart. It should evoke a response.  It could be as simple as wow or a joy at a treasure found or a unique perspective to a known world or as complex as a provocation to action.   If you try to live within rules or your perception that the only way to compose a frame is by someone whose decision that this is what makes a "nice" work you risk losing the elements that evoke a reaction and tie your own hands of creativity.  It is up to you to reach into the depth of yourself or your subject to show your perspective.  Be courageous.

In the Shadow of the Master

Remember art is completely subjective.  If we think that what we like or for that matter, may not like, and someone else will feel the same...it is time to think again.  The most wonderful thing about art is that there are people who will love what you do.   Be fearless.  Look at yourself.  Look at your world.  Breathe.  Then breathe again.  Take it in.  Then, create from the heart. 

As a photographer, it is time to shoot from the heart.  I think it will open a whole new realm for you as an artist.

Emphasis-are your photographs saying what you want them to?

Why is it sometimes that a photograph or piece of art really speaks to your soul?  What are your photographs really saying? To you?  To others?    What is your vision?  What does your work emphasize?

Focal point in photography is something artists will talk about as part of their work.  The principle of art called emphasis also seems obvious at first thought yet if you look closer the principle of art called emphasis is much fuller in scope than simply a focal point.  Whether a specific element of art, emotion, general feeling, a person or a part of nature, it is what the picture emphasizes.  It could be color or one of the other elements, but it is what your eye is drawn to in a photo or drawing or what captures the intensity of emotional reaction in those who view your work. 

Emotive emphasis-more than just a focal point

Focal point using depth of field capturing a sense of place

 

A focal point is often what you hear brings emphasis in photography, the place that draws your eye yet it is used a bit differently than in art as emphasis.  Emphasis having a bit of a broader brush is more than what your eye is drawn to; it is what your heart is drawn to.  A focal point can be achieved in many ways in photography.  It can be achieved through a shallow depth of field and a focused foreground on a blurred background.  Your eye will automatically read the detailed aspects of your photograph.  

focal point through depth of field

It could be where lines in your photograph lead you to look or light or value.   

Leading lines

Light as a focal point

It could be a color that is contrasting and therefore takes dominance in the photograph or a shape that is different than what the rest of your photograph entails.   

Color that draws your eye and focal point of interest

shape as a focal point

A change in texture might cause your eye to focus on a certain aspect of your photograph. 

texture change as a focal interest

There are many articles on the web speaking more directly to focal point, but it seems to be an easier concept to grasp than emphasis and photographers who seem to like “rules” to help understand certain compositional aspects of photography.  It is simply a point in your photograph or drawing that your eye is drawn to or focuses on and is achieved through various compositional considerations.

 

Emphasis speaks of a forcefulness and intention of expression that will give importance to something specific.  If you have read some of my past posts you will know that I speak a lot about the feeling or emotions that your work will evoke from those who view it.  It could be as simple as a WOW! Or “breathtaking” or “beautiful” it could lead or be a more intense emotional feeling of peace or joy or despair or evoke a feeling or desire to help or raise emotions of awareness that make you intensely aware of someone else and their plight or lifestyle differences.   The achievement of that is much broader in scope than just a focal point and while that is part of what emphasis is, it is not what it is in its entirety.  Emphasizing color can play a major role in creating an evocative emotional reaction and used in the expression of your work.  When it plays the primary role in your photograph or artwork it is the emphasis you use to convey your thought and emotions and will be what people react to, even when the viewer doesn’t realize it!  Emphasis can be achieved through the use of any one or combination of the elements of art.  Art is an expression of emotive elements and emphasis is a major role player in it.  It is the force or intensity oozing from your work.  It is an idea that gathers its existence from sharpness, blur, clarity, shape, line, value, texture and/or color.    A harmonious whole can be achieved through this unifying principle.

 Just stop and let a single photograph speak to your heart.  What does it evoke in you?

I hope you are beginning to see how formulating what you want to evoke or what part of your heart you want to share with your viewer becomes paramount for you to understand or come to some realization of your creativity and unique perspective of this world.  Letting yourself go in that expression, being creative in the form it takes to convey it, is what will set you apart and make people recognize who you are and what you have to offer in understanding themselves and the world we live in and therefore your artful expression.   Once you let your emotions or your inner most self direct or lead you in your work, you can begin to formulate how your art might achieve emotion in its expression and form.   Emphasis will be its major role player. 

So what do your photographs trigger in others and their emotions?  What do your photographs complete in their thoughts and emotions?  Better yet, what are they saying to you?  Do they emphasize what you want to convey? 

What is it that your creative self wants to share with the rest of the world?  Your creativity and the ambiance you set in your art and photography will help determine the reaction of your viewer, so what will you choose to emphasize?  Ideas are good but being able to carry them through to an end product that is evocative and says something about you and your world is the ultimate in goal and vision.  It is created by subject matter and your choice of what you emphasize in your work.

As always various example of these points are found on Facebook focal point and emphasis and Flickr. 

Focal Point articles:  See Digital Photography School's article here and from PictureCorrect here.

Can you feel it?

Stop, inhale, exhale, relax, pause...can you feel it?  Do it again.

Pausing to really breathe and relax and take in your surroundings will help you to "feel" the place and activity that surrounds you.  It will add life to your work.  Don't just look, really see.  Pausing to breathe or take a deep breath makes you set your camera aside and be enthralled with what is about you and will better equip you to bring it to life in your photography.  If we always have our camera to our face, we miss so very much, not only for our photography but for our own souls.  So pause to breathe.


This is short.  Because I have been breathing.  Oh I have been taking photographs too, you will get a glimpse soon.  (I need to free up disk space on my computer!)  Just look, let your surroundings grab your soul, let your emotions flow and come through your work.

Reckless Abandon

Watch children in their reckless abandon.  This little girl made me think, why can't I just go out in the field and let myself go and dance.  She was there just enjoying herself, smiling, breathing and dancing.

Think about taking pictures for people who are together but can only take themselves, one at a time; smile and enjoy the pleasure of it.  Make a new friend.   At Shurijo Castle there was a group of about 10 students who were so excited to have a photograph of all of them together, glad I could help!  I think I took about 5 or 6 different photographs with as many different cameras of the group.  The smiles in return were all I needed.  It makes you stop and realize what a wonderful world we live in and the joy we can bring as a photographer to others, not only with our own work, but giving a helping hand.  It can also bring inspiration and a pleasant feeling to your own heart which will carry through to your work.  It somehow just makes life more enjoyable.


 So next time you are out making photographs...
              ...stop, inhale, exhale, relax, pause...can you feel it?  Now, do it again.