I have taken a bit of a break from sharing here on my blog. It seams that I am inclined to share only when I really have something to say. Perhaps I need to push harder in order to share more regularly? I enjoy the process of sharing, but often get caught up in the day to day aspects of business and bog down.
Fortunately, I just took part in one of the best learning processes anyone can have. I taught. I lead a private workshop with a client who was extremely open to getting out in non-ideal conditions and very much wanted to learn and create. The tone of our experience was wonderful. While he was hoping to photograph billowy white clouds in a deep blue sky above the calm blue waters of Lake Tahoe, we took what Mother Nature offered up and created the beautiful images that were possible.
With a winter storm just starting to break, we were faced with dark choppy water and layers of separating cloud under thin cloud. The first location we visited offered up a simple, somewhat minimalist composition. In order to put the focus on the small island and trees and ad a sense of calm, I had him use a very dark, 10 stop neutral density filter over his lens. This enabled him to lengthen his exposure time dramatically, creating a smoothing effect on the choppy water and softening the clouds. The resulting images were tranquil and moody, conveying how my client felt more so than how the literal scene appeared.
As we worked our way through the process of composing, critiquing, asking and answering questions, shooting and discussing results, we both felt the joy of the process. My client was extremely pleased with the refinements I helped him make. As most aspiring photographers I work with are, he was impressed by the huge impact a few very minor adjustments in position, perspective and composition can have on the resulting image. It was motivating to see how I was able to add such a spark to his creative process and enable him to refine his results in such a short time.
In the end, after just a morning of helping a fellow photographer refine their craft in the field, I became excited to get back in the field, here in Lake Tahoe, with my large format cameras. The process of working through another artists “sticking points”, and seeing their success, invigorated my desire to get out in the field and work through my own creative process. I am welcoming the experience of seeing through the lens and composing images that move me. Images that are refined, elegant and capable of having a positive impact on people’s lives.
This is “The Fine Art of Nature”.
Enjoy the View!
Jon
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