by tmoffett | Sep 16, 2010 | Color, Landscape, Photographic Philosophy, Ramblings, Uncategorized
Rocky Shoreline, Seaside, Oregon
Have you ever had one of those days that got off to a rocky start and went downhill from there? I know I have. We all do. How we handle those days can make all the difference.
I asked my students the other day to write about what motivates them to do the things that need to be done but they don’t like doing. We all have things that are motivators. Recognizing what they are is the first step in being able to really utilize them for our benefit. I know for me, if something just isn’t going right, if I read personal testimonial statements from my clients. To see how happy they are with their investment always seems to pick me up and get me going again.
I think that it is all about attitude, our attitude, that can help get us through the tough times. As Dewitt Jones says, “Celebrate what’s right with the world instead of wallowing in what’s wrong.” By looking on the bright side, we can overcome most anything and end up better off because of it. This relates to both life and photography. Many times I have been out photographing and I just wasn’t seeing anything. I made excuses, “The light’s not right, The scene is boring, If there was only a tree right there, etc.” When I find myself in that situation, if I catch myself making excuses, then I try to sit down, take a deep breath and change my attitude. When I do, I often go back out and find something wonderful to photograph.
I remember a trip to Oregon just over a year ago. We arrived on the coast and were met with fog. Dense fog. the light was flat. Everything was gray. It wasn’t what I was expecting. I was disappointed. After the first day, I realized, “I am going to be here for a week. Don’t waste it. Find the beauty in the fog!” So I did. We had a wonderful time and I came home with some amazing images. Not what I had expected to shoot, but great images nonetheless.
Success is all in your attitude!
by tmoffett | Sep 15, 2010 | Photographic Philosophy, Uncategorized
Marina, Astoria, Oregon
I am right at home in the landscape. I love photographing the land, and water, in a delicate and simple way. The peace and quiet of a forest, the rich colors of a sunset over the sea or a majestic mountain peak at sunrise. That is where I feel at home.
We were at the marina in the late afternoon on a stormy day with camera in tow, so I forced myself to try to photograph. I struggled. The busyness I saw through the viewfinder was confusing me. I didn’t know what to look at. Simplifying the scene was a struggle. I had to work. I finally felt the image. I had isolated a bit of quiet in the bottom and right side of the image, the ships and clouds overhead on the left. I feel good about the image, but man, did I ever have to fight inside for it. I found it difficult, but rewarding.
By getting outside our “box” we force ourselves to grow, both as a person and creatively. It is important to do this to keep from getting stale. Even though we love what we do as artists, we must on occasion force ourselves to step out of our box and find something else. It will keep us fresh. We will find new work to do. It is just all around a healthy thing to do.
by tmoffett | Sep 14, 2010 | Color, Photographic Philosophy, Random images
Strolling the Promenade, Seaside, Oregon
Taking time to explore new possibilities in our photography is an essential element in keeping fresh. It is so easy to get stale and bored, even with our own work, if we never shake it up a bit. It really doesn’t take much time to explore, but the benefits are tremendous to our creativity.
On a recent trip to Seaside, Oregon, Christeena and I went for a stroll on the Promenade. It was a cool evening with threatening storm, but even with that it was a wonderful evening. As we walked, I began photographing. No tripod, not even stopping to set up. Just walking and shooting. Very much not the norm for me. I usually am all about setting up on a tripod and picking apart the composition before pressing the shutter. I use a spot meter to make sure that the exposure is perfect. This was so different, yet quite refreshing. I set my camera to a long shutter speed, put the camera up to my eye and started walking. The camera shake was unpredictable but inspiring. The motion in the image creates a feeling of speed, the tilt of the lens indicates motion. It is wonderful.
No, I haven’t changed my style. What this experience did do, though, was refresh my mind and get me ready for a few days of my style of photography. It has also got me to thinking about how many possibilities there are to pursuing creativity in out photography. So let yourself go. try something new. You just may find that you like it!
by tmoffett | Sep 13, 2010 | Color, Composition, Landscape
Sunset in the Owyhees
The last light of the evening is always my favorite. The light gets real moody and creates an almost surreal feeling in the images. The contrast is low, so detail is maintained in both shadows and highlights unlike anything that can be created during an earlier time of day. Colors also become saturated. I love how with careful attention to exposure I am left with little work to be done in Photoshop. The in camera image is nearly perfect.
Next to lighting and exposure, composition decisions are critical. Note how the cloud in this image mimics the shape of the mountain tops along the horizon. Cropping is done in camera to make sure that the horizon line does not split the composition in half. I really like moving the horizon down near the bottom, allowing for more sky and the drama of the sunset to become dominant. In this photograph, the warm color in the middle, sandwiched by the cool blues on top and bottom are what make the color scheme work. Dark tones, rich in detail fill the shadows and holding my attention as I search them for answers. Answers to what, I am not sure, but I keep looking none the less. It’s all a mystery.
by tmoffett | Sep 12, 2010 | Color, Composition, Landscape
Horizon in Blue
This is one of the first successful images I made using the techniques I have been using for my Horizons series. The abstractness of the water created by the motion of the waves coming ashore while keeping the horizon line sharp creates an interesting feeling and mood that changes according to the color scheme of the image. The series started as an abstract study of color and has developed into a full portfolio that stands on its own. The mood created by the motion and color combination is unlike anything I have I have done in the past.
Horizons, the portfolio, began as an abstract study of color and motion on the sea while on an anniversary trip in Kauai. As I captured the motion of the waves as they came ashore, I became very interested in the feeling that a still image of moving matter created. The reflected colors from the sky in the water added to the emotion of each image as well. With all of the motion going on, the real challenge for me in this series of images is to maintain a crisp horizon line. By maintaining a sharp horizon, a reference point is made that helps to keep each image real, kind of dreamlike, but still grounded in reality. It is a feeling that I have not been able to recreate any other way.
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