Ideas and Imagery #86

Jason Faucera September 18, 2015

I try to visit my favorite tree at least once a season to see how it looks as the world changes around it. On this day the wind was stiff and the clouds were moving in lines across the sky.

Summers in Oregon City bring clear blue skies with very little cloud cover to speak of, so when I saw the sky had interesting clouds I decided to stop for a few shots of the tree.

Shooting into the sun left a nice silhouette and produced a blue-green lens flare. Overall I decided that the falls were a bit too distracting for the shot, which has a lot going on without it.

It is nice to return to subjects that look interesting no matter what time of year you visit them, and this tree is the one I visit most often of all.

On Taking Assignments #47 - Sound

Jason Faucera September 18, 2015

When the sound assignment was given I was pretty quick to think of this image. I can think of a handful of potential images that could convey sound, but this was the first of them.

I remember listening to the ocean in shells as often as I came across them as a child. Any time we went to the coast and entered a gift shop I would put the shells to my ear to hear the differences between them and try and decipher how there was sound coming from a hidden place in the center of the shell.

Once I understood why the sound came from the shell, I stopped listening. In fact I don't think I picked up a shell to listen until this photo was taken. It's amazing how being around kids can remind you of some of the simple joys and wonder that you felt discovering the magic in things. You don't really get to experience that again until you see the wonder on the face of someone experiencing it for the first time.

So this assignment ended up being twice as satisfying as it might have been otherwise. I ended up with a shot I liked for the assignment and got to relive a bit of what it was like to listen to a shell for the first time and marvel at its mystery.

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 #85

Jason Faucera September 15, 2015

This photo of the St. John's bridge is one of my favorite black and white images. The late afternoon sun gave good direction and deep shadows to the bridge, and the clouds on the right work to balance the composition of the tall section of bridge.

The bridge itself has so much character and the pillars have such great shape and spacing. Every element is visible in the frame and the detail in each of the different areas contrasts well within its surroundings, making each a distinct segment of the shot.

As I've said before, it's not hard to shoot pretty destinations, but it is hard to try to photograph them differently than everyone else. Getting photos that stand out requires patience and a willingness to get off the beaten path to try and find a different way to see.

While not miles away, moving off the bridge and shooting from a different angle really elevated this shot and made it one of my favorites of 2014.

On Taking Assignments #46 - Horizon

Jason Faucera September 15, 2015

Horizon was a challenge for me because there wasn't really an opportunity for shooting an interesting horizon. The week was mostly gray with high clouds and I really had no time to get away from the house.

I settled myself in on the last day of the assignment to try and create something at home. After playing with some objects that loosely met the mark, I came up with the idea that if I couldn't shoot a decent horizon outside, I would shoot one inside.

Unfortunately this shot called for the untrimmed back of my neck to take center stage. While this wasn't a comfortable photo to look at from a self-esteem standpoint, I thought it was clever enough and original enough to be happy with my shot.

I tried to leave enough of both my office and the scene of downtown Portland as to call attention to them both, while focusing on the scene on my monitor. Overall I like the finished product.

On Taking Assignments

On Taking Assignments #45 - Distortion

Jason Faucera September 6, 2015

During this project there were weeks where my everyday life just didn't allow an opportunity to spend time on the assignment. In those weeks I often defaulted to searching around the house for ways to fulfill the assignment just before the deadline.

Many times this resulted in some great images, and required a lot more creativity than shots out in the world. These shots were made more than they were taken.

For Distortion, I was looking for something that would bend the shape of objects and after some trial and error with spoons and other glass objects this change jar idea emerged.

I shot this both wide and long to see what the difference in composition would be, and the long shot was definitely more interesting.

I first tried to shoot only the distorted part of the jar, but you really couldn't discern what the distorted objects were. Once I shot through the neck of the jar there was an anchor from which the rest of the shot made more sense. I also liked the symmetry and center focal point.

It's still surprising to me how the assignments inspired creativity out of necessity. I had to gets shot and I didn't want to post outcomes that I knew were uninteresting. Shots like this reinforced the idea that making a commitment to this project was a worthwhile investment of my time and creativity.

On Taking Assignments

On Taking Assignments #44 - Food

Jason Faucera September 2, 2015

Food photography is not something I'm very interested in. I appreciate a well made and presented meal as well as anyone, but shooting it is another matter.

This shot was my attempt to shoot food without having to prepare any. My kiddo has a nice selection of really good looking plastic food that reminds me of the perfect food you see in advertisements.

I thought this shot came out reasonably well for a toy food shot. Not my most compelling shot, but I felt it met the objective of the assignment.

On Taking Assignments

Ideas and Imagery #84

Jason Faucera August 30, 2015

Highway 97 in Oregon just north of the Williamson River is one of the toughest stretches of road to ensure that I drie regularly. I can't count the number of times I have been on that road since I can remember as a kid, but I would venture to guess its in the triple digits.

It is 50 miles of arrow straight highway with pine trees lining both sides along the entire length. If you aren't fighting staying awake you are trying to dodge deer, especially at dusk. In the summer it is hot and the sun beats in through your windows. I dread this stretch on every trip through.

On this day however, I kept myself awake by trying to come up with photo ideas. This idea was one I had before when I was trying to come up with something for the reflections assignment for my On Taking Assignments project. One of the first reflections I thought of was the reflection you get from a hot shimmering road surface.

I had been watching vehicles go by, waiting for a time where I could single out one big semi truck, alone on the road. You can see the cars a long time before you have to shoot them, so you have some time to be choosy, especially if you have 50 miles if straight nothingness to work with.

This cherry red semi was my second chance to get a red truck, and I didn't miss. It turned out great, but the downside is that I don't have any other ideas to keep me occupied on this stretch of road. Maybe I could make this a long term project...

On Taking Assignments #43 - Multiple Exposure

Jason Faucera August 30, 2015

Taking on a project can be daunting, and there are times that you want to just skip a day or when you just can't seem to find inspiration.

Not only did I procrastinate this assignment until the last minute, but my first few attempts at taking a double exposure were comically bad. Let's just say it involved a pumpkin and my head and let's leave it at that.

Nikon treats double exposures similar to a film camera in that you have to get the exposures right in camera in sequential order. You can't just pick any shot on the card and shoot the second image on top of it.

I could tell it wasn't working very early on, so I started to experiment with other objects in the room. I finally came up with this concept after an hour and It took another hour to get this shot.

When I was fumbling through my original idea and getting nowhere, I seriously considered just going to bed. But like a few other times I was eventually able to break through, and shot one of my favorite images from the project.

When you won't allow yourself to fail, and force yourself to push through, the results can surprise you. I was glad to have fought through this one, and more than happy with the outcome.

On Taking Assignments

Ideas and Imagery #83

Jason Faucera August 26, 2015

I left my wallet in a vehicle of a friend who unfortunately lives an hour away from my house. This necessitated an impromptu road trip to retrieve said wallet.

Near my friend's house, these bikes were sitting in front of a local tavern and the neon was gleaming on the chrome. It reminded me of the opening scene in the Terminator movie where Ahhnold commandeers a new ride and some clothes.

I thought the scene was worth a photo, so I set up my tripod and snapped a few shots. With the center line leading to the bikes and entrance, I thought this shot captured the scene best.

On Taking Assignments #42 - Mobile

Jason Faucera August 24, 2015

Mobile is one facet of photography in which I haven't invested a lot of my time. For me there are two limitations that I can't really get past when compared to using my DSLR.

The first limitation for me is the lack of a viewfinder. I like having a frame to look through that filters out the clutter outside the frame. Holding a screen in front of me just feels foreign.

Another limitation that deters me from phone photography is the fixed wide angle lens. I like the flexibility to be able to shoot distant subjects. I know that you can buy lenses for smartphones, but it seems like a cumbersome affair. If I'm going to mess with extra lenses I'd rather shoot my DSLR.

For this assignment I found this card lock fueling station out in the middle of nowhere and I liked the emptiness around it. It felt isolated and a little unnerving to be there, especially with the bright phone screen in my face.

It was good to force myself to try the phone as my main tool for this assignment, but I'm more comfortable and get better results with my DSLR. I won't be switching any time soon.