Zen and the Art of My Photography

Zen.
Spending a week soaking in "Zen and the Art of Photography" has left me with more questions about my work and what Zen is than I could have thought.  Doug would would be pleased with that struggle I know for sure. (smile).   For myself, I am left with few answers, but more awareness.  Maybe that is the entire point of Zen and everything we were exposed to this week.  Contradiction is at the heart of Zen.  Rooted in action and focus but also non-action, clarity and reflection as well. (Did I just write that?)

"Show me the face of God."
This was one of the final exercises.  No kids, no pets.  No problem.  My mind hadn't gone that direction.  I looked near the river and found nature there.  Found man's destruction there also.  I think it's hard to find the face of God.... I believe it is to be revealed and I think it will take time for that photograph to show itself to me.
A great quote from the week:
"We don't see things as they are- We see them as we are." -Anais Nin

I realized the photograph that follows is the one I kept going back to while thinking about my "Zen week." The moment I saw this, I knew I had to make a picture of it.   It's an abstract- no pretty landscape or flower, but everything is here I connect to.  The dark rectangular shadows needed to be there.  The torn edge.  The uniformness of the screen. The composition.  The loose strands gradually pulling away and escaping. I doubt few besides myself will think much of the image, and even though I'm sharing it, I need to not worry about that.  "Don't listen to that voice."( as Doug would comment).
  So I didn't.

Profile in Screen Door

Beauty?

Exercise one today was to find the worst possible place we could think of and make a picture there.  Someplace were we would normally totally ignore as not worthy of our time.  I had noticed the schools tennis courts the first day here and of course walked by while looking for places to shoot (okay, I said "shoot").  I walked around in this bare bones court-not even a net here and found these small holes-some filled with water, some trying to start life with weeds growing in them.  I'm sure the security camers wondered what the guy was doing crawling around on his belly with a camera glued to his face.
I actually liked this exercise when finished, but then I do like abstracts and these interested me.

1/4Cup with Rust

1/4 Cup with Life

Metaphors

Today we had an '"assignment" or exercise while in a garden, to try and make pictures there of metaphors.  Not easy, I can admit.  Photographing flowers is alright, and I do make my share of those-sometimes to get them out of the way I know.  I walked around this lady's yard and it was full of flowers and decorations-just a huge place.  I had to just soak it in first, to try and see what was really there.  Light was okay.  These three flowers were the first thing I noticed as Doug talked of the exercise, and I just thought about life and death-maybe too easy, but it was right there.

Life/Death/Living

 

 

Again-oh suprise, a fern!  I know, I just connect with them in some strange way-maybe because I crawl around in the woods and swamps all the time.  I like their shape and tenacity.  This lone fern looks captured by the fence and maybe defying it also.

Captured

This last picture I made was as we were walking down the street to leave-I had noticed "diggers hotline" spray paint and pin flags marking power lines right through parts of the garden-so something was going to getripped up here.  I thought the shadows of the wildflowers on the blacktop and tar told a story about "progress" in a way.

Progress?

Focus

So one of our exercises was to photograph "the whole thing"....a scene or an area,  and then keep paringing it down, down, down to the most important elements.   I took a hike out into a swamp where some of the painters were working and I found an easel, box of scattered oil paint and a pallet waiting for the painter to come back.  I just kept moving in, pretty much ignoring the huge towering red pines above and focused on the color of the oil paint.  A quick switch to a close-up lens and I was able to get really close on the texture and color of the paint.  Simple, abstract, but I liked it anyway.

School of Arts-2010

"Zen and the Art of Photography" is the name of my class this time around here at the School of Arts.  It's a bit different than some of the other classes I've had-some meditation, some writing and a lot of small photography exercises to try and bring our personalities into our work.  I didn't shoot much that I was real happy with-you know, "keeper" photos, but still, it was good to make pictures again.  Funny, but I sometimes seem to gravitate toward small nature subjects, and in the next minute am drawn to abstract designs or forms.  Oh well. ....maybe that is good, maybe not.  We also did a study in light and took portraits of everyone in the class-with bright overhead light.  The one below was a favorite.  I love black and white but still am not happy with how digital converts color to BW.  My laptop here doesn't have a good "convert to black and white" in photoshop like my home computer, so it has been a bit more of a struggle.

Hobart stove conduit

The Edge Border?

I'm about to head north once again to spend a week at the School of Arts.  I think this is about my 6th year there and each year I learn something new or am influenced by the instructors and students there.  I've found that there are times I need to be pushed to try new things or be forced out of my comfort zone in photography.  Each year, I have gained something from attending and it has improved my work.  It's one thing to go out and ..."well, I'm going to look for something to shoot today" vs. you "have to find this and this and this to shoot for that assignment."  My instructor this year will be Doug Beasley and the theme is "Zen and the Art of Photography."  Not sure what to expect, but probably something very new...... I do like to seek out quiet places and moments when I make a picture, so we'll see.   When looking at his work, I noticed a lot of his images use a "edge" or border on them-almost a frame.  They look like old emulsion images from polaroid of print film. (http://douglasbeasley.com/portfolios/photograph/K5DA71KF045.jpg)  It is kind of a cool effect and I'll be anxious to ask why he uses it on some photographs and not others.  I played around a little with it over the past couple days-here are my results.

Sand Creek Brewey on a  Friday Night

Blue Roof House Near Greenwood, WI

Nancy Jo on Lake Michigan

Sturtz Prairie

Felt like I've been in a photography slump lately-and I was going to do a 365 project?!  I've had my camera with me enough while at Levis working, but nothing jumped at out at me to make a picture.  Sometimes, I think one should just press the shutter-at anything, just to get the ball rolling.  Seems once that first shot is taken, then I start seeing things again.  So on my way to Levis early in the morning I just pulled over at the "Sturtz Prairie" near Columbia (Clark County, Town of Hewett).  This is a native grass prairie restoration Toni and Rick Sturtz have been establishing for the past several years on their property.  I had noticed some large cone flowers coming up lately as I've driven by, and of course, Big Blue Stem, brown eyed susans and daises.

I liked this composition with the arched grass bending over and the color they seem to share.

This cone flower was nearing the end of it's flowering life, but there were other flowers to take over.

....and it wouldn't be a photo shoot without ferns!  I don't know this species, but like them.  Black and white seemed to be the way to view these.

Motorcycling Iowa

Following the Mississippi is one of my favorite routes on the bike (non-pedal bike) and will grab any excuse to ride though those river towns.  I love the history along the river and usually there are great roads nearby as well.  It was a  roughly planned a four day ride-starting in Augusa, then up and down the coulees north of Alma and then down to the river.  The route followed the river on the Wisconsin side, then across in Winona, and down thru MN to Lansing, IA.  From there up to Decorah.  One of those curvy roads you just want to go down and ride again.  Day two was back to the river and then up to Buena Vista and Ballville IA.  Downtown Dubuque is no fun, so a round about route led us to Clinton, and then the longest "town" in the Midwest-Quad Cities.  Muscatine IA was the 2nd stop.  Crossing the river again and into Illinois and skirting Moline then up to Savannah and a scenic route inland-like a roller coaster in many ways.  Galena was a drive around the downtown on a tourist packed Main St. and an escape to Potosi WI for fresh brew.  Onward to Prarie Du Chien and crossing back into Iowa along the west shore to Lansing again.  The run back into Wisconsin on the final day led to drying roads and clouds overhead, but still discovering new roads to ride and reasons why we have some of the best biking anywhere.

Miatkes Wheat field

So never put the horizon in the middle of the frame. Well, broke that rule.  There was a time when wheat was not very common in Wisconsin, but over the past few years it seems to be making a comeback.  My good neighbor to the north has planted it for a few years now and I love this time of the year when it begins to change color and ripen.  Since my morning drive this morning to Greenwood didn't produce a lot of good images, I thought I'd get the pups a good walk/run and bring the camera along.  This shot doesn't have a lot, but maybe simpler is better.  Worked for me anyway.

I missed the one picture when Ruger popped his head up to peer over the wheat, but this shot with his ears flopping along was nice too.  "Happy dog...happy dog..."

Rural Greenwood

Over the years the quickest way to get back to my hometown of Wausau is to buzz up cty G, which changes to cty O on it's way north to Hwy 29.  Each time I drive that early in the morning I see two old farmhouses with worn blue shingle roofs.  And each time I see them I think-I should make a picture of them.  Finally, I decided this was the day-hopped in the truck and drove.  I may have been a bit late-the early morning sun had already started climbing and those rich warm colors are fading quickly.  I stopped in the middle of the highway a mile from blue house #1 to watch a mature bald eagle lift up and get harassed by a flock of blackbirds.  He flew away too quickly for an image. (I did spot "him" again a few miles to the west on another road, this only it was the crows turn to bug him). When I pulled over to shoot this house, it just didn't have that...."look" I had imagined.  Maybe it would be better in winter, without the green?  I walked around and I guess I still don't have my fill of the wide angle lens yet.  After downloading it, the color did nothing for me and perhaps I was disappointed.  What to do? Delete?  Try black and white?  So the point of the picture was the blue roof and I, of course now get rid of all color. I knocked down the highlights and ended up with a halo around the roof-maybe that was okay and kinda of fitting.  Better luck next time.

Driving around west of Greenwood there are a lot of Mennonite and Amish farms and just places really off the beaten path.  While driving up a dirt road, I saw this human-like shape, but with a white head.  Curious, I turned around and just had to go back.  It ended up to be a welder by trade and just enjoyed what he came up with to advertise his location.

Clint and Heather Langreck

Weddings are sometimes filled with pressure, anxiety, excitement and fun...for the photographer.  I've photographed a few, mostly for friends.  I'm not so sure I want my photography to become work-something I have to do, but I have to admit, some of these have turned out well and I've been happy with the images and sometimes can be creative.  Clint and Heather are former students and outstanding track athletes I had the privilege of coaching years ago here in Neillsville.  They are just two of the best people I've come to know, so when they asked me to be their photographer, it was easy to say yes.
Knowing I'd be shooting this wedding long ago, it kind of gave me a good reason too upgrade equipment- a Canon 50D, a 80mm lens, a 10-22mm,  bags etc.  I found out quickly how important having two cameras along can be.  Just as the bride is about to be led down the aisle by her father, my camera stops shooting!-"CF Card Full!" in about two seconds, I tossed the backup camera down-ripped out it's card-slammed it into my shooting camera...just in time to fire off some nice shots of them finishing their walk to the groom.  Lesson learned-watch the display of images remaining.  It worked well to carry the 80mm on my main camera, and a 17-55mm on the other.  I wanted to shoot it documentary style as much as I could, but also had a "required picture" list from the couple.  That's expected and they gave me freedom to try locations wherever I wanted.  The wedding was at the High Ground, one of the nicest outdoor places around.  Partly cloudy day, so light was very good and it was later in the afternoon.  I shot around 700 images, so the past 2 mornings I've been editing them down.  Next on the work flow is a slide show which I'll get onto a dvd for them.  As always, you miss some shots, focus might be off by a tick, but more often than not, there are nice surprises when I downloaded and viewed them.
What follows are some of my favorites.

Heather and the flowergirl before the wedding.

Heather commented about how nervous she was and how slowly the clock moved as she waited for the guests to arrive.  Window light can be so great sometimes.

I find the lighting at wedding dances is so difficult to deal with.  The 50D has better low light control, but still it's dark in those halls.  I like the "slow sync" flash for dances-gives a lot of feeling of action-and all artsy-like.  Clint and Heather slipped out for a slow dance, and I noticed the candles behind them.  A couple quick shots with the lens stopped down worked well-I love this shot.

I loved their expressions-they were a couple that truly enjoyed the reception and this day.

The family and wedding party pictures were finished at the High Ground and we were all walking to depart, when Clint needed to catch his father-I quick shot this and it reminded me of some kind of stock wedding photo you find in those picture frames. ;)  It was hard to not take a great shot of these two.  Congratulations!