Patti McQuillen
April 23, 2014
An open world is a gift for all. We see the beauty without expecting to find it. Our senses come alive. We experience it more than just live in it.
How do we capture it with digital photography? As I discussed in the February 2014 blog, we see it - not look for it. Seeing leaves us open. Looking gives us a preconceived idea of what to take pictures of. The late Thomas Merton learned the value of understanding this thinking, and he shared it with others.
This is interesting; yet, it doesn't tell us how to get the world in print. The first big suggestion I have is don't try to get it all. Let parts remain a mystery. Where is the magic if we know all of what's around us? Aim your focus for one piece. Perhaps you will meet a person with an amazing story. You could find a treasure at a yard sale.
Besides all this, how else do we get the world in our shots? Second, see it from a fresh perspective. Take May's SPARK word - move. A dog in motion, a bird in flight, a child running with a kite are all good ways to use the word. Here's another: photograph examples of each letter. Don't hunt for them. You'll use too much time and possibly miss an amazing shot. Instead, you will see them when you stop the chase. Perhaps you can think of a way to split them up in a different fashion.
Places around you give you ideas for subjects. Don't sweat it if you've never been to a faraway destination. That's not the world you live in; so get what's around you. You'll have a familiarity that allows you to feel peace. However, don't let it get too safe or you'll soon be bored. Expand in comfortable ways.
Try taking a snapshot of food you eat, the sunlight striking your window, a flickering candle, a collection of magnets with one in the direct focus, or of something that you are near everyday; yet, you don't even see because it's always there. Go low, go high, get in line with your subject and see the world as it is for you. Maybe it's not as exciting as you'd like. Not even the most popular celebs have action taking place around them all the time!
So get outside if you want, stay inside if you choose. Go wherever you can to find the world that's right for you. Explore it. Capture it. Share it.
April 23, 2014
An open world is a gift for all. We see the beauty without expecting to find it. Our senses come alive. We experience it more than just live in it.
How do we capture it with digital photography? As I discussed in the February 2014 blog, we see it - not look for it. Seeing leaves us open. Looking gives us a preconceived idea of what to take pictures of. The late Thomas Merton learned the value of understanding this thinking, and he shared it with others.
This is interesting; yet, it doesn't tell us how to get the world in print. The first big suggestion I have is don't try to get it all. Let parts remain a mystery. Where is the magic if we know all of what's around us? Aim your focus for one piece. Perhaps you will meet a person with an amazing story. You could find a treasure at a yard sale.
Besides all this, how else do we get the world in our shots? Second, see it from a fresh perspective. Take May's SPARK word - move. A dog in motion, a bird in flight, a child running with a kite are all good ways to use the word. Here's another: photograph examples of each letter. Don't hunt for them. You'll use too much time and possibly miss an amazing shot. Instead, you will see them when you stop the chase. Perhaps you can think of a way to split them up in a different fashion.
Places around you give you ideas for subjects. Don't sweat it if you've never been to a faraway destination. That's not the world you live in; so get what's around you. You'll have a familiarity that allows you to feel peace. However, don't let it get too safe or you'll soon be bored. Expand in comfortable ways.
Try taking a snapshot of food you eat, the sunlight striking your window, a flickering candle, a collection of magnets with one in the direct focus, or of something that you are near everyday; yet, you don't even see because it's always there. Go low, go high, get in line with your subject and see the world as it is for you. Maybe it's not as exciting as you'd like. Not even the most popular celebs have action taking place around them all the time!
So get outside if you want, stay inside if you choose. Go wherever you can to find the world that's right for you. Explore it. Capture it. Share it.