Aspirational Photographs

There are photographs we admire and respect, but not love. There are pictures we love because of the subject or the light or maybe there’s no good reason. At least not one we can identify. Most often it’s about how an image makes us feel that determines its worth. This of course is subjective and individual. The beauty of art.

When I come across a picture I love, I bookmark the artist’s website and save it in a folder I call, Favorite Photographers. This folder is a fountain of inspiration—a place I return to time and time again. Sometimes I study an image that speaks to me. Like this one by India Hobson. I try to discern what it is about the image that aligns with my own style. Or what it is about the image that makes me want to branch out and try something different. I think of this as slow seeing. This strategy opens my view and gives me something to strive toward.

This picture isn’t nearly as good as the inspiration photo from India Hobson. But it’s on the way toward that kind of photograph where landscape and space are the main subjects.

Standing Still

"Let me keep my mind on what matters, which is my work, which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished."
—The Messenger by Mary Oliver

Tight Cuts

Once in a while I take a photo that ends up surprising me. The second photo in this collection drew my eye as a beautiful reflection in a large puddle along a quiet street. We needed the rain and the morning after was a crisp, nearly fall day. It wasn’t until I received the film scan and began a simple edit that the hidden shape became visible. The puddle looks like the profile of a person where the mouth is exhaling a puffy white cloud, like a breath of fresh air. It feels like a sign, and I’m paying attention.

A Challenging Week of Photography

Not every picture is a hit. And with film, there is nowhere to hide. Sixteen pictures on a roll. There are lots of days with harsh light or gray skies. Pictures that are near misses because of technical issues or poor composition. Days when I cannot seem to see anything new. Instead of fighting these days, I rest in the comfort of practice. Lift the camera to my eye, see with care, and press the shutter. Every single time it feels good—even when the pictures are simple snapshots.