Monte Stevens recently made a post on his blog titled “Seeing Shadows.” The comments indicated a general affinity for shadows and I am also a fan. About the same time Monte made that post I was making these photos, unbeknownst to each other. Within a few days, anyway.
I wish to suggest that we may be known as Shadow Geeks.
I thought I would try something a little different for this post. I don’t usually post a bunch of photos on my blog, but there’s no reason why I shouldn’t. These were taken Friday morning while wandering around downtown Charlotte with my Canon G12. I sure have a lot of fun with that little camera.
In my last post I ruminated on the fact that the weather over the past few weeks had been “too perfect” and as a result I was having trouble getting motivated creatively. Well, as if on cue, like someone was telling me to be careful what I wished for, this past weekend…We Got Weather.
We often have a tough time deciding whether to get up early and hope for a good sunrise or just head someplace we want to shoot in nice light. That decision can be especially difficult in the fall because often the places for good color and the places for sunrise are mutually exclusive. We were in Cherokee, planning to shoot color in the lower elevations of the Smokies, especially in the Deep Creek area which is one of our favorite places. It’s generally quiet and out of the way this time of year since the water is too cold for the tubers and the outfitters have closed for the season.
The weather on Friday was rainy, and the forecast for Saturday called for clearing in the morning, followed by partly cloudy in the late morning and rest of the weekend. Hearing a perfect recipe for a possible “clearing winter storm” scenario we headed to Clingman’s Dome hoping for a good sunrise. On our way up 441 we could actually see stars in places, but at about the Kephart Prong parking area we started to see snowflakes. By the time we got to the Deep Creek Valley overlook it was snowing hard. Luftee Overlook was snowing and socked in, so we headed on up the road to the “Dome.”
Clingman’s Dome Road was getting snow covered in a hurry, but it wasn’t accumulating too much at that point, but the higher we got the more snow we saw. At the parking area the thermometer in the car said that it was 26 degrees. The wind was howling, snow was blowing across the pavement and visibility was about 20 feet. We pulled along the curb figuring that we might as well wait and see what happened, even though I don’t think I could have opened my car door with the wind. As we sat there several other cars pulled in, but most of them just kept going, heading back down the mountain. There were a few cars parked, but most of them looked like they had been there overnight.
About 7:30 a snowplow came into the lot. I figured he was checking out the road and would be back around in a minute or two. After about 5 minutes the plow pulled up next to my car, the driver got out and came over to our car and said “I’m heading down to close the road.” I said, “OK.” He evidently wasn’t satisfied with my answer so he said, “If you leave now I’ll make sure you get down OK.” I said, “OK.” He evidently wasn’t sure I got it so then he asked , “So are you coming?” To which I replied, “YEAH!” No stupid tourists in THIS car!
We drove down to Newfound Gap to use the restroom and could barely walk in some places because it was so slippery. But the roads were generally OK so we drove down to Luftee Overlook, hoping it would be a little more sheltered there, which it was. The weather never really cleared though, so we headed a little lower until we finally got to some overlooks where we could see. And what a sight! It was still really windy, but the snow on the mountainsides along with the fall color was amazing! I hope I made a few photographs that do it justice, but for a guy who doesn’t get to see much snow any more this was a lot of fun.
The rest of the weekend was back to more sun and blue sky, but you won’t hear me complaining!
November is a time of transition. Here in the Southeast fall hangs on for another few weeks, sometimes until Thanksgiving. We’ve already seen our first snowfall in the mountains, and I know a lot of my friends Up North have had a lot more. Like October, November can be a month of color, but as the color recedes from the landscape it is often found in the sky. Clear days and nights lead to an often monochrome but very colorful sky. Enjoy it while it lasts, because soon Winter will be here, in whatever form it takes where you are.
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On a somewhat related note, a plea for feedback. Kirk Tuck recently posted a great article on The Online Photographer about “What I learned when I stopped writing a photo blog.” In it he discusses, among other things, the value of comments from the “silent majority.” I get a number of comments from a few regular visitors, but I know from my stats that a lot more people follow my work. A few of you may even like my work! So feel free to comment, to tell me you like something, ask me a question or suggest I keep my Day Job. I don’t write for comments or for money, I do it because I enjoy it. But it’s nice to hear from people now and again. So don’t be shy! And I promise to do my part as well, to keep writing what I write. If something moves you, feel free to let me know in the comments. Thanks!
Several years ago, a well-known car rental company described how much better they were than the competition by using the line, “There’s Us, and There’s Not Exactly.” We’ve used that line over the years to describe things that almost but not quite measure up to our hopes or expecations and feel like it aptly describes our last several weekends. We’ve had a lot of fun but somehow it seems like this year – at least from a creative standpoint – we’ve been coming up a little short.
But I’m not complaining! We just completed our third of four weekends chasing fall color. We’ve had a great time, I’ve gotten some good photos and overall it has been a great adventure, but we were talking on the drive home yesterday about some of the ups and downs of our recent weekends. Overall we’ve enjoyed ourselves, but haven’t come across that “Wow!” moment that can make a trip memorable, or that situation that makes you look back and think, “Man, I’m glad we were here!” Sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t. But that’s what keeps us coming back.
Several of my co-workers frequently ask me on Monday mornings how my weekend was. They know we’ve been on the go and claim to travel vicariously through our trips. We have had “Chamber of Commerce Weather” for three weekends in a row, and while that is great for tourists it is a challenge for photography. And I really sound silly complaining about beautiful weather! It’s not that you can’t make good photographs on sunny blue-sky days, but it can be a real challenge between morning and afternoon “prime time” when the light gets harsh. You can only photograph so many backlit leaves against a blue sky or so many sunstars, and I’ve done my share! From a standpoint of enjoying our travels it has been great, but a few clouds here and there would be nice, thank you very much.
If someone would have asked me to give odds on 3 cloudless weekends in a row I would have had to say they would be very low. So what do we do? A little sightseeing, lunch at a new restaurant, a hike or maybe even a nap. We never lack for something to do, it just doesn’t always involve a camera.
We typically like to maximize our time in the mountains in the fall, and most years we have either just taken a whole week off work or have taken every Friday or every Monday off, but this year we’ve used up just about all our vacation time and have had to limit our travel to the weekends, leaving town after work on Fridays and essentially just having all day Saturday and Sunday morning to get our shooting in. Having fewer chances at the good light has limited our opportunities and our variety.
In addition, we simply don’t have an interest in the all-day photography “death march” so we build in time for other activities such as sightseeing and nice dinners. The great thing about this time of year is that the more civilized sunrise and sunset times allow us to get a little more sleep in the morning and plenty of time for a nice dinner in the evening, but there is still only so much we can do! We hope to get back to our usual habits next year. I’m looking forward to a few more vacation days – a privilege of my tenure!
With the exception of a fabulous show around Grandfather Mountain a few weeks ago, color overall has been spotty and in many places very muted. It seems like elevation and orientation have been even more of a factor than usual this year, and we’ve been hard pressed to find the kinds of color displays we like to see. A lot of this is a matter of being in the right place at the right time, and we tend to pick a destination and work it, for better or for worse. We prefer to work a smaller geographic area rather than spend a lot of time driving around chasing color, so combined with limited time that sometimes makes it tough to find the right mix. We’ve found some pretty nice color though.
I’ve been pondering the “What Do I Want To Be When I Grow Up?” question for some time, and it sometimes rears its ugly head when I am out trying to find something to shoot. I have traditionally been a Grand Scenic sort of guy but have recently been delving into the Mindful-Thinking-Intimate-Scenic realm and sometimes get myself confused. Give me some trees and a little fog and I’m in heaven. Big puffy clouds, sunbeams and a hillside covered with color and I’m in business. Harsh, cloudless blue skies and Houston We’ve Got A Problem. I’m exaggerating of course, but you get the idea.
Again, this is not to imply that I’m struggling, because I’m not. We’re having a great time traveling and enjoying our time in the mountains. I do get a bit discouraged, but it’s primarily due to the fact that I’ve not always been able to find something to put my personal “stamp” on.
Fortunately we don’t have a strict definition for what constitutes a “successful” weekend, and we certainly don’t measure productivity based on how many photos we take or how many “keepers” we get. Any weekend not spent at work or doing household chores is a good one, and if we get to spend some time enjoying beautiful scenery, having a nice meal or two and generally spending some quality time together, that sounds like success to me. And if I come home with a few decent photographs that is just icing on the proverbial cake!
Canon announced a new flagship camera yesterday, and immediately thereafter began the inevitable commentary about theoretical image quality. I find it amusing that there are so many people who find it necessary to speculate about the pros and cons of a newly-announced camera based on spec charts and such things as pixel density, photosite size, processor speed, number of focus points, etc. Why is this?
I suppose it is because there are just a lot of people out there whose interest in photography is rooted deeply in the gear, and pouring over things like MTF charts gives them something to do. The tech stuff excites them. They enjoy speculating about the next Canikonujilympus and their theoretical pros and cons and imagined image quality. Fuji recently announced a new camera that was immediately met with comments denouncing it’s smaller sensor as though there was no possible way it could take a decent photograph. But no one had actually used one to take a photograph!
I’m very interested in this new Canon camera. It would be an excellent upgrade from the cameras I currently use. But it’s a lot of money, heavy as heck, and frankly I’m just not convinced it would improve my photography. The weak link is still the operator! The cameras I currently use still work and still take pretty good photographs, and I’m not anxious to part with that kind of money just to have something new. I’m sure it will be a great camera, but I don’t need to be first in line, if I even decide to get in line.
Lately I’ve been seriously considering moving to a smaller camera just so I don’t have so much stuff to carry around. I’m thinking that smaller may be the way to go, and while I am very interested in the trend toward smaller, mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, I’m content to see what develops over the coming months. Maybe something will come along that catches my eye. And maybe not. If I end up using my “obsolete” cameras for another year or two I don’t think my photography will suffer. But I’ll be out there taking actual photographs, not sitting in front of my computer analyzing camera specs!
Whatever comes along you can bet I won’t be standing in line for one until I see some actual photographs. Or I might be in the market for somebody’s used 1Ds Mark III.
Kathy & I spent this past weekend on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the first of several weekends planned around fall color. We spent most of our time on the section of the Parkway between Linville Falls and Craggy Gardens, knowing that early in the season the higher elevations would be the place for color. It’s always interesting to see how the color starts and progresses as the season comes and goes. The show generally begins at higher elevations, but climate and orientation to the sun & winds play an important role. As the color change progresses, areas farther South and with lower elevation will soon join in the show. It’s all very “scientrific” as my kids liked (and still like) to say.
Fall is a wonderful time of year for photography, but for me, Fall is also a difficult time to get in the groove and photograph creatively because of the temptation to point the camera at the color just because it is so beautiful. But it is important to remember that color in and of itself is not necessarily going to make a good photograph. Composition, light and weather all need to come together to make a compelling photograph regardless of the time of year. Of course, the lower sun angle, crystal clear air and blue sky can often combine to provide some wonderful ingredients.
As we traveled around I looked out over some of the scenes and decided that, while the color was certainly beautiful, the conditions often were just not conducive to making the kind of photographs I like to make. “Color” as a subject is very difficult to pull off. Many of the scenes, if viewed just a few months ago when everything was green, would have been just as beautiful but for a lot of people – photographers and non-photographers alike – would not have been something to get out of the car for.
Fall is also a difficult time for photography because it is such a popular time for travel and things can get busy. Fortunately, most of the good light happens before the throngs arrive and well after they have retreated to the comfort of their buffet dinner. But every time we pulled into an overlook, or sometimes just pulled off the side of the road for a shot, there would be at least one car – often several cars – that would stop right beside me or pull off in front or behind me to see what I was shooting. And of course they get out of the car, try to make small talk, and usually end up asking me to take their picture. Fortunately Kathy handles that business, since I usually just ignore them. She’s a lot nicer about it than I would be.
Sunday we got an early start and spent most of the morning at a nice quiet little spot along the Linville River near Linville Falls. We weren’t too far from the Parkway and could hear the traffic, but in the 2 hours or so we were there I think we only saw about 6 cars. We needed to get back to civilization early so a little after noon we decided to drive toward Blowing Rock, which took us past Grandfather Mountain. What a mess! People were lined up to get into overlooks, parked on the grass and just stopping in the middle of the road to take a picture. It was absolute mayhem, and certainly not a place I wanted to stop and take pictures! We ducked into the picnic area near Price Lake to use the rest room, but decided we had had enough and headed for the nearest exit.
In his most recent e-book “The Inspired Eye 3,” David duChemin discusses the role of solitude in the creative process. Among other points, he states that “if there is one thing we’re in need of as creatives in an increasingly noisy and chaotic world, it is solitude.” I know some people thrive on camaraderie and social interaction when they photograph. Not me. For the kind of photography I do I prefer to be by myself or with a small group of like-minded photographers. I’m not going to find my creative voice at an overlook with dozens of cell phone camera wielding tourists looking over my shoulder and jockeying for position. If that means I don’t come home with photographs from that overlook, so be it. They wouldn’t have been “my” photographs anyway, and any photographs I did take that reflected my mood at the time would certainly not be anything I’d want to share!
This past weekend was the latest of many where I have tried to find my own images in a world filled with many potential subjects. I learned a lot about how and where to find my place. Learning how to weed through the noise, distractions and mayhem is a difficult part of the process but necessary in order for me to successfully make photographs that reflect my vision. I’m looking forward to the next weekend!
I’m finishing up a long-overdue read of Alain Briot’s book “Mastering Landscape Photography.” It’s a very good book but one I never got around to buying until recently, when he made his 3 books available as e-books. Click here for information on buying your own. Needless to say, I am really liking e-books.
One of the sections of the book I found most interesting was the section titled “How to Establish a Personal Photographic Style.” I find that subject interesting because it is a subject I have thought about and struggled with for quite some time. I struggle not so much about whether or not I have a personal style, but rather about whether a personal style can be “developed” or whether it just “is.” Briot’s second book in the series, and the one I will read next, is titled “Mastering Composition, Creativity and Personal Style.” I can only assume he goes into more detail in that book and I am looking forward to reading it.
The thing that I find most fascinating about the discussion of personal style is that it almost always seems to take the approach that style is something you can influence consciously, as suggested by the various terms: words like develop, master, enhance, define, improve and discover are often used. But so far I haven’t been convinced that that’s the case. I agree that someone’s personal style can be influenced by things like looking at other people’s work, learning about the expressive and artistic approaches to creativity or by expressing emotional content in our work. For me though, personal style is what results from the way I see, the way I feel and the stories I want to tell.
A lot of photographers create very identifiable photographs. It surprises me how often I look at a photograph on a website or in a magazine and know whose it is. The work that has the most impact (to me) is the work where the composition, lighting, and emotion define the “look” of a photograph. Michael Kenna, John Sexton, Galen Rowell, Annie Leibovitz have very identifiable personal styles. Closer to home, I can often identify a Kevin Adams image in a heartbeat. The same is true with Bill Lea, Don McGowan or Les Saucier. That is partly because I am familiar with their work but also because they each have a style that I recognize. This is not a rare occurrence either. I have a number of other friends – far less famous but still excellent photographers – whose work I can easily identify.
Can personal style be a result of software or processing? I suppose so, but while others will certainly disagree I’m not entirely convinced that software alone can make a style. The underlying photograph must be compelling on its own, and the software is used as a tool to realize the photographer’s overall vision. That opinion stems from my belief that software will never make an otherwise ordinary image compelling. I’d almost be more inclined to say that software can dilute a style if not used well, although I suppose photographs that are “overdone” can still be identifiable, just not necessarily in a good way.
Can you really change or influence your personal style? That is an excellent question and the core of my exploration. If you photograph what you love or something you have an interest in, you are attracted to subjects that somehow appeal to you personally. You respond to the subject in your own way and the photographs you take reflect your reaction to whatever it was that drew you to make the photograph. Since our creativity is influenced by numerous factors, the way we photograph will naturally reflect that influence. Our reaction and how we respond to a subject is based on our true feelings and reflects everything we know and believe. And while I’m not an expert on this and am probably not explaining it adequately, it seems to me that if you try to “force the issue” by trying to take a photograph in a way that is somehow foreign or unfamiliar to you, the chances are very good that the results will reflect this and somehow appear, shall we say, insincere. The image will fail by being not genuine.
I was told a number of years ago that my own photographs were recognizable, that they had a “style” that identified them as mine. I believe that and know that to be true. But I also feel that my photography has changed since then. I don’t think I take the same photographs that I took 8 or 10 years ago. But I didn’t set out to “change” my personal style. My approach to photography has changed, my vision has evolved as a result of many influences and my photographs – I think – are different.
I have a print by Les Saucier titled “Fern Herd.” Les told me that “Fern Herd” represents a turning point in his photography, because when he made that photograph was when he recognized the importance of relationships in his photography. I’m not sure that I could point to a specific photograph of mine that represents such a turning point, but if I look at a typical “Tom Dills” photo from several years ago and compare it to a “Tom Dills” photo of today, I feel like there is a noticeable difference. Whether they are both identifiable as “mine” remains to be seen and is probably not something that I am best qualified to answer. A lot of my earlier photographs were dramatic landscapes with sunbeams and clouds and great color – “Magic Moments” if you will. Today the work that most appeals to me tends to be work that is quiet and contemplative. I still get my share of sunbeams, but I spend a lot more time looking at intimate scenes, working more with composition, relying on more intimate scenes with lines, shapes and patterns to define my work instead of wide-angle grand scenic landscapes with dramatic clouds and god-beams.
I know that my personality has changed over the last 10 or so years. I suppose that just means that I have matured, but in general I find myself more relaxed. I like to take things slow and easy. I seek peace and quiet and time to think. Is that reflected in my photography? I sometimes wonder if non-photographic influences have been more of a factor than the photographic ones. Do the dramatic scenes represent the noise, the confusion, the voices that accompany the beginning photographer, while the intimate quiet scenes reflect the confidence that comes with mastery of the medium? Or do the differences reflect my own mental state of mind over that timeframe? I don’t think I’m qualified to answer that but the question is fascinating.
Is there a conclusion to all this? I don’t think there can be. Everyone’s personal style is just that – personal. And I believe it is constantly evolving. I don’t think – at least not at this point in time – that it’s something you can think about while you are out making photographs. In fact I think if you tried it would be such a distraction that you would only get confused and frustrated. I know there are as many opinions on this as there are photographers, but I think personal style is a characteristic or result of the feelings we have combined with everything that influences us, rather than something that obviously or consciously influences our work while we are doing it. It’s a fascinating topic and one that I think is worth continued and further research.
I’m looking forward to reading that next book.
Fall is easily my favorite time of the year in North Carolina. Although Spring is also beautiful, it is somewhat more predictable than Fall, at least in terms of what you are going to get. Fall can be a bit more mercurial in terms of what colors there are and when and where to find them. Temperature, rain and wind can result in stunning displays of fall glory or can just as easily wreak havoc with nature’s display. But we’ll be there and see what gifts we find. And there will be gifts. The joy is in the looking.
Kathy & I attended a dinner the other evening and I happened to be seated next to Herb Jackson, retired Davidson College art professor and well-known artist. We spent some time chatting about what he had been doing since his retirement from the college, and the conversation at one point gravitated around to travel. He mentioned that they had recently traveled to Europe. I think he said they had gone to Italy, Romania and Switzerland…something like that. I mentioned that Kathy & I were thinking about taking a photo workshop in Italy next year. He asked me what appeal a photography workshop would have as compared to a normal tour, and I explained what appealed to us about the one we were considering, that it has a nice mix of sightseeing, culture, food & wine and photography, and that that was how we like to travel. The typical photography workshop “death march” is not for us, and that is the appeal.
Herb said that what bothered him most about traveling with a camera was that he was always afraid that if he spent a lot of time figuring out what to photograph that he wouldn’t spend any time enjoying the scenery. He said he doesn’t take a camera. As an artist he said he prefers to take in the sights, remember the visual elements that appeal to him then incorporate them into his work later, from memory. He related a story about a time when he had done video for the wedding of a friend and how when it was over and he was editing the footage he couldn’t remember the events. He was obviously there and participated, but because he was so focused on his “job” he felt that he didn’t actually partake of the event.
Kathy & I have found that a mix of sightseeing and photography is the way we like to travel. It’s very hard to find that balance, but there are times when it is appropriate to put the camera down or leave it in the car and just enjoy the moment. It’s possible – and sometimes even better – to enjoy a sunrise on the beach without a camera, sitting on the sand holding hands, than to be fussing over a camera and tripod.
Kathy likes to say that a sunset is best viewed through a wine glass. There are times that I agree. And of course there are times and places for being out with a camera. Deciding the when and where is part of what we enjoy about travel. I guess you could say that we like to photograph while we travel, rather than travel to photograph. I figure there is a sunrise and a sunset every day, there’s always a better one somewhere else and that if I miss a few in order to do something more fun or rewarding that’s OK.
Find your personal balance. Be sure to get out there and photograph, but don’t forget to enjoy the scenery while you are there!