Sunday, January 15, 2012

A familiar subject

Our assignment today at Starting the Journey was to take a bunch of photographs of something we're very familiar with as a subject. For me that has got to be flowers.  I adore taking photographs of flowers, especially with the macro lens and the sun shining through the petals.  But it's January and there aren't that many flowers blooming in Canada in January--even in Victoria.  However just the other day while picking up a coffee at one of my favorite spots I'd noticed some Hellebore blooming in a pot.  So this morning I headed over there with my camera.  
Kat's instructions were to take about 50 photographs of the same subject.  In fact I took three times that many. And I could have taken more. Now it's not unusual for me to take multiple images of something that catches my eye. But usually I stop at around 20. Maybe because I feel kind of stupid moving around the same thing clicking and clicking and clicking.  




It was a very interesting process to just keep on taking pictures this  morning.  I started out at a distance and moved in closer and closer.  After about 50 photos my fingers were freezing so I headed into the coffee shop to warm up with a latte.

It was when I went back out that the magic started.  For one thing the light was lovely.  The air was clear and the sun was gleaming through the petals.  Without a thought for the people passing me as they went in and out of the coffee shop I was circling the pot of flowers, looking from all angles, bending down and pointing the camera up at the sky.   I found angles and closeups that I never found before.







I did lose track of time.  And before I knew it I'd taken another 105 photographs.   And if my fingers weren't so cold I would have stayed and taken more.


So I headed home and put them up on my computer.  Lots of them were boring, or duplicated, or out of focus.  I spent most of the afternoon winnowing through the images; probably about three hours or more reviewing them, cropping them, intensifying the contrast or the saturation.  It takes time to go through 155 images.  Most of the successful ones were from the second half of my photo session.

I tried to narrow it down to two or three but I ended up with these five.  The thing I really learned from this process was that I could take photographs of this one pot of flowers for maybe a week or two.  Or maybe a year even.  There's something that happens when I come right into the vibration of the flower.  It's almost as it I become one with it.  I want to capture its essence, its energy, and I feel a push to keep trying until I get it.  Until I distill it into one perfect image.



I don't think I've caught it yet.  I think I'd like to go back there tomorrow and take a couple of hundred more.   Not sure if I really will though, especially if the temperatures remain below freezing.  But this was a real discovery for me.  I know and love Hellebores now in a way that I never did before.

Thank you Kat!

22 comments:

  1. Hi Joanna, Your shots of the Hellebore are just gorgeous. I love the way you have taken them from all different angles and the lighting is just beautiful. The way you have captured specific details in that first shot is really so well-framed.

    I love the movement in the second shot as all the focus is on the little green tip and the harmonious upward slope with perfect colour detail of the green and the red. I think this one is my favourite because of its simplicity and harmony.

    The third shot is great with those little raised tips being the stars of the show! I like the way you have cropped this one to give certain things definition.

    The stamens in the fourth picture are just beautiful and I notice an interesting little bug in the centre of the last photo!

    A lovely series! It was certainly worth getting cold hands for!

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    1. Hi Zinna, thank you for taking the time to give such a detailed response. I just saw your images of the Amaryllis and I'm blown away.

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  2. Sound like you got out of the session exactly what Kat was expecting of us all! Your shots are stunning!Great job!

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  3. Fabulous visual of today's lesson! In viewing these images you have shown me what it means to really view an object from ALL angles - and I also enjoy how the light is used to convey emotion. It seems that the last picture uses the light to gently nudge the flower awake - while the flower in the third picture is wide awake and stretching its petals, so to speak. And I absolutely love the use of shallow depth of field in the second photo.

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    1. Hi Molly, thank you for your description of the light nudging the flower awake. It describes what I felt about that image but couldn't put into words. Isn't this a wonderful place to exchange thoughts?

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  4. What a wonderful post! I love how you summarized the experience in both words and pictures. This resonated with me: "There's something that happens when I come right into the vibration of the flower." That is the connection with the subject, and your heart, that make the images just sing. You really did show how much there is to find in one subject, and when you continue to look and change your perspective there are so many different ways to photograph one subject. I've also found something similar to what you noticed with the second part of the session - I have a warm up period, and I have to get myself past that to get into truly creative seeing. Thank you for diving in and completing the exercise, and sharing your experience!

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  5. Wonderful detail on these photos. I am like you, I could take a thousand and always want to take another :)

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  6. So glad you enjoyed yourself while you were out taking photos! I love the macro shots you took and I loved reading about your experience!

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  7. Wonderful photos. I like the way you were able to see something new as you went along.

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  8. Lovely. I'm going to have to try this. Take 50 photos of something.

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  9. How lucky to find a flower outside. So many of us love taking photos of them.
    Your photographs are beautiful. I can't pick a favorite - I like them all, and appreciate the sunlight and the shadows.

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    1. Hi Phyllis, yes we are lucky here as our winter is quite moderate. But the day after I took these a snowstorm began. Things would look quite different now.

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  10. Very beautiful images, my favorites are 2,3&4. Love all the different perspectives you have shown & a great post to go along with them !

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  11. Thank you all for your comments. I've been enjoying visiting all of your sites and seeing your responses and your familiar subject photos. How wonderful that we're on this journey together.

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  12. It's amazing that these shots were all from one plant! They are so different, simply because of the angle and the sun and what you chose to focus on. I learned a lot just looking at your photos! I love when you said "I know and love Hellebores in a way I never did before". That's something to think about. Taking photos this way really helps us to connect with our world, doesn't it?

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    1. Hi Kathy, thanks for your comments. As you say, going deep into photographing one subject is a way of truly connecting with it. By the way, I just visited your blog and am so impressed at your self portraits. You are brave to be doing this course and the 52 images one as well. Self portraits are something I've not yet considered. Maybe down the line. Are you also going to do the next part of Kat's Find Your Eye?
      Joanna

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  13. Such lovely photos Joanna! The first one has such a wonderful light enhancement! I love how you describe your "feelings" when you photographed, about "coming into the vibration" of the flower. That is something I would like to experience, and I have noticed several ladies in this group talking about that. I've learned from your work and photos new perceptions about this hobby. I'm so glad we had this opportunity to share. It's interesting to see how we connect with our interest.

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    1. Hi Beverly,
      I used to spend some time drawing flowers and it's kind of the same thing with a camera but doesn't take as long. I feel that I become one with the flower. It's a powerful connection.

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  14. I really love your very first shot - the angle and light are very nice. I also like to take macro shots of flowers - the trouble is I don't know when to stop. Always aiming to get a better shot. I liked your story about taking your pictures too. I always feel very self conscious taking pictures when people are milling around. I'll just have to get over that. :))

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    1. Hi Ellie,
      I don't think there is a time to stop as long as you're still involved. I guess when your SD card is full or your camera battery runs down! (lol!) It was interesting how I forgot about the people milling around when I got so involved. I guess that's what they call being in the flow.
      Joanna

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  15. What stunning images and a wonderful post (as usual). I especially liked that first shot - the forms have become almost abstracted but it's still recognizable as a plant - it feels as though the world has dropped away and I'm sharing a quiet intimate moment with it. And the third image too, as I've got a particular fondness for stamens/pistils and certain kinds of white flowers. I also ended up taking 150 photos and could have gone happily farther. I hope you'll be continuing with the course in the Febraury session so I can keep seeing more of your photos.

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    1. Hi Dianne,
      Thanks for your comments. I love that you feel you're sharing a quiet moment with the flower. Isn't it great to hone right in and keep taking photos? I am registered for the next part of the course and look forward to sharing the journey with you.
      Joanna

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