Today’s Inspiration is Photography. In this, as in most things, I am an autodidact. My training consists of taking lots of photos, in a multitude of situations, using varying degrees of technology, and learning from them all. I do a lot of editing, separating the wheat from the chaff, and it’s safe to say that easily accessible digital technology has been a game changer for myself and myriad other artists.
I practice photography several different ways. I have a Canon DSL camera and some good lenses that I use to take the studio portraits of my finished work. It was a steep learning curve, but I now produce photos I can use for my website, exhibit entries, and magazine submissions.
I also have a Sony cyber-shot that I use to take a lot of the in-progress photos of my work that find their way into my blogposts.
But by far the camera I use the most is the one in my iPhone. It’s always handy, and takes very good pictures. There are a wealth of apps you can use to customize the way you take photos—I currently favor Camera+ and ProCamera—and how you edit them—Snapseed is my favorite.
A few years ago I began experimenting with attachable lenses for my phone, first a Diffcase set, and currently an Olloclip. They have allowed me to explore the intricacies of the macro world, and the distortions of the fisheye view.
I take my (almost) daily photos with my phone to train my eye. Some of the imagery may show up in my work, but I mainly use it to remind myself to be present in the moment and look around at the world. I also enjoying sharing them on my Flickr feed, as well as Twitter and Facebook. I can’t solve all the problems of the world, but I can put a spot of beauty out there each day.
At the other end of the photo technology scale is my work with cyanotype. It is one of the oldest forms of imagery, discovered in 1842. You can read the history here on Blueprints on Fabric, where I order my pre-treated fabric (no affiliation, except as a satisfied customer). Despite, or perhaps because of, its simplicity and direct application, I find it to be a fresh and exciting art form, and I use it extensively in my work.
I discuss using photos as inspiration with Susan Brubaker Knapp in a one of the episodes on the Quilting Arts TV DVD Susan also uses photography in her artistic life and in her work, with beautiful results.
Read more about it, including the PBS schedule, on the Quilting Arts TV Website
Tomorrow’s featured blogger: July 25: Susan Brubaker Knapp (bluemoonriver.blogspot.com)
Up next: Travel
1 comment:
Your continued growth as a photographer, both with the macro shots and the great photos of your work inspires me to keep on taking the DSL out to photo the skies, the mountains, the trees, flowers and birds. It is for me as well a steep learning curve and your successes have prodded me to stick with the camera. I do not have a phone camera yet the DSL is handy to use when I hear a bird call in my yard..or when I see an amazing color developing in the skies. Thanks for presenting such beautiful work to show what you are seeing and creating for it is truly a gift for your readers.
Post a Comment