Back Into the Swing of Things

Following upon the previous topic of moving, and how that affects an art maker's flow, I decided to upload some snaps of my new area. I find that photography is a good way to slow down and view the world more fully; and I'm certainly not the first to think so!

There is much discussion within the field of Photography about time, and "slowing down." Many practitioners relate a slower process to shooting in film, and they would be correct in most cases. However, I like to look at this idea a bit more broadly, within the visual arts in general. An "eye for detail" is a trait very commonly associated with many artistic individuals. People have the ability to learn how to see in this way and improve their observational skills; it is one of the most valuable skills taught effectively through art education.

Many equate the level of professionalism in photography with the expense of a camera, or the "wow factor" of photographic equipment. In my experience, it is more about the mind and the eye, and how they work together. I find the best photographers, are those who have a strong sense of design. They understand composition, and how line, shape, and color (as well as the other elements of design) work together to enrich an image. These individuals understand how others see, and so when they find an interesting subject to photograph, they can go beyond that initial interest and make an image that really captivates their audience.

There is much that goes into making a good image for the function of entertainment, but there are also times when that function is more personal, sitting close to the heart of the image maker. We see this imagery a lot on our friends' phones and computers. They are pictures of flowers tended to by our grandparents, children at their first concerts, minuscule details which make us nostalgic, fleeting memories caught in pixels, or silver; screens and paper.

This morning the property my parents own in Pennsylvania was covered in a thick fog. The whole yard was misted over, and I could barely make out the slope of the land beyond our big vegetable garden. It looked an awful lot like the green hills in Wales sometimes do, even though I knew the photographs would visually be nothing more than generic nature pictures, I decided to take them anyway, just so I could look at what was in front of me a little bit differently.