Focusing

Once again i hit a wall. I am tired of feeling like i am taking the images i am because of what others are telling me in my critiques as opposed to what i am actually looking for. Every time i do this i go shot and come back with a bunch of images that i hate and feel no connection to because i am not doing them for me. I think i have finally come to the realization that just because i haven't quite gotten what i want to out of the images i am producing it doesn't mean i need to completely revamp my concept. I like my concept, i want to sick with my concept. I am curious about the details in the objects that surround me on a day to day basis. I want to explore them and look at them in new ways. I enjoy pointing out the beautiful details on objects that people might consider "ugly" or "boring" and using my camera to show them in a new and interesting and beautiful way. Thanks to both David and Janie i can now see that i am simply not accurately showing the viewer this. My passion for this ideas needs to come across to the viewer and at this point i'm not quite pushing it far enough to do so. Because i am using very short depth of field i have now come to realize that what is in focus need to be the most important thing and the images, shapes, forms etc that surround that tiny bit of clear information all needs to work to support it. I need to start being more aware on my picture frame and examine every aspect of what i am capturing and how i am doing so.

Today i spent some time looking at the images of both Keith Carter and Terri Weifenbach and i think it helped me a lot to see that my concept can be solid, i just need to get it to that point by pushing it a little further, being keenly aware or my surroundings to find these simply subtle beautiful details and being a little more aware of exactly what i am and am not including in my images.

Here are some of the images from Carter that i found most intriguing:


"Nine Moons"


"Lemon Moon"


"Black Eye and Moon"

I think is imagery is stunning and i can really see from these images the amount of decision making that went into deciding what would be included, what would not, what would be in focus, what would be blurred, and where things fell in the images space. The only thing that was hard for me to relate to was the fact that they were shot in black and white. In this regard Weifenbach's images really helped me to get a good grasp on how to effectively use all the above mentioned techniques while ALSO being aware of the color.

Here are some of Weifenbach's images that i founds most intriguing:


"XIII"


"Secret 2"


"Secret 26"

The vivid colors that she uses in her images only helps to further focus the viewers attention on exactly what she wants them to see. I think these to artists are the most helpful when it comes to having something to strive for and i know if i just keep trying i will arrive at the standard i have set for myself. I am going to shoot more and while it is hard for me to say that i am excited due to the way things have been going thus far and can say that i am really trying my hardest to be optimistic about it.