This coleus grows in a pot outside my backdoor. I used the "lomo" effect from CoffeeShop... it is not that far off the original, just a little more purple than the original burgandy. I took it with my 100mm macro, maybe I am finally falling in love???
I am finding I have to be creative when looking for "that shot". Since I am (for the most part) only able to play with my camera while Little Girl naps I am learning to be discerning and quick (yet patient). I am also limited to my immediate surroundings: my home, my yard, my family. Working with what I have has helped me really open my eyes to see the potential in things I routinely take for granted. The macro in particular has led to discoveries I sometimes don't even see until I download the image to my computer and see it full-screen.
I still feel a pull to portraiture, but at the same time i am intimidated by the whole thought of it. How can I practice? I'm totally freaked out at the thought of asking someone: "May I take your photo?" It seems so strange to me. Two or three months ago an acquaintance on Facebook gushed over my photos and asked if I "did portraits". "Your photos tell stories! I would love to have photos like that of my [teenage] daughters!" I politely thanked her for the compliment saying I've never taken anything more than photos of my daughter or snapshots of friends.
Ever since then I've been positively HAUNTED with REGRET over my answer. Why can't I just be brave and DO IT?!!! Why am I letting my fear cheat me out of something that's tugging at my heart?!!!
Will I have the courage to contact my friend and discuss the possibility with her once again?
I honestly don't know.
Stay tuned to find out...
3 comments:
Maybe it's because there are many ideas of what photography "should be" and there is a lot of pre-conditioned thinking about it. As an artist, you are free to say, "I paint abstracts," or "I do water colors" or "I make enormous penis statues out of recycled beer cans," and all that is perfectly acceptable. But if you say "I am a portrait photographer," the definition of you as an artist is wildly shrunken in perception. The general public demands specific traits of that title. Is it that you are insecure about what kind of photographer you are? Or that you are afraid yet to call yourself a photographer? Maybe you should try "I'm an artist with a camera" and let yourself loose. :) Cheers.
Carolyn- I definitely will be staying tuned. I think I am struggling with some of these same kinds of things. Your recent post about "the constant thought" and the quote you found really got me thinking a lot. I am now hoping/planning to start my own photography business but it is very daunting and I am plagued with self-doubt (plus I do need a lot more practice). I know that I for one am afraid to call myself a photographer yet. But I don't really feel like a pharmacist either, which is my "real job" that I hope to get out of someday!
Keep writing....you're helping me, if nothing else! :D
Beautiful piece and you are a great photographer, artist, etc. i think like myself you struggle to define what you are, but i say do it, try it! I like to use the motto " I will try anything once" meaning creatively - you won't know till you try.
Not sure if you have looked at my bio - i keep adding to the list.
So don't me afraid to add another item to this list.. YOU CAN DO IT!
this is what i just figured out about myself actually yesterday for an article in a local zine
my creativity is my freedom - free time to myself, free to express what I feel and free to have fun. it allows me to take off the many hats i wear and just be what i "want" to be for a while.
so you can take those portraits if you desire(i think they would tell a story and look great!)
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