If you’re like me you are always carrying a camera around with you so when you see a photo you can take a quick capture and move on with whatever you were doing. Sometimes there are things I pass buy everyday and think "I need to take a shot of that", but at the same time you think "I will get it next time I come by". Well guess what, things change. I have learned that a photograph is only there for an instant, even if you think you see it over and over. The light will never be exactly the same again or the colors may not be as intense the next time you get around to taking that photo.

The image above was something I used to see every day. I would walk past this spot outside of an office building as I was going in all the time. One day a few weeks back I took advantage of some snow falling and went back to shoot this shot that I had in my mind for a while. Good thing I did! As of today it is gone. The tree and junipers have been removed for some updated landscaping. If I had waited much longer to shoot this one I wouldn't have it to add to my black and white images. So I learned a lesson, again, that you should always shoot it when you see it because it may never be there again.

Nikon F4, Tokina 28-70, 2 sec @ f8 TRI-X 400 pushed two stops (1600 iso)

In my last post I confessed how much I like to shoot film. One of the reasons I like to shoot it so much is that I can stay engaged with what/who I am photographing. That little screen on the back of digital cameras distracts me so much that I stop interacting with my subjects. I stop thinking of what the next shot could be. I love to work in a stream of thought that is a constant flow from shot to shot. I just can’t get that mojo going when I am looking at the back of a camera after every shot. Sure I can put tape over the screen but I’m not the only one who wants to look at that screen.  My clients and models always want to see that last shot. So, there goes that magic feeling and the creative stream.

I was reading the March issue of PDN and there is an article in it called “Art and Commerce”, by Coner Risch. Turns out Joanna Ewing, the Art Director in charge of Urban Outfitters catalog department, thinks shooting digital takes the creative flow out of the process too. She requires all photographers to shoot film. Her reason for this, is that, she feels the process of shooting film is more fluid. She says the digital shoot had a “stilting” effect. Mostly because of the instant feedback that makes everyone want to look at that last shot, even the model.  I read that and said to myself “that’s it, that’s why I enjoy the film shoot so much more.”

The article goes on to discuss how film isn’t really any more expensive because there are added costs do a digital shoot that a film shoot doesn’t have. It really is about the same cost when you boil it all down. Joanna also talked about using mood boards and how she tries to get the “look” down before proceeding. It’s a really good article. If you subscribe you can check it out online at pdnonline.com or just go buy the issue. It’s worth it.

It has been a fantastic holiday season and a great start to the New Year for me. I was able to take some time off of work and spend some great time with my wife and kids. I need to figure out how to become independently wealthy so I can just hang out with my family. If anyone has that figured out let me know.

I have been able to use some of that time to catch up on some personal work that I have been shooting. I have been concentrating on what sort of images I can make that draw the view in that are also common, everyday places. I want to evoke a sense of wonder or "wow, were did you take this photo" in the viewer but the image may be something you could see every day but you just don't "see" it.

The image below is of the ground covered in oak leaves. In one day two oak trees dropped all of their leaves and blanketed the whole area with leaves. This image makes people think about shuffling through leaves when they were kids, or making piles of them to jump into. There is a sense of mystery in this photograph too. A little dark, a little "I wonder what is just beyond that tree". This image is of my front yard. A very ordinary suburban front yard like so many people see every day. But when you take the time to see things differently, then the ordinary becomes exciting again.