Why all the fuss? For most of us, it’s not that big of a deal ... we grab our camera, turn it on, point at our subject and shoot. Pretty simple right? But if modern photography is that simple, and people are really so happy, then why all the photography books, classes, workshops and seminars? Why then, in a world were technological advancements have made capturing an image easier than making a cup of coffee, do we still want more? The answer is simple: pride. We’re missing it ... and we have to get it back.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

An artistic heart in focus


Image by
Dorothy Combs
IFLC member

It is still about the light. My eye catches something that looks
interesting to me, and it usually is about shapes created with light
and shadow. I want to catch that with my camera. If I look there are
bits and pieces of photographs everywhere. Not everything I take is
worth a second look. But sometimes what I saw...what drew me to just
that scene comes through and I want to show it to others.

In the Botanical Garden at Balboa Park, I saw an interesting
plant...or flower...I don't know what it is. The sunlight was shining
down creating shadows and splashes of bright color. We were doing bw
but I knew that this one was going to be color. I took a few photos
and then the sun slowly moved to light up the edges of a greenish leaf
with a bright red rim. I had to capture that. I snapped away and was
lucky to get one that I liked...I was not using auto focus and with my
eyesight getting a clear photo is sometimes a problem.
Then the sun moved a bit and the light no longer fell just right to
illuminate the leaf edge. Still I had captured a moment in time that
may not ever be there again. I haven't gotten to where I can easily
set up lights and create my own scenes though I have done so. I don't
usually see in my mind what I want to photograph before the fact and
when I do I am often not all that happy with the results. I may get
there someday...

A child's smile, a certain rose, the light falling on a leaf, we can
find these again but maybe not quite like the first time. If I have a
passion with this thing called photography it is capturing the light
and a moment in time.

Dorothy

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