At the risk of loosing any hope of credibility, I'm going to suggest that during the GWAR show, I had what can only be referred to as a "Moment of Clarity". Anyone familiar with the antics of the band and their gruesome fun stage show, might be a little concerned that I'm reaching for justification of a my current mid-life crisis. but hear me out. These guys have been at this for 25 years. That's a long time to do anything. I'm not a musician, so I'll spare you that part of the critique. These guys have made something, it's obvious they love doing it, and as that it's a pleasure to watch... and a bit messy. All the great things that go into the making of a great performance are there. After 25 years, you'd expect that, right?
So I did some math, which is very difficult for an art school grad. I got my first camera in 1988-ish, twenty one-ish years ago. Photography for most of my "I'm going to be an artist" life, was a copout. Anyone can buy a camera and some film and take pictures. Even me. So I worked at other art forms. Sculpture was my discipline of choice and metal my favourite medium. But there was also paint. the world of colour is a pantheon sized playground. Then there was a long time that I didn't have the space to paint the way I wanted to, nor dod I have the money to furnish a sculpture studio. I couldn't afford to develop film, either.
Let's skip ahead a bit. A few years ago I got a digital camera as a gift (thanks mom, love you) this let me rethink photography. Which is what I did for a few years, taking lots of snapshots and thinking they should hang in every gallery and sell for millions. Whatever...
Fast forward, again. Photography is now my principle means of creation, begging a little forgiveness for my opinions as a youngster. After 21 years, I'm beginning to see a constant theme in my photographs. It's hard for me to pin down to a few words, but the conversation in my head is mostly about space and colour. Even in pictures I shot 14 years ago on Kodachrome, this idea is visible. And it was all subconscious, I was just taking pictures of scenes that I liked. I do the same thing now. Though, with all of that energy of running around snapping pictures behind me I can see some, let it register and stew around and come together as a mental image. Then I'll walk back to the place the image was born and have a conversation to achieve the objective photograph. I think my success rate is rising. I'm beginning to understand the conversation my subconscious is having with my conscious.
Today's photo came about in that manner. Taken at a local "Natural Area", I had returned to on this evening for the fourth time to make this specific shot. I'm not fully satisfied with this composition. The handles on the hay raker and the repeated shape in the dead tree behind kept teasing me. In this shot I decided to merge the two visually. It may not be a success, but it's what the conversation was leading to on that day. Maybe in another 4-ish years, I'll have figured out how to steer the conversation, instead of being led by it.
Photo details: Nikon D3, 50mm, 7 frame HDR @f/16
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