Sanity, Consciousnes, Unconsciousness...

Music | Play by Funk

I know that one of the huge effects for me to be and stay creative is the health of my sanity. It may work as distraction to the realities of my life, but at this point, I roll with it. I feel positive, I have short term goals that I need to accomplish, which often feeds my endorphins to keep positive. I have in a rudimentary way, figured out how to quickly move out of creative blocks or times of getting depressed. I know that I have been on this wave for several years. I hope to continue til I move on...

Phanthia and I are back on track with working with each other again. We go on runs for several months, then more than several months of not working with each other. I've found in many matters of life, things like this just fall into place and it turns out to be a very good work flow. This time with Phanthia, it was 11 months ago since we shot last...

Without consciously thinking about details, it has occurred to me that if I let things go with the flow for the most part, things fall into place and for quite sometime, mostly in a very positive manner. I'd like to think that I've allowed my unconscious self be my guide. In any case, whether if it is my mind that is slowly decaying, which I really do think is happening, I've lately often let intuition take its course.

Yesterday, Phanthia and I went to Sauvie Island. I had scouted with Susan de Witt about 3 weeks ago and found a great trail to do some images. Of course I hadn't thought of the sheer weight of carrying about the Burke and James, besides the Majestic Tripod. Terrain is such that I wouldn't be able to use the wheeled carrier either. Quickly deciding that I wouldn't even try, I found another location, walking distance from truck to the spot where the camera would be and just easy access all the way around.


Phanthia wearing wardrobe by Elizabeth Rohloff. Sauvie Island
I find evidence in my images, my thought process after the image was taken, was often based on good decisions. The thing is, I don't make those decisions consciously. I remember the only time I made a decision about this image that I at least remember, is that I wanted to raise the camera to where the line of trees in the background didn't intersect with the top of Phanthia's head. Everything else seemed to fall into place...

No reason to try and find an answer to the way things have been going. As I said before, I'm on a great run and hope to continue...

Sanity, Consciousnes, Unconsciousness...

Music | Play by Funk

I know that one of the huge affects for me to be and stay creative is the health of my sanity. It may work as distraction to the realities of my life, but at this point, I roll with it. I feel positive, I have short term goals that I need to accomplish, which often feeds my endorphins to keep positive. I have in a rudimentary way, figured out how to quickly move out of creative blocks or times of getting depressed. I know that I have been on this wave for several years. I hope to continue til I move on...

Phanthia and I are back on track with working with each other again. We go on runs for several months, then more than several months of not working with each other. I've found in many matters of life, things like this just fall into place and it turns out to be a very good work flow. This time with Phanthia, it was 11 months ago since we shot last...

Without consciously thinking about details, it has occurred to me that if I let things go with the flow for the most part, things fall into place and for quite sometime, mostly in a very positive manner. I'd like to think that I've allowed my unconscious self be my guide. In any case, whether if it is my mind that is slowly decaying, which I really do think is happening, I've lately often let intuition take its course.

Yesterday, Phanthia and I went to Sauvie Island. I had scouted with Susan de Witt about 3 weeks ago and found a great trail to do some images. Of course I hadn't thought of the sheer weight of carrying about the Burke and James, besides the Majestic Tripod. Terrain is such that I wouldn't be able to use the wheeled carrier either. Quickly deciding that I wouldn't even try, I found another location, walking distance from truck to the spot where the camera would be and just easy access all the way around.


Phanthia wearing wardrobe by Elizabeth Rohloff. Sauvie Island
I find evidence in my images, my thought process after the image was taken, was often based on good decisions. The thing is, I don't make those decisions consciously. I remember the only time I made a decision about this image that I at least remember, is that I wanted to raise the camera to where the line of trees in the background didn't intersect with the top of Phanthia's head. Everything else seemed to fall into place...

Light...

Music | Into Dust by Mazzy Star

I'm working my way to shooting out in the elements, but circumstance dictates that I eventually work my way out. Heavy overcast clouds and chance of rain made me decide not to shoot outside today and step back into the studio and to work with the windows and daylight. I didn't work with the single window to left or right for the Rembrandt look I almost exclusively use. I have a favorite wall that is a corner with a window along the wall and a smaller window on the opposite wall. It makes no logical sense to shoot this way, but I am finding I love the shapes it creates on a face.

I am finding I love the thought of moving even further and further away from the idea of perfection. I guess my love for Wet Plate Collodion was an early indicator and now in a more subtle direction, how I am thinking of light. It maybe isn't even the idea of perfection, but a more non traditional way of the use of light. I've often thought about how a painter sees light in so much of a different way a photographer does. Now into more than 30 years of photography on a series basis, I have only cracked the shell. It is all about being aware of subtlety. The art has been lost to see beyond the surface, to notice the delicacy, faintness underlying characteristic of what might be called a soul.

I will admit that this image for me didn't take the long road of study to notice how fantastic the light is upon the subject. But the tenuous ideas I have in my head regarding this subject certainly was the basis to my revelation.



What is life but shadows and light? Light creates shadows and shadows are created by our form.

Grain

Music | Come Here Boy by Imogen Heap

Real grain.
Not noise.
How beautiful it is...
The wonders of nature.

Light
Chemical reaction
Chemical structure
Grain



an image

Françoise Weeks

Music | Check the Rhime by A Tribe Called Quest


Elizabethan Collar | Profile | Wings

Elizabethan Collar

Creative Collaboration

Music | Protection by Massive Attack

I get to work with great, creative people. I think our energies mesh and wonderful things just happen. During one of my meetings with ElizaBeth Rohloff Millinery for an upcoming shoot, I saw a few of her display hats that were more couture. Whenever I go there, I want them to shoot with. This time, she lent me 2. I had Phanthia come over for another shoot, but ended up using her to model the hats.







This was the 2nd time I've worked with Phanthia. She said she had never modeled in front of the camera before, but liked the experience of our first shoot. We worked well together and I thought she would be great for a few of my jobs. She'll be working again for another client on Monday.

I love it when things just work!