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Monday, 01 March 2010 09:56 |
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Until last week I had never heard of Elizabeth Bishop. I admit I don't often read poetry. I like the idea of poetry but I find it very difficult. It's difficult to slow down enough to grasp the meaning, the subtleties. This year is the centenary of the poet Elizabeth Bishop. Some photographers are putting together an exhibition responding her poem, One Art. So here I am preparing to respond to this poem. For my response to be strong, I need to know more about this woman and her work.
A google search led me to the Poetry Foundation site. Who knew there was an entire website about poetry. They even have an audio recording of Elizabeth Bishop reading her work!
I found a wonderful animation done by a young girl. Some videos about Elizabeth Bishop's life and a centenary blog.
The more I read her poetry and the more I learn about it, the more I like it. I can see why she has such following. Too much information, I need to sleep on this before I start shooting..
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Snow. No not that kind.The film. |
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Tuesday, 23 February 2010 13:33 |
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Wow. Check out the movie stills by Holly Crooks for the movie Snow. http://tinyurl.com/Snow-the-film. Two stills I particularly like. The front page of the movie site http://www.snowthefilm.com and http://preview.tinyurl.com/yd4z3sz. Such a strong connection between the woman and the woman in the glass ball. Or then again, what is that in the ball? Who is that?
The gorgeous light is catching the perfectly round glass ball then it multiplies and morphs into a mass of snowflakes.Such glorious light. The spots read as snow but they're dreamlike. Is it snow? But then why do I care?
The fact that these photos makes me ask questions, I like.
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Inspiration from Owen Pallett |
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Monday, 15 February 2010 07:55 |
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Now there is inspiration, such creativity. Layers of sound blend to make extraordinary music. Phrases appear with wonderful textures of voice, violin and piano (and various other instruments.). It's so new, so original. It felt a bit strange the first time I heard his music but as I get to know it, I discover more. He stretches his imagination and what an imagination. I have never seen a musician sing into the body of a violin to get the sound quality he wanted. Amazing. In one piece in particular I had the feeling that wonderful sounds and phrases were drifting past me. I couldn't quite capture the entire idea of any single one. I was overwhelmed by the depth and richness of the music.
So how can I apply this to my photography. He has identified his vision and honed it. He is obviously very well trained technically but has moved way, way past it to soar. The layering of sound was compelling. Layering images. He is so brave . It's more than a little scary to create something so original.
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Saturday, 06 February 2010 09:41 |
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Wow look at that morning light. It may be cold (-16 C with a wind chill of -24 C) but the trade off is the wonderful light. According to Environment Canada, down to -27 wind chill, frostbite does not occur within 45 min. Lower than that the time to frostbite shortens quickly.
(http://www.msc.ec.gc.ca/education/windchill/research2003_e.html)
February in Nova Scotia. If you are outside with a camera for extended periods of time it requires some planning. It's a bad sign when we start looking for the wind chill temperature. Note to self: buy a longer coat. The goal is to not freezing anything. Personally I go for a ¾ length coat with a fur edged hood, warm boots, lined leather gloves. Given that set up, I usually expect to freeze my fingers a little but I can control the camera. I carry the camera in the bag when I am not actively shooting. The pressure of holding the camera restricts the blood flow just enough that fingers tend to freeze. It's a little game we play in the cold. How long can I stay out in this. Hmm fingers getting numb, time to pull them up under the sleeve of my coat for a bit. Cheeks getting numb. time to get out of the cold. With a hood that has a fur edge I can last much longer. The fur extends over my face and keeps it from freezing but I can see what I am doing. Now, I just need to buy a spare camera battery. Cold and batteries don't go together very well Do you make any special preparations for shooting in cold weather?
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Photography Industry Night |
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Feb 1, 2010
This week I stepped out of my comfort zone. I've been meaning to check out Aperture Studios in Halifax. I noticed an event on www.halifaxphotographynews.com Halifax Photography Industry Night. So in the spirit of, "if you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got.” I checked it out.
What a high to spend a couple of hours talking to people who are serious about photography. Made some awesome contacts. Spread the word that I 'd like to shoot more. Head shots for the web. People. Definitely worth the effort to get myself out of my comfort zone.
Maybe I should have called this post, January: Networking
Have you pushed yourself out of your comfort zone lately? Did it help you grow your vision?
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Tuesday, 26 January 2010 08:34 |
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Today I am starting down a new path, a blog. A place to share inspiring moments. Making a commitment, in writing, in public, makes it more likely to happen. When I create an image that works, it gives back to me a sense of value, that “Yup I add something of value to this world.” I want to do this. I need to do this, for me. I need a mechanism to focus my attention. This is it. Exchanging ideas, working with other people pays off big time. Time to get going, collecting ideas.
While I was researching web design, I came across Antony Gormley's site, http://tiny.cc/RCvaM. Nice site. He's one of my favorite sculptors. Now if I could capture the essence of a person in my photography, the way he does in his sculpture, I'd be a happy camper! That inspires me.
What inspires you ?
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