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RE: Thinking Creatively/Thinking Photographically

Toffle — Sun, 25 May 2008 12:44:09 GMT

To me, there is something of Zen in any art. This comes in part through a thorough understanding of your craft and materials... to the point that it is beyond the need of your conscious control. I've been a musician and educator all my adult life. If I had to stop to think about a trumpet fingering, key signature, or phrase structure, I would be far too busy to think about the music. None of these things [b][i]are[/i][/b] the music; they are elements which [i][b]serve[/b][/i] the music. The music itself resides in some secret place inside our souls. A lesson I learned from a fellow musician years ago is that the key to playing music is not the notes or the technique, but the physical intimacy between you and your instrument. Your breath becomes the music.

The same applies to photography... you must know your cameras, films, formats, etc. You must understand exposure and composition... most of all, you must understand light. Know these things to the point they become second nature to you. Compose and frame, meter and focus as you walk or drive... without your camera in your hands. Look for beauty, look for oddities, look the other way. There is often something interesting in the opposite direction from where you are pointing your lens. Explore your comfort zone, abandon your comfort zone. Take more shots... take less shots. Do this often enough, immerse yourself in the experience... and when you do pick up your camera... breathe into it... it will breathe with you.

Sorry for going on... (sheesh)
Cheers,

RE: Thinking Creatively/Thinking Photographically

roteague — Fri, 23 May 2008 20:01:58 GMT

[quote][b]mallard67 (5/23/2008)[/b][hr]

One thing that I have found that really helps jumpstart my creativity from time to time is a trip to an art museum. I find a lot of inspiration from painters. [/quote]

I think that is a good idea. I need to check out some of the art museums around here.

RE: Thinking Creatively/Thinking Photographically

mallard67 — Fri, 23 May 2008 10:48:03 GMT

[quote][b]Jorge Gasteazoro (5/17/2008)[/b][hr]I force myself to go out, even thought I jus don't want to, and then once I am out there I find that not only am I enjoying myself, but that I am taking photographs that I think will be good. Of course, there has been times that I think "well crap, I should have stayed home"...but these are far less frequent than those where forcing myself have proven to be productive.
[/quote]

I have to agree with that one. I think one of the main things that hinders my creativity is the daily grind. Sometimes some little thing will really aggravate me and totally prevent my creative ideas and block up my mind.

One thing that I have found that really helps jumpstart my creativity from time to time is a trip to an art museum. I find a lot of inspiration from painters. Anything from landscapes to still lifes, and the use of light and composition, etc. I can see that much thought and work went into creating certain paintings. I get inspired by the craftsmanship. A recent trip to the National Art Gallery helped me to think more clearly again. I was also able to see all of the salted paper and albumen silver prints, and thought now these guys did some work! It all just lights a spark inside me :)

RE: Thinking Creatively/Thinking Photographically

roteague — Sat, 17 May 2008 21:43:13 GMT

You have great insight Jorge. Insight that is greatly appreciated.

RE: Thinking Creatively/Thinking Photographically

Jorge Gasteazoro — Sat, 17 May 2008 11:36:35 GMT

Well, I see these threads fairly often in forums like the LF, APUG, etc. And it seems to me that people want to be given a magic bullet or a special technique that allows them to get motivated and get off their ***. There is no such thing.

This is going to sound stupid until you think about it, but there is no success without failure. If there was a special technique to "stay in the groove" there would be no loosers and only winners, we would all come back home with prize winning shot every time we went out. The chances of anyone stirring their creative juices are greater if they are out there doing than if we are talking about it.

I don't know if this has happened to you, but it has happened to me. I force myself to go out, even thought I jus don't want to, and then once I am out there I find that not only am I enjoying myself, but that I am taking photographs that I think will be good. Of course, there has been times that I think "well crap, I should have stayed home"...but these are far less frequent than those where forcing myself have proven to be productive.

Let me put it this way, a painter paints, a sculptor sculpts, a photographer....gets on the photography forum and talks about making photographs....LOL

We are all different, but for me, I have found out there is not secret handshake that will allow me to be successful every time I go out, all I can do is go out and do it, the more I do it, the more I "stay in the groove" as it were.

RE: Thinking Creatively/Thinking Photographically

roteague — Sat, 17 May 2008 11:15:26 GMT

The question then would be "How do we remain in the groove?" Do we just take pictures, or are there other ways to stay in that groove.

I was listening to a podcast yesterday, where Brooks talks about he wanted to do art, then watched the news, and lost all interest. That got me to thinking that perhaps our lifestyles do affect how photographically we think. To what extent I'm not sure. For example, I gave up TV years ago (I don't own one), but I still suffer periods where I want to go out and photograph, and other times where I don't. I know that working on the computer tends to take away my desire, but that is something I'll need to work around.

RE: Thinking Creatively/Thinking Photographically

Jorge Gasteazoro — Sat, 17 May 2008 08:21:51 GMT

I have thought about this often as well. What I concluded was that sometimes you are in the zone, sometimes nothing goes right. When I took the Peñita pictures, it went smooth and got all I wanted. This past Firday I went to photograph another place about 2 hours from my home town, took the wrong road, the two hours turned into 5 hours, got to the place, getting ready to set the 12x20 it slipped and I broke the GG. WHile I was driving to get there, beautiful blue skies with thunderclouds, got there, all gray with no defined clouds. I took some shots, but even before I develop them I know there is nothing worth while in the negatives.

What is one to do? What I do in situations like this is to take it phylosophically and instead of getting dissapointed I try new things, maybe I learn something.

On the subject of comments about your work, you gotta take it from whom it comes from, any person who has participated in photography forums for a while and has not learned this, is in for a world of hurt. As you well know I have a fan club at the LF forum, one of these guys made the comment that he did not know why my photography was any good when all I did was take snapshots and try to make them good by printing them in pt/pd.

I thought "fair enough" lets see his work.... and of course, he has no web site and no way for anyone to see his work. There are a lot of these guys out there who spend more time in forums than taking pictures. It happens in any forum, and it will happen in this one as it grows.

What to do to keep the creative juices flowing? [b]Go out there and take photographs![/b] I think there is this misconception that the great masters and people who are admired posses this god given talent and inspiration. To this I say BS! These guys take 1 million pictures and only have 100 that are except¡onal. Some photographers have the talent to consistently make good photographs, but I think that few if any of us will ever the get our "moonrise" or "pepper".

One of the dumbest statements I have read in forums is "I only photograph for myself, I don't need to please anyone but me". BS, no work of art is complete without a viewer. Nevertheless, you should trust your work and in the be content with the fact that you can go out there and at least gratify your desire to create. This is all that matters.

Thinking Creatively/Thinking Photographically

roteague — Sat, 17 May 2008 01:23:53 GMT

Many photographers express surprise when learning that even the masters experienced periods of disappointment and frustration with their work. Those of us, who don't consider ourselves masters probably go through these periods even more frequently. I guess it is hard to keep your spirits up, without a way to show you work and without the uplift that encouraging feedback provides. Without the uplift, I think we find that creativity slips away.

Just today, on another forum I occasionally participate in, TrekEarth, a fellow photographer came on and basically blasted almost all of the work that I had posted there. I'm not bothered by what he said as much as I am bothered by the attitude that seems to be to tear others down, rather than try to build others up. I've had the philosophy since I started this forum to do the best to help my fellow photographers. That is the reason I've spent so much time and energy on this site, and the reason, I've never highlighted my own work.

I've given a lot of thought these past few weeks on how I can think more creatively in my photography. I've come to the conclusion that all true creativity begins at some deep tranquil center deep inside our beings.

My question, is what do you do, to try to keep the creative juices flowing in your own photography.