When out photographing, one often hunts for that perfect juxtaposition of lines, shapes and graphic elements that combine to form a simple, almost abstract like, composition. Sometimes, I find these situations to be very elusive and can go out for hours without taking a single photograph. However, on those days, I suspect that the lack of success may be more related to the mental state that I happen to bring along with me as much as anything else. On other occasions it seems like interesting images and compositions just drop into my lap without any effort on my part, but, again, I think the mental state of the day is what makes things seem so easy.
Taken in McConnell's Mill State Park
Portersville, PA
This picture was taken on one of those days when images seemed to be everywhere. I had actually walked by this location many times in the past without ever having noticed this composition. Perhaps a successful photographic outing is more dependant on the state of mind that we bring along with us rather than exactly where it is that we decide to go.
2 comments:
Very good point. Now if we could just figure out how to set that mental state before we go out...
Yeah, setting that mental state properly would definitely be the way to go! It does often seem out of our control though.
But I did get an interesting response once when discussing that dilemma. I brought up the problem about sometimes just being stuck and unable to see images to Nancy Rotenberg, whose workshop I mention in the post above, and she had a very interesting answer. She,of course, said that the feeling happens to everyone, but that one thing she does when it occurs is to just stop looking, get out the camera, and start shooting whatever is around. You know, to sort of go with the zen..... stop searching so hard and let it come to you. I thought that was an excellent response. Sometimes it has worked for me and sometimes it hasn't. I have to say that last week it didn't. I guess that is what happens when you go out to shoot in the cold (I hate cold)....but there isn't any snow around.
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