Tag: art

Project a la Hockney

I have been playing rather seriously with photography for about ten years now, starting with digital, and then moving into film.  However, for me, there is always something missing in photography, and that simply is working with my hands.  I get rather bored, to tell the truth, of photography.  I would rather do something with it, make something with it.

Coming home from Mammoth in August, seeing the desert, made me recall two things.  One was David Hockney.  The other was his photo collage – montage – joining – whatever – of the Pear Blossom Highway.  There is just something about it I have always enjoyed.

Last weekend I decided to do something about it.  I went out to the local botanical garden and took a whole series of images, all digital, to create something similar to Hockney’s Pear Blossom Highway.  Altogether, I took enough photos for about a dozen panoramas, ranging from about 20 images to 70.  It took a few days to process the images in post, and then to create a panorama, too, just to get an idea of what the final pictures could be.

I chose three that I liked.  The pictures above are one of the three I sent to the Costco photo lab to print as 4×6 inch glossy prints.  I have no idea if Costco will stick to my colors or not – no idea!  That is part of sending them to an inexpensive photo lab.  For 112 images, I am paying less than $20.00, so that’s a pretty cheap thrill.  And, they will be ready in a couple of hours, so the fun can begin soon enough.

From all the images above, the one below is the merged pano, done in CS6, to give me a bit of a road map – like cheating on a puzzle??

cactus-collage-2

Once I get the collage done with the prints, it will be interesting to see how it actually looks, compared to a computer-merged panorama.

Surprises

Palm & Shadows

Yesterday was a nice day – trip into the San Fernando Valley and then to Glendale and Pasadena with a friend.  We visited the Norton Simon museum.  I haven’t been there in ages, and I think the last time I was there was sometime in the last century (doesn’t that sound great?)!  Walking into the galleries was like meeting up with old friends.  I caught up with Gauguin and Fragonard, to name a few, and met some new friends, too, like Georges Lacombe.

River BW

Others were out in the sculpture garden, Maillot and Moore.  In between, a strong cup of coffee with pastries and conversation, topped off with dinner and home.  I’ve forgotten how much of a wonderful experience a great museum can be!  Oh, we took some photos, too.

Woof

 

Learning to Like Photography

For me, photography has always been an interesting dichotomy or dilemma, a sort of love-hate relationship.  I enjoy looking at photographs, but as someone who has always drawn or painted, to me, photography often seemed rather pointless other than “creating memories.”  It’s the exactitude of a photo that gets me – little in the area of artistic endeavor.  However, as I have been doing it now for about five years, I am slowly changing my mind.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Let’s travel back in time.  As a kid, I had a camera, and took snaps.  I also have a handful of photos from times past, images of my family and parents and of a generation past.  There is something to be said for these pictures – a name has a face – a flavor of a time is caught.  No, these are not “art” as I think of it, but bits and pieces of the quilt which is my life and the lives of others.

2003

In my twenties, I bought a Canon A-1, thinking I’d be a hotshot photographer because I finally got a “good” camera.  Hah!  I have a number of snaps of deer butts – yes, indeed!  a fine collection!  The reason is simply because I had no education in photography or concept of construction of a photo – of waiting, of thinking, of taking the time to wait for a picture.  The cost of film processing was dreadful, and so I put away the camera until the digital age.

Cimg1481

The beauty of digital, as we all know, is the fact that film and processing costs go out the door.  A few classes helped me learn more about the camera, and soon I had a few purchases and thousands of pictures under my belt.  Truth to tell, I was – and still am – somewhat caught in a love-hate relationship with photography.

P1020742

Now I am returning to film, and finding there is something about having to wait to see my photos.  Digital has given me the opportunity to learn more about the elements of composition and how different lenses work.  There are some lenses that are my favorites, many of which are manual focus or prime digitals.  Some of my cameras I prefer more than others.  There are also software programs and plug-ins which can trigger the creative process.  Finally, it is a real pleasure to be able to scan my own analog images and play with them.  Perhaps at one point I will develop and print, but for now, that cost factor and failure factor, and the where-the-hell-will-I-put-these factor all create a “no” for now.

Mooooo (1 of 1)

I am learning to like photography more, and appreciate it as an art form.  Some of it is an appreciation for the historical.  Some of it is going out with friends and looking at what others do.  Reading about different ways to “see” helps as well – working with the rule of thirds, layering of fore-middle-back, action, direction – all these are helping me see the world around me as it happens, which is very different than creating a picture on paper wherein I am the god(dess) directing motion, movement, or whatever.

Under the Greenwood Trees

Somewhere I read one must dedicate 10,000 hours to an art to gain a modicum of mastery.  Maybe I am on my way.

Lunch Window (1 of 1)

Art & Life

Contemplation

In my more cynical moments, I am annoyed that I spend time sitting in front of a computer looking at pictures and playing with software.  Who will see them?  Does anyone care?  Even writing these words seems to be a bit of a waste of time.

Years ago, in my younger days, I aspired to be an artist.  The need to earn my keep held me back, but also fostered the question of what is the value of art?  Value implies something which can have a monetary amount attached to it, but on a deeper level it also means merit, worth, esteem and often ethics, principles, standards.  My conclusion was that if it had value to me, then it was art.  No more angst over it, and a very simple answer.

Still, life intervenes.  Things need to be done such as working, taking care of a house, paying bills.  People, too, need to be nurtured; friendships and family relationships are inherently important.  Physical, mental, and spiritual health need attention.  All of these take away from time “doing” or “making” art.  However, there is also the art of living, which is all-encompassing.

LIttle talks with myself in moments of why? are very important.  I expect most of us have these dialogs.  Our inner voices need to be heard, and sometimes the only one who can provide an answer is the voice within, from whatever it is derived.  Perspective helps; hindsight aids.

So, to answer my own question:  The value of the time I spend developing pictures is the value I place on it.  When it pales in value, my focus needs to change to something more satisfying.  Yes, life’s little chores need attending, but they are part of daily rhythms.  Questions like this may also allude to dissatisfaction with solitary activities, or one kind of activity, or sitting rather than being outdoors hiking or gardening or seeing new things or meeting up with friends and family.

Regroup, rethink, and move on!