Photographer's Rights In Pittsburgh........Again

I have previously written about a run in I had with a private security guard while taking pictures at Gateway Center, a large skyscraper complex located in Downtown Pittsburgh. I thought this was likely just an isolated event, but I had a similar occurance this weekend. These types of events have been reported in many different places in the country, so I don't at all mean to insinuate that this is an issue isolated to the city of Pittsburgh. Anyway, on to the story.

I was out photographing in downtown Pittsburgh last Sunday, just walking about with my camera handheld without a tripod (not that a tripod should really make a difference on a Sunday morning with almost no people around) at PPG Place, another downtown skyscraper complex. I was looking for and taking pictures of reflections in windows, an idea that I had mentioned in my last post (this building has mirrored glass windows). A private security guard for PPG approached me and said that since 9/11 PPG has a rule that no one can take pictures of the building. I left after politely telling him that this was simply wrong and that PPG can't make such a rule.

I was curious to find out if this has happened to others, and, searching the internet as well as doing some reading on the largest Pittsburgh related flickr group, found that it has, in fact, happened frequently to many other people.

I was quite angry about this and had been thinking about how to approach 'fighting it' or at least making my rights clear to the powers that be. In the interim, I found several other resources about this issue and would like to take the opportunity to share them, which I will do at the end of this post.

Unfortunately, after reading them, it turns out that I can't press the issue based on this occurance as I was in the wrong, at least according to the letter of the law. In this instance, I was standing in the open air plaza between the buildings, which is private property, (though there is full public access including shopfronts, outdoor tables for everyone and a public ice skating rink), when the security guard asked me to stop. According to one of the articles I reference at the end of this post, I have every right to take pictures in this situation, however, since it is private property, I can be asked (or forced) to leave if I don't comply with the request not to take photos. However, what I find interesting is that because the locale is public (even though the property is private), I can't be legally compelled to give up the photos that I have taken prior to leaving or stopping photographing.

Equally interesting is that the security guard seemed to me to be approaching even before I stepped into the plaza and was still on the public street. Additionally, he didn't say that I couldn't take pictures while in the plaza, he stated that I was not 'allowed to take pictures of the building', implying from anywhere. In support of what I thought would have happened, here is a post from someone else regarding an occurance at the very same location where they were told that they could not take photographs of the building despite being on a public thoroughfare. There is also interesting discussion in the comments section as to what he did and the results he got while trying to 'right this wrong'.

I am still wondering if there is something more that I could do on a local level to express my anger about this.

Here is the list of references that I found as well as the one I listed in my original post several months back:

Photographers Rights in .pdf format
A nice article from USA Today, Part I and Part II
Another review of photographer's legal rights
An interesting blog entitled PhotoAttorney


Of course, needless to say,.............please do not construe any of the above post as legal advice as I am not an attorney, nor are the authors of many of the references that I site.

One Idea Begets Another

I think it's interesting that sometimes looking over photographs that one has taken can lead to ideas about making new types of images.

For example, I previously wrote about making abstract urban and skyscraper photographs. I recently decided to print one that utilized a telephoto lens to 'compress distance', leading to an image that, to me, took on an abstract feel. I was happy with the way it came out:

Old And New
Copyright Howard Grill

As I looked at it, I was amazed with the appearance of the reflections in the windows of the building on the left. Initially, looking at the image as a whole, they didn't take on that much importance, though their tone and warmth did add to the overall image. But as I continued to look at the reflections it seemed like they could take on a significance of their own, which led me to the idea that they could almost make a separate project. Such a project could entail making images of window reflections that appeared as abstract colors and shapes, rather than reflections grounded in reality. Here is a crop showing just the abstract color and shapes from one of the windows from the building on the left. Of course, it is unsharp because I have cropped only a small area of the entire image and enlarged it, but you get the idea....I could easily have walked closer to the building and filled the entire frame with the window:

Window Crop
Copyright Howard Grill

I am intrigued that the idea for a whole new set of images can come from looking carefully at a photograph that you have already made.

Louie Palu

One of the many reasons that I enjoy reading LensWork is that the magazine introduces me to photographers that I otherwise would be unaware of. At times this is because the photographer has not been widely published and at other times it may be because I simply have not been exposed to them, despite their having achieved recognition.

This month, I was particularly intrigued by the work of Louie Palu, who spent years on his project photographing coal miners in Canada. Every aspect of this project , from how he managed to get access to the mines themselves (pure persistence in the face of repeated resistance), to the dangers of being in the mine (which makes for a fascinating discussion in the LensWork interview), and the challenges of photographing in a dark and hostile environment (equipment literally blown up, dropped down shafts, makeshift lighting etc.) is truly fascinating. I couldn't stop reading the interview transcript and am looking forward to hearing more in LensWork Extended.

Finally, the images were absolutely superb! My description and opinion are meaningless compared to having a look for yourself. So here is a link to the portion of Mr. Palu's website that contains images from this project, which he entitles "Cage Call". But don't stop there, the rest of the projects and images on his site are wonderful as well.

The project turned into a book, which I plan to buy. Unfortunately, it currently seems to be unavailable at Amazon and I can't seem to find one for sale anywhere else either.

More Image Critique

I am writing this 'mini-post' because I know that many people don't necessarily have the time to read the comments that others have made. A few days ago, I wrote about "Image Critique", and recommended the monthly photo review available on Alain Briot's website. As a response to that post, Chris Sheppard pointed out that Craig Tanner of "The Radiant Vista" posts a daily image review entitled "The Daily Critique" , which is available in multiple formats. I have just started listening to some of these and, like Alain's reviews, they are also extremely worthwhile. I plan to to tune in to them regularly as well. Definitely worth a listen!

Image Critique

Despite the proliferation of social networking and photography related websites, I believe it remains difficult to get well thought out and constructive critiques of one's images. There are probably many reasons for this. Some that immediately come to mind include:

The time needed to critically evaluate and write up one's thoughts about an image.

The expertise and ability to critically evaluate an image beyond the basics.

The desire not to feel like you are insulting the creator of the image (ie, being nice).

And, unfortunately, there is, I suspect, a real issue with wanting to favorably critique an image in order to have the favor returned.

However, the fact is that in order to grow and progress as a photographer and artist one needs critical and constructive evaluations of their work. I would much rather have someone give me thoughtful and carefully considered negative feedback about an image than a quick 'great shot' comment. Certainly, after receiving such feedback I put much more thought and consideration into my own evaluation of the image, even if I had considered it 'done'. After all, how else can one improve?

Obviously, my writing about the issue here is not very likely to bring about any change, so why do so? For one thing, I do think that hearing another person's image well critiqued is also an extremely useful learning experience....which brings me to the main thrust of this post.

Alain Briot, whose workshop I have attended in the past, now has available on his website a monthly image review of a photograph that has been submitted to him. The first review was very recently made available. It is in Quick Time format and lasts about ten minutes. Moreover, in my mind, this is the epitome of what a helpful and constructive review can be. It may not be my image, but I can nonetheless learn from the review. A very worthwhile listen, indeed. I know I plan to check back frequently to hear what Alain has to say. To hear what Alain has to say just follow this link and then click on the blue link on the top of the page to access the review.

Vignettes

Yet another post regarding something new I learned during the Smoky Mountain Fall Workshop I recently attended. Similar to the zoom abstract post I recently made, it involves something that can also be done in Photoshop.....but it is so much more satisfying to do it in-camera.

"Sumac"
Copyright Howard Grill

This type of vignette with a 'color wash' is related to the 'shoot through technique', whereby one focuses on a relatively distant subject through grasses, flowers, or other objects that are closer, and shoots at a relatively wide aperture to ensure that these closer objects appear as an out of focus color that imparts an ethereal quality to the image.

To make this particular image, all that had to be done was to first compose and focus on the sumac. Then I took a leaf, tore a hole in its center, and held the leaf close to the lens. By then looking through the viewfinder, I could get a sense of how the subject was centered within the hole in the leaf. Since the leaf is extremely out of focus, the edges of the hole are very soft. Because of the edge softness, it really doesn't matter if you can't hold the leaf perfectly still. As a matter of fact, you could even play with purposefully moving the leaf. Take a bunch of shots, as they will all look different and it may take some trial and error in the placement of the leaf to get exactly what you want.

Sure, it can be done in Photoshop, but this is infinitely more satisfying and a lot more fun. It is one of those things that, once shown how, makes you say "Duh, why didn't I think of that!" Give it a whirl and see what you get. Thanks to the "Photography With Heart" workshop folks for showing me how!

Before You Leave.....Turn Around

When it comes to photography, I have always found turning around to be good advice. It sounds quite trite, but, nonetheless, it is often helpful.

When concentrating on trying to photograph one particular scene, we often have blinders on and don't keep our minds open to other possibilities. It can be hard, and perhaps even detrimental, to try and break one's focus in the middle of photographing and, therefore, I do like to finish what I am concentrating on before moving. Once finished, my mind can then be receptive to new possibilities....and so I force myself to turn around and look behind me at what else there is that I might have missed or overlooked.

It sounds quite simple, after all, once you are done photographing at a particular site you pack up and can't help but see what's around you before leaving. Sure, but are you receptive to what is around you, or is your mind already in the 'I'm done and leaving' mode? It is one thing to look at what is around you when packing up and another to see what is around you with the idea of making images.

It really is amazing to me how often what I find behind me ends up making a more interesting photograph than what I had been concentrating on. This might be because once my attention has been caught by something I am unable to give ample consideration to other possibilities or because some aspect of the scene behind me, such as the lighting, might have changed. Either way, I am often glad that I took the opportunity to turn around while keeping an open mind.

This occurred during the recent workshop I attended in the Smoky Mountains. I had been photographing a field of tall grasses in front of colorful fall foliage, but wasn't really happy with the compositions I was coming up with. I was planning to move on but 'turned around' before I left and was treated to this magnificent dew covered tree in a bit of fog that looked gem covered, sparkling while it was being backlit by the sun. I underexposed a bit to make the glistening stand out against a darker background.

'Sparkle'
Copyright Howard Grill

This image was far more satisfying and interesting than anything I had been concentrating on before making the turn!

Waiting For The Sun

It has been said that one of the biggest mistakes that can be made in photographing sunrises and sunsets is leaving too soon. Often, there is beautiful color to be seen and photographed for twenty or thirty minutes after the sun sets. Likewise, when waiting to photograph sunrise, things can change rapidly and unexpectedly. Such was the case when we were photographing sunrise during the recent Smoky Mountain Fall Workshop that I attended with Nancy Rotenberg, Don McGowan, and Les Saucier.

And what a glorious sunrise it was:

Sunrise Over The Smokies

Copyright Howard Grill

But it didn't start out that way. When our group arrived at the overlook that had been chosen for that morning's shoot, the sky seemed quite densely 'fogged in'. It didn't appear that we were likely to be able to make good images from that location and there was talk of trying to move to a different spot, perhaps one at a different elevation in the hopes of getting better conditions for photographing. By that time, however, it was getting late and it was a bit questionable that we would be able to find a new locale and be able to get set up in time for sunrise. So, with a tiny sliver of clearing in the distance, we decided to stick it out in the hopes that the dense fog would lift as the sun came up.

What developed was unexpected and truly exhilarating. Over the next few minutes, the little sliver of clearing continued to open and we were treated to a truly moving experience. The cloud cover was such that there was a number of 'God Rays' that emerged and, one by one, they swept across the valley below in a spectacle that was akin to a natural laser light show, only better. As I rapidly 'play back' the many images I took that morning by quickly viewing them one after another in Lightroom, they seem like a movie that allows one to relive the entire experience, complete with the rays sweeping and dancing rhythmically along one side of the mountain, into the valley, and back up the other side.

Rather than frenetically chasing after the perfect shot, sometimes it is better to stay put and let the shot come to you.

Making Zoom Abstracts

Given the comments made to the blog about my image "The Road Less Traveled", I thought that it might be worthwhile to talk about how one can think about and plan these types of images.

'The Road Less Traveled'
Copyright Howard Grill

Once a scene has been chosen on which this effect is to be tried, I think there are two very important initial steps to consider. The first is how much to zoom. I start by framing the image with the shortest focal length that I want to use as a starting 'size' for the shot. I then zoom out and choose the longest focal length I want for the shot. In the example above, I wanted the road to approach the left side of the image without 'spilling' out of the frame. By organizing the image this way, I can determine the starting and finishing focal lengths for the zoom. I don't just zoom the entire available focal length of the lens.

The second issue is to decide where you want the zoom to seem to emanate from. The lens should be centered at this location. Said another way, the center of the image in the viewfinder is where the zoom will seem to emanate from and so this should be carefully placed while the lens is set to the shortest focal length that is going to be used for the shot. If you ultimately don't want that point to be located in the very center of the image, the photograph can be cropped later.

In "The Road Less Traveled", I wanted the zoom to appear to emanate from the trees and not the road. Here is an example of the zoom emanating from the road (there are also some inevitable differences in the speed of the zooming), which I don't think is as pleasing as when it comes from the trees. The effect is more apparent in larger images. Clicking on the image will show a larger version.

Zoom Emanating From Roadway
Copyright Howard Grill

Once the range of focal length to be used for the image has been determined and the image is properly centered you are ready to go.

The camera should be on a tripod so that the zoom lines are straight. The shutter speed can be varied by changing the aperture. The actual aperture isn't overly important as nothing is truly sharp, though I have not experimented very much with different apertures. Various effects can be had by changing the zoom speed and whether you start zooming from the immediate initiation of the exposure or not. Things also look a bit different when you zoom from longer focal lengths to shorter ones, though I prefer the look when going from shorter to longer.

The key thing is that there are no real rules. The suggestions above are just how I do it. Experiment. Break these guidelines and see what you get. Part of the fun of these sort of techniques, particularly when shooting digitally, is to try lots of different variations. Generally, you might only like a small percentage of the shots you try, but when it works it really can be very appealing.

Away In The Smokies

No, the blog is not dead! I haven’t posted in over a week because I have been away and didn’t think it prudent to broadcast that fact over the internet.

I have been off on a photographic journey to the Smoky Mountains on my second workshop with Nancy Rotenberg. Since my first workshop with her, she has been joined by Don McGowan and Les Saucier to form ‘Photography With Heart’. I could talk on and on trying to describe what a workshop with Nancy, Les, and Don is like, but I am sure that I would not be able do the experience justice. Let’s just say that their workshops embody all the emotional and spiritual journey that photography can and should be. It simply doesn't get any better.

I will certainly post more images and thoughts from the trip, but for the moment, and until I unpack, I offer just an image or two:

'Balance'

Copyright Howard Grill

'The Road Less Traveled'
Copyright Howard Grill

Placement In The Frame II

In yesterdays post entitled "Placement In The Frame" , I discussed an image from the standpoint of the 'correct' placement of a single object in the frame as it relates to languauge. Kal commented that, based on that discussion, I should try placing the stalk of grass at the lower left instead of the lower right and see how that made the image 'feel'. DUH! Why didn't I think of that!!!

So I gave it a try based on the idea that, for people whose language reads left to right, it would be the most natural (unless one wants to generate a feeling of tension) to place a single object to the left, where the eye wants to naturally fall first. To my eye it makes a difference. I like it better. Instead of having the eye fall on blank white space first, it falls on the grass, whose bend then leads the viewer into the white space.

Surviving Winter
Copyright Howard Grill

At first I thought I was just trying to convince myself of something....but, no, I think it does look more pleasing.

What do you think?

Placement In The Frame

In a prior post entitled "Linguistics And Emotion", I wrote about the placement of a single isolated subject within the frame and how one's native language can influence that placement. In that post I had presented an image and stated that:

"In cultures where language is read from left to right, images that ‘flow’ from left to right (or have an isolated subject placed on the left) are said to feel more peaceful than those which have a flow in the opposite, or right to left direction. The theory is that eye movement from right to left goes against the natural tendency for people to ‘read’ an image from left to right, thereby causing a sense of tension. In cultures where written language is read from right to left, the opposite is said to be true."

Well, I have been working on an image in which I feel the exact opposite is true, and thought that it might be interesting to present it. The image, which I entitled 'Surviving Winter', is of a minimalist nature, bit it seemed to express to me the idea of the brutal solitary existence needed to survive the winter season.

My first version of the image was this one:

Surviving Winter
Copyright Howard Grill

However, as I began experimenting with different variations I felt that this final version, with the stalk of grass placed at the lower right, was the one that just 'felt right':

Surviving Winter
Copyright Howard Grill

Perhaps it is not only the placement of the grass in the frame that is playing a role here.....maybe it also has to do with the direction that the grass stalk seems to be pointing or blowing towards. Perhaps the grass 'wants' room in the frame to blow into, which it gets in the final version, instead of blowing out of the frame as it does in the initial version. Again, I am not certain why, but it seemed to me that the lower right of the frame was the best location to place the single stalk of grass, as opposed to the upper left.

Do you agree?

It makes me wonder if the supposed explanation I gave in my earlier post really 'holds water'.

The Print As Gold Standard

Today’s e-world has opened a multitude of ways for artists and photographers to make their work accessible for viewing. No longer must one have a gallery exhibition or a published book under their belt to garner an audience. With only a computer, one can open their own website, post images to collaborative websites, send images via e-mail, generate downloadable pdf portfolios, and publish e-books.

These are all marvelous and, for the most part, relatively new ways to share, market, and even sell images. But, for me, the most important end product is still the print…..the tangible, mountable, frameable, and ‘hangable’ hard copy print. There is still something special about being able to experience, examine and even pick up an image that carries with it the unwritten statement that it is the final common expression of an idea; that it is the best output that the artist was able to achieve. Simply put, there can be no question that the print is the way the artist meant for the image to be seen, as even with monitor calibration there still ends up being, at least in my experience, some variation in the way an image appears on different computers. Once printed, it has been set free by the artist and is now part of the viewers experience .

Interestingly, it doesn’t usually take me very long to bring a photograph from a RAW file to a low-resolution, internet ready image. However, to turn that RAW image into a ‘perfected’ large print that I am ready to ‘set free’ can take quite a bit of time indeed. I think that is interesting. I think that perhaps there is a message in that.

Cole Thompson

One of the things that I like best about subscribing to and reading a wide variety of photography magazines is discovering artists/photographers whose work I enjoy, but had not previously known about. I recently, via Camera Arts Maragzine, discovered Cole Thompson. His black and white images are hauntingly beautiful and luminescent; they really strike a chord with me.

Rather than my trying to describe them, why not take a trip down to his website and see if they have the same effect on you.

His work can be viewed here.

Warming Up

I often find, when starting to take photographs in a specific area, that there is one idea for an image that fairly quickly comes to mind. I may well know that there are likely better approaches to creating the image, but I don't fight that initial urge, even though I know that it is not likely to yield the best shot that I can get at a specific location. Instead, I give in to the urge and take the shot. After all, it is not as if I am using 8 x 10 inch sheet film. I consider fulfilling that initial urge akin to 'warming up'.

Once I take that initial shot, which inevitably is a fairly standard view, the fun begins. I try to force myself to see the area differently. Often, the best way for me to do this is to force myself to look at things from a different perspective even though I might not have pre-visualized the photo from that viewpoint. Nonetheless, it helps to move around and actually get down...or climb up....and look through the viewfinder to see how changing perspective, position and orientation makes the scene look.

I was taking some photographs of a waterfall for the Twin Jewels Project and, after taking a few of what I would call 'standard' shots, decided to try some different angles to see what I could come up with. My favorite image of the falls was this one, from almost directly underneath it. I took several photos, each with different shutter speeds, but ended up liking this one, as it is different from the type of waterfall images I typically make. For this photograph, I chose to use an intermediate shutter speed in order to partially freeze the moving water instead of the long shutter opening I would typically use to get silky water. This final image is significantly different, both in appearance and perspective, from my original 'warming up' shot.

'Over The Top'
Copyright Howard Grill

Quick Quotes: Dennis Keeley

While in the car this morning, I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts.......Ibarionex Perello's The Candid Frame. In the latest installation, he interviews Dennis Keeley, a photographer and educator who serves as chair of the Photography and Imaging Department at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

During the interview, Mr. Keeley made a statement that, while not entirely profound in the same sense as some of my prior "Quick Quotes", nonetheless captured my attention and made me think about the nuances of what he was saying. The topic of discussion was the democratization of photography and the fact that there has been an unprecedented proliferation of cameras. In many countries, huge portions of the populace are walking around with cameras most of the time, in the form of cell phones with integrated digital cameras, enabling them to take photographs of anything and everything. During the course of the discussion about the multitude of images being created on a daily basis Keeley notes that today:

"Image is more important than reality."

On the surface, this can certainly be taken as a comment about today's society. However, it became much more intriguing to me as a comment about the content of the photographic image and how that integrates with today's society.

I have posted about The Candid Frame before, and it continues to prove to be, in my opinion, one of the most unique, worthwhile, and enlightening photography podcasts out there.

Ramblings About Uncertainty

I continue to think about (and be plagued by) the whole issue of 'greatest hit images' versus images that serve as part of a 'self-contained' project. I have posted about this before and, almost assuredly, will do so again in the future, as it continues to be a source of confusion and uncertainty for me.

The issue, in brief, concerns the use of images that are related as a project in some way, as compared to what one might consider a collection of their best images. The obvious example I have in mind is my Twin Jewels Project, which I have written about before. It is a project that seems to pull me in two directions since, on the one hand, I want very much to complete and 'market' it, in terms of having it shown but, on the other hand, the images simply aren't my 'best' work because the beauty of the locale is quite subtle. If one took ten of my best shots of this particular location and mixed them in with ten of what I consider to be my best landscape images (taken around the country), I suspect that most people would be able to fairly accurately divide them into two separate piles. If one has not had many local area showings, wouldn't it be preferable to have their best work shown? On the other hand there is certainly something to be said for work from one location that is coherent and would also have local interest because the parks are nearby? See.....back and forth, back and forth, while at the same time I continue working on the project because I know it is something that I want to and should do.

Let me give an example that consists of two images, the prints of which I just completed. As individual 'stand-alone' images, I don't find them particularly compelling but they do convey a feeling about the location where they were taken; at least that was my intention.


I will sometimes post images on a photo review and critique forum or two, and did so with these two shots. Neither of the images received much attention or garnered any notice. Only one comment was made , and that person felt the image was mediocre. To be fair, I am not at all sure that I would have paid much attention to them as 'stand-alone' postings on a critique site either. But how do they fare as part of a larger project aimed at depicting one location or area? Should they be judged as if they were one lone picture on a wall looking for 'stardome' or judged in another fashion, as part of a greater whole and as an image of a location that will never be particularly grand by 'grand landscape' standards. How can one tell if an image is effective as part of a greater whole? I know that when reading LensWork, for example, I see portfolios that hold together extremely well but I know that I would not be excited about many of the images if viewed singly and out of context of the greater project. And how does one reconcile this with a desire to have the project shown on 'gallery walls', if you will, if they don't stand up as individual pieces of art?

Rocks And Mist
Copyright Howard Grill

Walking Into Winter
Copyright Howard Grill

So, in this, more than any other posting, I really am searching for people's comments as to how to reconcile these issues. Any 'answers' to the above questions would be appreciated. Any honest comments about how these two images relate to the answers and if they seem like they would be expressive as part of a greater project (or do they not convey any feel at all?.....I was aiming for a sense of tranquility with the first and a cold sense of endless winter with the second) would be appreciated. I think it would help me and probably also make for some worthwhile discussion.

OK, I better post this before I decide not to....

Tony Kuyper's Updated Luminosity And Saturation Mask Actions

I have previously written a post about Tony Kuyper's incredibly useful Luminosity Mask Actions. No need to rewrite about how good they are, if you have tried them out you already know. But it is worth mentioning that he has updated them. The tutorial and updated actions can be found here.

In addition, he has now developed actions with an associated tutorial for generating saturation masks, aimed at providing fine control over the saturation of very carefully targeted colors. They are available here. I have just downloaded them but have not yet had the chance to use them in earnest. However, if they are anywhere near the quality of his luminosity masks they will undoubtedly be very useful indeed.

Once again Tony, thanks for making these tutorials and actions available to all!

How Big Is It?

If there is an overriding presence of anything in the parks that make up my 'Twin Jewels Project', it is water. Lots of water. Creeks, rivers, lakes, waterfalls....you name it. Nothing on a grand scale, mind you, but one of the purposes of the project is to depict the beauty that can be found in these parks, independent of their scale and without trying to make a comparison to what can be found elsewhere.

"Veils"
Copyright Howard Grill

This waterfall really caught my eye. One of the nice things about photographing without anything clearly demarcating scale, is that the subject is removed from it's context. To me this has all the beauty and elegance of a twenty or thirty foot falls, even though, in reality, it is really quite small. I guess that is one part of what this project is all about....showing that there is beauty all around us that need not be on a 'grand' scale.

Rejuvination!

I was feeling very bogged down and concerned that my photography was getting a bit repetitive.....and thus took a break, delving into Holga/Diana and pinhole imaging. It was time well taken. Making images with those cameras is truly an enjoyable experience, and I plan to continue photographing with them. But, most of all, it has allowed me to feel quite rejuvenated. So I am once again turning attention to my 'Twin Jewels Project'. As I think about my progress with this project, I realize that it has slowed for many reasons....and I found it useful to think about and enumerate them as part of a photographic process of 'self discovery', if it can be termed that.

After self-examination, I can recognize the following reasons for delay:

1) Concern (? fear) that the images are just not good enough. Concern that I would have put in a great deal of time/effort/expense and, in the end, it would have not been a worthwhile or successful endeavor.

2) Concern that by working on making the prints for this project (it takes me a while to make a print I am happy with) I am spending time that I otherwise could use to make prints from my multitude of backlogged images from past workshops, which, as individual prints, would likely be more powerful than any single print from this project. The corollary is fear that by showing the project I might get judged by criteria which assumes that this is my best work, as opposed to my best work from this one particular location (ie, a variant of the 'project vs greatest hits' issue).

3) Concern (?fear) that, once completed, there would be no venue to show the work.

4) Revisiting work. After I have completed a print, I will frequently return to it and decide that it would look better a bit warmer toned, a bit cooler toned, a bit more/less saturated....you get the idea.

5) Desire to go back on location and improve on particular shots (shooting close to home can, I guess, be a detriment as well as a benefit).

6) Desire to shoot specific locations within the parks that I have not yet had the chance to go to.

I have taken time to think these issues over, revisit some thoughts generated by reading the superb book 'Art and Fear', and have even spent some time (re)listening to some of the Brooks Jensen LensWork podcasts on the subject, which I find quite motivational.

The time thus spent has been quite helpful, and I have come to some conclusions and decisions.

First of all, I must produce a finished version of this project. If it ends up having no venue for presentation, so be it (though as part of the thinking process I have some ideas which I think could come to fruition in this regard). However, unless I finish it I will never know how it might have turned out and never feel comfortable, or perhaps even confident enough, to move on to the next project. Whether it is successful, of course, depends on the yardstick used for measure, and independent of it's success there is no question in my mind that the endeavor will be worthwhile.

Secondly, I must 'let go' of the artwork. While my 'revisitation' of the images and the improvements that I might make to them could well prove beneficial to any one given image, they are clearly, by significantly impeding progress, detrimental to the project as a whole . Once I consider an image finished, it is not to be revisited until all the images are completed and efforts are being made to obtain a venue to show them.

Thirdly, I will not go back to purposefully reshoot images that have already been made, though it seems reasonable to try to capture them in a different season etc. There are also one or two more locations that I would like to try to capture.

Finally, I will need to give up at least some of the time that I would spend out photographing in order to work on the prints.

I have some ideas for different projects, but will not even think about working on those images until this project is complete. I am, however, going on a workshop to the Smokies in October and will take a break for that.

As a result, I have taken the bull by the horn, so to speak. I have, literally, close to a thousand images from the parks (granted some of them are bracketing, different focus and apertures etc...I tend to take a lot of images from one spot) and, prior to this, had been picking out images for printing one at a time. Since my last post, I have gathered them all together in Lightroom and 'brutally' edited them down to probably 60 or so that I think might be included. Are they all wonderful stand alone images....no, but I think they do nicely depict the personality of these parks as part of a themed project. I probably have 10 or so completed previously and would like to end up with 40-45 images in the project. I have started to work on them in earnest.

In the coming days/weeks I will post other images that I have completed or am completing as part of the project. I am also giving thought to an "Artist's Statement" to help pull it all together.

It turns out to have been quite helpful to really sit down and be brutally honest with myself about where I am going with this and how it is progressing. There are probably multiple times throughout everyone's artistic career that a session like this can be helpful!