I’ve talked about bokeh before, so the concept shouldn’t be new for long-time readers of the blog. In fact, you may remember I’ve broached this subject several times, here, here, and here. Continue reading “The nature of bokeh”
Tag: story
The Benefits of the Back Story
We all know that our photography at its best can stand on its own – no jazzy or snazzy music, no cheesy frames or doohicky slideshows. However, some of our best (and worst) photos also come with some pretty incredible stories. Just one read through Joe McNally’s “The Moment It Clicks” will give you unique insight into how setting the stage or giving some insider perspective on a photo or body of work can both add value and meaning.
A while back, I posted a photo with the title “The Boneyard and the Back Story”. In that post, the story was in the obstacles that had to be overcome to achieve the photo. For a nostalgic look back, you can read that entire post here. Since it’s been a while, I’d like to revisit this idea of sharing more photos along with their back story with everyone.
The back story isn’t nearly as glamorous as my previous one, but telling nonetheless. While this may seem to be a pretty cool shot of a sunset in a marina area, what makes it more meaningful to me is that this was taken in South Carolina. The dichotomy? Sunset – on the east coast! Usually sunrises are associated with facing east and sunsets are facing west, so catching a shot like this at sunset in SC was particularly pleasurable.
How did it happen? Through networking of course! When I used to live in SC, a few friends and I started a photo club in the area. It became relatively successful with a peak membership of 40-50 members. It still exists today but I do not participate to the same extent that I used to. Well, a young guy joined the club as he started learning and studying landscape photography. He lived in the area near this scene and knew of it. After tracking the sunsets for some time (at least a year or so, which is impressive enough), he knew the time of year to visit and capture images much like the ne above. Not only did he share this knowledge willingly, but he also invited me to go capture the scene with him one evening.
From my perspective, it was a successful shoot! But, what about the rest of the audience? Does it work for you? What about your own photos and back stories? Feel free to share links to images and your own stories with the blog either in the comments or with me via email. Don’t have any yet? Then make that your next assignment – go in search of a photo and journal the back story! In the meantime, happy shooting (and story making!)! We’ll see you again tomorrow. Don’t forget the September Giveaway with that huge prize package of the Thinktank Photo bag System and Topaz Labs Plugin Collection. The Flickr thread is open and ready for business!
Pick a theme – tell a story
When working on capturing your own creative vision, here’s another useful tip in getting the most out of your work – pick a theme when looking for creative inspiration. A theme can be a useful cornerstone or building block which you can use as a springboard to get started on projects.
The reason why themes are such useful tools is because this can also give you the basis for telling a story, which is a commonality of many powerful and evocative works, whether that story is natural beauty (landscapes), urban decay (architecture), romantic moments (wedding photography), etc.
I’ve put together a short list of a couple great starting points for themes to tell your creative stories:
- Laughter
- Faces
- Circles
- Skies
- Glass
- Fences
- Freedom
Any themes that catch your eye – give you a creative idea? What about other ideas or themes? I’d love to hear your ideas, so feel free to share them in the comment section, or via email. You can reach me, as always, at jason <AT> canonblogger <DOT> com. Happy shooting everyone! Don’t forget the August contest to win a Wacom Bamboo fun is underway – with the Flickr thread up and running here: Win a Wacom! Now, to kick start the weekend… a little WTD humor:
We’ll see you back here on Monday!
Ta da!!!
As I move forward on getting the administrative features under control, a few posts are necessary to set up the blog and get the look and feel down to where I like it. As a one-man operation, this may take some time so please be patient. First, an introduction and a little background on who I am, what the blog is, and where it may go…
My name is Jason Anderson and I am an IT professional working in the (currently) very hot and humid state of South Carolina. With Charleston as the largest recognizable community nearby, you could call me a “Lowcountry Resident.” Since the IT industry is not prone to a lot of creative expression, I have endeavored to find creative venues to express myself, and to find others like me that share a passion for both logic, and…well, passion!
This web log is the conclusion of the realization that I needed a venue to express and share personal thoughts, ideas, and experiences with the online community. Most often, this will be photographic in nature. However, I may occasionally wax philosophic, plug sites I find interesting, and sometimes simply offer viewers and readers the mumblings and ramblings of an IT pro as I weave my way through a decidedly creative and sometimes less-than-logical world of artistic expression!