BBQ | 03:56AM Apr 12, 2007
Thank you all so much for your kind words on my Boston series. To be honest, I really got a lot more out of those images than I had initially expected. I cannot emphasize enough how valuable a learning experience Photoshop World was for me, not only with regard to post processing, but also to shooting technique and philosophy.
Today’s image is a reflection of a philosophy I adapted from one of the all time greats, Jay Maisel- to shoot whenever and wherever the light strikes you. I took Jay’s class on light, gesture, and color. It was a fantastic experience, not only because of the ideas and techniques he shared, but also because I got an opportunity to see a great collection of his images and hear the stories behind them. For me, hearing the stories behind how photographers stumble upon their images, is much more entertaining than hearing about f-stops and shutter speeds.
Two of the greatest pieces of advice Jay shared were really quite simple. Number one: always carry a camera- not in a bag, or in the car, but with you and ready to go. That is what led to this image. Had I left the camera in the car, as I often do, I would have missed this shot. Number two: go to a location empty. What he means by this is really quite remarkable. Whether we realize it or not we all go to particular locations with pre-conceived notions about what we want to shoot. To really create unique and creative images, you need to empty your mind of those notions.
Thank you, Jay, for inspiring me to create pictures wherever and whenever the light strikes.
Today’s image is a reflection of a philosophy I adapted from one of the all time greats, Jay Maisel- to shoot whenever and wherever the light strikes you. I took Jay’s class on light, gesture, and color. It was a fantastic experience, not only because of the ideas and techniques he shared, but also because I got an opportunity to see a great collection of his images and hear the stories behind them. For me, hearing the stories behind how photographers stumble upon their images, is much more entertaining than hearing about f-stops and shutter speeds.
Two of the greatest pieces of advice Jay shared were really quite simple. Number one: always carry a camera- not in a bag, or in the car, but with you and ready to go. That is what led to this image. Had I left the camera in the car, as I often do, I would have missed this shot. Number two: go to a location empty. What he means by this is really quite remarkable. Whether we realize it or not we all go to particular locations with pre-conceived notions about what we want to shoot. To really create unique and creative images, you need to empty your mind of those notions.
Thank you, Jay, for inspiring me to create pictures wherever and whenever the light strikes.
