The day after we came back from our jaunt to Monterey I spent editing negatives I had processed while I was there. I scanned them and imported them into Lightroom. The film was Lomography’s Metropolis in 35mm, and I found it interesting to use, rather enjoying the colors it produces. Chances are I will order some more. For the most part, I did little editing in post as I liked what i saw, but a few had weird schmutz on them, probably bubbles that got trapped as the film was developed. Spot removal!
The process of editing images makes me look at them more closely. I worked hard to make some good pictures, and overall I was pleased with the roll. After a day of gardening and cleaning and just organizing life after the chaos of 4 days away, I sat down and just blobbed by watching various YouTube videos. They all seemed to be ones on photography. They included Ted Forbes’ channel and his “assignment” of a month using one lens length. I also watched Frederik Trovatten’s “Shoot Like . . .” series on Vivan Maier, Robert Frank, and Joel Meyerowitz. Totally by accident I came across a video about the Japanese photographer Miyako Ishiuchi.
Up front, I have never really “gotten” photography as an artform for myself. Watching Ishiuchi, I did. She explained her first three series and it made me think about photography as a theme to express emotions by focusing on one thing. That is about as easy a way to explain it. Watching Forbes’ video on one lens length helped me focus (sorry for the pun! Not!) on emotion – which one? – and one lens. Narrowing things down here. Trovatten’s vidoes provided interesting insights on how or why or what various photographers do and did.
Creativity is something that is difficult to find at times – that is, being creative and producing an artwork that is satisfying to me on many levels. These include emotional, intellectual, and proficiency of whatever medium I am using. In general, I can take a decent photo, but I have never been what I would consider to be a creative photographer. I don’t set up still lives or seek out a theme to explore. I like the technical things, such as exposure factors and what I want to see in an image, but I don’t “do” a series of anything. I love landscapes, but the heat limits my wanderings. The pandemic curtails too much travel or traveling with a chauffeur to do a safari.
Yesterday’s video watching pulled a lot of things together for me in the area of making photos. Theme, single lens length, mastery. While I plan to continue to try my daily painting, I am also going to begin a month-long study of image making with a single lens length. The lens will be a 35mm. The Fuji X100V is a fixed lens length at 23mm and a 1.5 crop factor, equating 35mm. I have a 35mm series E lens for my Nikon film cameras. It will also work on my Nikon Df full frame. There is a lot of choice here with what I have. The theme that catches me the most is one that has intrigued me the most over the past several months: my neighborhood at night.
I live in the suburbs. It is a nice neighborhood with nice people, curving streets, greenery, a park with a creek. Nearby is a college. A small strip mall is within walking distance. I consider all these to be within the parameters of My Neighborhood.
I went out last night with this thought in mind, using the X100V, iso set at its highest and the rest on automatic. Everything was done handheld. I will need a tripod. I will need to use flash at times. This will be a great way to dig into the menus of the X00V as well as learn how to use it on a deeper level. And I will need to dig out a tripod and a shutter release cable. These same things will need to be applied to my film cameras and other digital critters.
So begins The Neighborhood at Night.
Ink, Yarn & Beer 
Oh my gosh -N, you are definitely an artist when you do photography. You incorporate your painting knowledge and creativity into your images! Have fun with your one lens challenge.
try these, exccellent for creative photography.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_43mQmHwHPTBBqImFrWU3Q
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrCj4BerLCMsHV3QT6OBB_A
That’s a great idea for a theme! It will certainly be challenging. I can’t wait to see what you create!
I am always impressed that, regardless of the medium, you shoot for mastery. Admirable.
Love your work and the way you share your knowledge! Thank you, Naomi!
I left a comment here, where is it? Check your spam missis.
35mm is a brilliant choice. It was always my favorite when I shot 35mm film. And you are more creative than you think!
Thanks, K! I think what I really am looking for is a better connection to photography on a deeper level. I have that with painting, but as the two are very different. There is a gulf there that I would like to cross to find a better connection. It’s my typical mental dilemma about stuff!
Thanks, Fabio. However, putting knowledge to work creatively and purposefully is a challenge.
Thanks, AV. Mastery, though, may be only technical for me on many levels. What I am looking for is that connection that drives me to do it, not just doing it to achieve mastery, if that makes sense.!
Tokens of Companionship – a theme does help make for a focus. We’ll see what happens. 😉
Thanks for the links, Fraggy. I follow Sean Tucker on YouTube and really like his work and approach. I’ll look at him more deeply. I have never seen the videos by Craft and Vision, but will put them on my “to view” list. Let’s see how this whole thing goes.
Fraggy – I did get your links, just been busy and away from the computer making messes in the kitchen. As mentioned in my reply to your earlier post, with links, I follows Sean Tucker and like his work a great deal and his videos; Craft and Vision is a new one to me and on my “to view” list.
Thanks, Anne! Inside looking out is a very different one than the outside looking in viewpoint. I am sure you know what I mean. Thanks for the kind words. Let’s see where this goes.
I think the answer to that comes with its constant practice. What do they say, “10,000 hours?” Until it is another language–and you can use it to express yourself, without fighting the medium.
AV – I agree. Mastery, time, effort, grace.