On Taking Assignments #3 - Negative Space

As I allude to in the photo above, I tried as much as possible to make the On Taking Pictures assignment subjects the star of the show so to speak.  I wanted people to look at the photo and have one of the first few thoughts that came to mind be the assignment word or phrase.

This was not always possible, such as with the Roll 24 assignment, but oftentimes it was.  This photo of the façade at the local library fit the bill for negative space.  The black and white processing heightened the effect of creating a negative/positive combination, and the three dimensional nature of the bricks as blocks emphasized the space aspect.

I felt this was one of my most successful interpretations of the assignments and while on the surface it may lack excitement, in the context of the project it was the first taste of achieving what I set out to do with the assignments.

Below are some other interpretations of the assignment that were more about other things than they were about negative space.

On Taking Assignments

I frequently listen to the On Taking Pictures (OTP) podcast, which I highly recommend to anyone looking for good conversation about creativity, especially as it related to photography.  In January 2014 the hosts, Bill Wadman and Jeffery Saddoris, began a new segment of weekly assignments that they gave to listeners.  Results of the assignments are posted on the OTP Google Plus group.  I decided that I would commit myself to the assignments for a year without interruption, and that I would complete each one before the next assignment was announced on the show each Tuesday morning.  My 'On Taking Assignments' blog posts are the culmination of my year-long focus on these assignments.

Ideas and Imagery #50

Sometimes I feel it is enough to just have a picture be beautiful.  I oftentimes get caught up in trying to see things differently or show a subject in a way that is at the very least new to me.  Every once in a while I have to remind myself that sometimes beautiful is good enough.

This bee was one of many in this Dahlia field.  I likes the shape of this flower and that the bee was facing me.  So many times the bee is going straight for the yummy center of the flower and all you get is the backside.  I love the structure of the flower, the mix of red and green, and the focus on this bee's eye, making this a simple favorite from the latter part of the summer.

On Taking Assignments #2 - Underexposed

Underexposed was the 2nd On Taking Pictures podcast assignment, and my goal for this shot was to try and find lighting with deep shadows.  I expected to find my shot on a sunny day where there are always interesting shadows if you take the time to look, but instead found it on a day where the lighting was not all that interesting by itself.

Even when I am taking photos to underexpose, I generally still shoot at a proper exposure and change the exposure in post.  I do this because I want my starting point to begin with the best materials possible.  You can start with a clean exposure and make it feel more gritty in post, but it is much more difficult (likely impossible at my skill level) to go from grit to spotless.

For me this shot was about reducing the barn to shapes.  Underexposing and black and white conversion are great tools to bring out the shape of an object and eliminate distraction.  In this photo, shape dominates and you're imagination is left to make heads or tails of what you are seeing.  There are mysteries in the shadows, where regular objects blend together to form larger more abstract objects.  The end effect is a shot that is more compelling because of what is missing rather than what is visible.

On Taking Assignments

I frequently listen to the On Taking Pictures (OTP) podcast, which I highly recommend to anyone looking for good conversation about creativity, especially as it related to photography.  In January 2014 the hosts, Bill Wadman and Jeffery Saddoris, began a new segment of weekly assignments that they gave to listeners.  Results of the assignments are posted on the OTP Google Plus group.  I decided that I would commit myself to the assignments for a year without interruption, and that I would complete each one before the next assignment was announced on the show each Tuesday morning.  My 'On Taking Assignments' blog posts are the culmination of my year-long focus on these assignments.

On Taking Assignments #1 - Roll 24

The first On Taking Pictures assignment was Roll 24.  the premise was that you were to post 24 shots in a row with minimal editing and no omissions to show your progression through a subject or subjects.

The post was meant to be similar to a contact sheet from the days of film where you or an editor might work through the thumbnails of your images to choose selects for printing.

For my process, I have grown accustomed to the excesses of digital shooting, and as such worked through a series of four compositions in 33 shots of a goose on a roof of the defunct Blue Heron Paper Mill.  I posted these shots as my first submission, selecting 4 compositions from the set.

Many of the shots I took were to try and ensure my focus was solid, which made for several duplicates.  That is common for me.  I would rather over shoot than miss a shot completely, but as time goes on I find that my technique is making this process less necessary.

I was pleased with my first assignment, and while none of the shots were earth shattering, I felt I met my objective of showing the absurdity of the goose on the lush green mossy roof.

On Taking Assignments

I frequently listen to the On Taking Pictures (OTP) podcast, which I highly recommend to anyone looking for good conversation about creativity, especially as it related to photography.  In January 2014 the hosts, Bill Wadman and Jeffery Saddoris, began a new segment of weekly assignments that they gave to listeners.  Results of the assignments are posted on the OTP Google Plus group.  I decided that I would commit myself to the assignments for a year without interruption, and that I would complete each one before the next assignment was announced on the show each Tuesday morning.  My 'On Taking Assignments' blog posts are the culmination of my year-long focus on these assignments.

On Taking Assignments - A year long photo project

I frequently listen to the On Taking Pictures podcast, which I highly recommend to anyone looking for a good listen about creativity, especially as it related to photography.  In January 2014 the hosts, Bill and Jeffery began giving OTP weekly assignments.

I decided that I would commit myself to the assignments for a year without interruption, and that I would hold myself to the deadline of being finished before the next assignment was announced on the show.

For me, the assignments were a great way to create outside of my normal thought process.  When you are going through your daily routine, it is hard to get into any kind of creative rhythm.  I found that being assigned a topic or structure to create took away the excuses of "I can't think of anything to shoot" and allowed me to narrow my thoughts to just completing and interpreting the assignment.

I will be posting my results, one assignment at a time so that I might be able to talk about the process of making the shots and my feelings on the results.

Ideas and Imagery #49

This was a shot I took in passing along the Columbia River.  I love the colors and tones of this image, and the especially hard line separating the calm water from the covered boats.  From the reflections to the angular lines of the structure and the patterned roof, there is just a lot to see in the photograph.

It isn't just one thing in this photo that makes it for me.  It's all of the disparate pieces playing a role in the scene.  Photos don't always have to have clear subjects to be engaging.  A similar comparison might be to a song with esoteric lyrics.  The song has no overt meaning so it can functionally means different things to different people.

To me, this is the beauty of art.  I can take my shot, drawing a conclusion of what it means to me, and then move to the next shot.  This process allows me to share a photo with others without assigning meaning to it, letting the viewer to come to conclusions on their own.

Ideas and Imagery #48

Shadow_Quality_Daily_Dose-0048.jpg

Simplicity is sometimes really difficult to pull off.  It is so easy to get caught up in a moment and want to get everything in the frame.

I tried at least 7 or 8 different compositions with this scene.  I tried to include the farms in the foreground, silhouettes of trees, backlit grass, and other subjects, but I liked this simple shot the best.

Ideas and Imagery #47

I took this shot out near Eugene in the farmland southwest of the city.  It was such a vibrant and out of place item lost among a sea of castaway objects and rolling pastureland.

I stopped along the highway to take some shots from the road.  Behind me was a barn and while I was snapping a few shots, a lady came out and asked me what it was I was so interested in.  I thought it was obvious, but either she didn't and was truly curious or she thought I was up to no good.  I answered her immediately..."That boat is fantastic."

After a few more shots I got back in the car and drove away.  I can only imagine the chuckle I gave to her day and a story to tell her friends.  In my mind she is laughing and talking about how crazy the tourists are getting.  It's like they've never seen a boat before.

I'll be a tourist if I continue to get shots like these.

Ideas and Imagery #46

I like looking for interesting patterns, textures, lines, shapes, and colors in images.  These graphic elements can add a lot of interest to photos or can just as capably function as the subject.

This photo has a little bit of everything.  I love the four rectangles of color, and how each one has left a different trail below it, the black rusting the metal underneath, and the red streaking all the way out of the photo.

I also love the texture of the old weathered materials, corrugated metal panels and faded wood doors.  Last I like the shapes.  These seemingly unrelated elements all combine to make an interesting abstract from a real object.

The last aspect of this photo that draws me in is the oddity in the painted rectangles.  I can't quite figure out why they are there.

Ideas and Imagery #45

As I think about how extremely frigid my toes are this evening, this image makes me feel a tiny bit warmer.  Sunshine, you are missed.  I will enjoy the better parts of winter, but will be ready for you come spring.  Enjoy the southern hemisphere.