Creative Photography

There has been some debate in over the years as to whether photography can be Art and with the onset of the digital age and plethora of digital software, is there any skill involved with creating these digital images like there is with an Artist and his painting? Interesting point but that then begs the question, what is Art? Who decides what constitutes Art? 

I won't attempt to answer the big question  - What is Art? However, I would like to address the issue of 'skill'. It is fair to say that with the dawning of the technological age and the plethora of software available, it is now easier to produce 'Art' without using traditional methods, however using the technology is a skill in itself, maybe not to the exacting standards of the High echelons of Traditional Art but none-the-less it does have some skill.

Also, as with some Photographers using digital software or what is referred to as a digital darkroom assists in altering a photograph to bring out the best in it - either by colour, framing or by small adjustments as in removing an unwanted item in the photograph by a variety of techniques. We have all heard of model air-brushing to remove blemishes and soften features, the same is often done to many of the most amazing photos taken.

My photo's receive mostly a small framing tidy by cropping the picture to improve the main subject, others have nothing done at all but a small few are digitally transformed by a share-ware program I and many other photographers use called IrfanView which can be found at www.irfanview.com. Its a simple program that allows me to use some photoshop techniques to alter my photographs. Other software programs that can be purchased offer far more than IrfanView, including cropping individual items in a photo and replacing them with another or rendering different coloured backgrounds or changing the colour of a specific item.

Below are examples of some of my photo's that have been digitally altered:-

Top Left: A log taken in King's Park, Perth  Top Centre: Different section of King's Park Log Top Right: Different section of King's Park Log
Middle Left:Different section of King's Park Log  Centre: Tree taken at Night  Middle Right: Lichen on a treeBottom Left: Jellyfish  Bottom Centre: Stormy clouds  Bottom Right: Clouds made to look like oil painting

These were altered by adding in one or two special effects, changing the whole outlook of some of the photos. Take the Lichen on a tree most when they see the photograph think its an aerial shot of coral beds in the sea and very few guess what the four wood pieces are originally, even the jellyfish has most stumped. I used Irfanview for cropping originally and then later discovered what else I could do. Most of these are a result of a happy accident of fiddling around and seeing what happens rather than trying to create new pictures.

Here are some more examples of digitally altered photos:-

Top Left: Partly leafed Tree taken at night Top Right: This was originally a sunset photo at St Kilda Beach
Bottom Left: Origially a Vodka bottle but was being used as a water bottle Bottom Right: Moreton Bay Fig Tree

Most of the above are obvious what they are, bar the sunset photo taken at St Kilda Beach, Victoria. Here's the original sunset photo:-

Sunset at St Kilda Beach, Victoria

The digitally Altered version of the photo above

Some prefer the originals others like the digitally altered photos, as I said I just like to play with the program, just like I do with the settings on my Camera. Digitally altering photo's is not the only way to be creative, you can also alter the angle , as well as the distance and framing at which you take the photograph. Have a look at some of the examples below :-

Remember this? Its the top of a fence post at Ringwood Lake Park, Ringwood, Victoria most people think its a nut when they first see this

Looking up at the peeling bark of a Tree at Sky High Mount Dandenong

Using a rock in the foreground, focusing on the rock to left in the background to create an almost 3D effect

Using the foreground of the beach grass to frame the setting sun on Gunnamatta Beach

When your camera doesn't have the zoom power of the higher priced cameras, take the photo at normal distance, then use the crop tool on the digital software to zoom in on your subject, it makes for clearer sharper pictures 

Again a simple crop to highlight the Duck Menage a Trois

So, as well as providing fuel to add to the debate about digitally created images, digitally altering a photo with a simple crop can enhance your experience of a simple point and shoot, digital camera and turn Okay photos into great photos. Remembering of course to utilise and play, the different settings and alter your view of the subject matter to add a little creation.

I will leave with one final photograph that was simply shot by changing my angle and a small crop for framing purposes:-

Water play on the Crown Esplanade, Melbourne CBD, Victoria
Here the droplets of water pop out on the page when enlarged

Next time we'll take a look at how photography has helped my Art and Visa-versa .....

Eureka Moments with Photography

Eureka moments, I have had a few more through taking a picture again and again and fiding that golden shot or one that strikes a chord with me. Seeing the picture through the small LCD screen of my Nikon Coolpix S210 point and shoot camera has not always been easy. Since my first Eureka moment with the Julia Caesar Tablet in Israel, it has been stuck in my mind to take the picture anyway.

Photography for me is more than just taking a photograph, its a way of spreading the joy of nature, the passion for the world I live in and connecting with others, a way to hear their stories, to interact, to engage and who knows what else may happen. I may indeed only pass through this world/place only once and in taking that one photo brightens someone else's life, gives them hope, then as the saying goes, the picture (really has spoken) more than words.

What Inspires me to take a photograph? Hmm .. good question. The beauty and power of Nature, the wondrous sights in the places I live, an evocative feeling, when I see something that draws me in, encourages me to take its photo or even if I have a painting project on the go. Like my paintings its my love of the dramatic, the joy of seeing someone else's creative process - whether that is in a building, a piece of art or even in child's play and also something that just makes me smile. Also other photographer's and Artist inspire me to push myself further, one of my favourite photographers is Ken Duncan, he uses his photography to inspire others with inspirational quotes on some of his pictures, whilst at the same time sharing his incredible knowledge through courses to those who want to learn more.

The most valuable lesson I heard, whilst on a swim with the dolphin's trip was ... "of course you can be so busy trying to get the perfect shot that you miss the real beauty and joy of the moment. You forget to watch and just enjoy." It reminded me of one of my Philosophies - to stop rushing here and there, to really see,  feel,  hear, smell, taste and savour the moment, we often forget this and it takes someone else to remind us to be present. That memory remains imprinted on your mind and heart for a very long time and in my photography I try to capture that essence - the thought/emotional provoking memory.

In photography you capture a moment in time, some of my favourite captured moments with a Nikon Coolpix camera are those taken one year at The Australian Open, Melbourne, Victoria and being able to capture reasonably well, some amazing tennis poses, specially as the camera isn't an SLR camera, just a simple point and shoot one. Here's some of my favourites:-

Note how the player doesn't have any feet on the ground

Fully stretched and ready to run

He looks like he may fall over as he serves

Look how far down his back the Racquet goes as he serves

So even with a standard, simple point and shoot camera you can get some amazing shots, just take lots, being digital you don't have to develop them all before you find a good one. I love happy accidents too one of my favourite photo's when I first arrived in Melbourne, Australia was one I took whilst waiting in the car during a rainstorm.

When enlarged the water droplets look like they are just sitting on the photograph

This was taken through the car windscreen of a palm tree - with a manual camera you would either focus on the Palm tree or the water droplets. The Nikon Coolpix had options to set to macro or micro (Landscscape or close up), I chose the micro version to highlight the water droplets on the window screen and to blur the Palm tree. At the time I had no idea how great this one was till I printed it out in Large format and saw the 3D effect of the water droplets.

One of my other happier moments again with water was on a trip to Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia. I took a walk along a stretch of Coastline by The Nobbies, the day was wet n' wild and the sea was crashing on the rocks below, capturing that 'smack' can be tricky and capturing a dramatic 'smack' without getting hypothermia is even trickier, nonetheless it was achieved.

Sea Spray near The Nobbies, Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia

I have recently entered this photo in the Ted's Camera Competition along with other photo's, I have been back to the Nobbies a few times but never been able to recapture this amazing photo. So it really does go to demonstrate right time, right place, right conditions and take when given the opportunity, first time every time and shoot, shoot, shoot. You never know you too may get a Eureka moment.

Of course some of the most difficult to see shots are those taken towards the Sun over water, the glare makes it difficult to assess the quality of your shot on a LCD screen of most standard Digital cameras, nevertheless, just go for it and shoot. Here are some of my Sun/Water shots :-

Whilst not over water I just love the shards of sunlight
This was actually taken from a moving car, on the road between  Cowes and The Nobbies,
Phillip Island, Victoria

Sunset on St Kilda Beach, Victoria, Australia
Here I used the dusk setting on Nikon Coolpix S210 to cut out some of the glare and sharpen the picture

St Kilda Beach, Victoria, Australia.
On this shot I used the warmer setting of sunset and covered the lens with my  transition lens glasses as an extra filter
shows some colour spectrum on the sun shards

Similar photo to the one above, same sunset setting no transition lens glasses in front of lens

Same photo as the previous ones, this time on dusk setting, no transition lens glasses in front of the camera lens

You can see from the three photo's taken on St Kilda Beach, that using different settings can change the view, depth, tone of a photo without the use of even a photoshop software program. Also adding in something like transition lens glasses over the camera lens, it acts like the traditional Filters. The settings on the Nikon Coolpix S210 camera such as sunset or dusk/dawn settings also are like the traditional filters - adding more red tones to a picture on the sunset setting or more blue tones on the dusk/dawn setting. The aperture of the camera lens is also increased or decreased according to these settings to.

Why are settings so important on a digital camera, well in the traditional manual camera's you would have different kit to create same effect - wide lens, zoom lens, standard lens, filters, flash, even convex and concave lens filters - adding or adjusting these extra kit pieces would alter the effect of the shot taken. Now digital cameras, simple point and shoot, give everyone the opportunity to take shots as close to using a manual camera with extra kit.

I learnt what each one did by playing around with them and taking the same shot over and over, working out which one was best for each situation - hey it's digital I can do that now and not worry about developing costs. The camera manuals will tell you so much but really the only way to learn, is to take shot after shot and ask yourself, when you see them - How could I improve that shot? Have a little jotter pad with you so you know how you took a particular photo, what date, weather conditions etc, its a great learning tool.

 Next blog will look at having fun with creativity photography .... 

The 2 Brighton's in my Life

Before coming to Australia, I used to live in the East Sussex town of Brighton in the UK. Just before, I left to move permanently to Australia Brighton, East Sussex became a City. The place as many happy memories for me, including the many wonderful friends I made and my some of my family members, who still live there. The architecture in and around Brighton, UK is so varied and amazing that I couldn't help but be mesmerized by it.

Brighton, UK has a unique charm about it and is quite a bustling seaside town. Dr Russel made it famous in the Victorian Era with his notion of 'sea air and bathing boxes' being good for rude health. Also making the town famous was King George IV, his love for Princess Charlotte, the Royal Pavilion and the Dome. However, it was the architecture that grabbed my heart strings first and one fountain in particular that still resides in the Old Steine.

When I was studying history at secondary school, we were taken to the Old Steine to draw objects of buildings and Decor - oh what a glorious day that was combining my love of history, architecture and  art and it was only a stones throw from home. Here are some photographs of the Fountain, The Dome and the Royal Pavilion:-

Old Steine Fountain,showing the 3 Dolphins, the heraldic animals on Brighton's Coat of Arms

Part of the Dome and the Brighton Museum, which used to be the Royal Stables in the time of King George IV

The side of the Royal Pavilion, Brighton UK designed by John Nash

The Royal Pavilion, Brighton UK, at the time undergoing some renovations, inside it's extremely ornate

There is also one pub that I always loved from the outside - The King and Queen - still quite close to the Old Steine and on the main London to Brighton Road. It's designed in Tudor style and when growing up in Brighton, they would have Jazz evenings. Outside they have a courtyard and an aviary, where families would sit in summer eating a pub lunch and enjoying the summer sun - yes, contrary to popular belief, the UK does have some sunshine!

The King and Queen Pub, Brighton, UK the King statue above the door way is Henry VIII not too sure which wife of his
is on the otherside

The King and Queen Pub, Brighton UK, entrance to the courtyard and Aviary 

Brighton, UK, technically is also the seaside town with 2 Piers - I say technically because one has been destroyed many times and sadly now is a burnt out structure. They had talked about saving the West Pier but after the last fire all hope seemed lost. The other Pier used to be council owned and known as Palace Pier, it eventually, like all things became owned by a company and is now known as the Brighton Pier.

The collapsed and burnt out shell of the West Pier, Brighton, UK - oh and Pebbled beach

In contrast, The Brighton Pier thriving with amusements, arcades, restaurants and bars

Summer evenings were always my favourite in Brighton, sitting out having a drink with friends on warm evenings and watching the sun go down, I guess I cherished these so much as our Summers weren't terribly long.

Sunset over Brighton Marina, UK

Sunset, over Brighton Beach, UK

Of course there are a few differences between the two Brighton's, the beach in the UK has many pebbles on and no sand and the Beach Boxes that Brighton, Victoria, Australia is famous for, exist down by Hove beach in the UK, which is a little further down from Brighton Beach, UK. Another difference is yup the weather, one Christmas, I was working in the Town Centre when it started to snow, my Australian Colleague was so excited that she requested to go outside and look, naturally, I went outside and snapped a photo.

Snow at Christmas time in Churchill Square main shopping area of Brighton UK

Now no talk about a seaside town would be complete without Saucy seaside pics

So Brighton, So Saucy

The Whirling Waltzer Woman ready to send you into a spin

The Beach Boxes and Sand at Brighton Beach, Victoria, Australia

I love going down to Brighton beach, Victoria, Australia and seeing all the Wedding Parties pose in front of the boxes during the summer months. It's quite gorgeous to see all the limousines parked in the car park above and watch the brides daintily walk down, dress in hand to the beach, Groom in tow. I have spent many a happy summer's evening here watching the sun set and cooling off in the water.

Sun setting on Brighton Beach looking towards Melbourne City, Victoria, Australia

Looking out to Sea whilst the Sun sets on Brighton Beach, Victoria, Australia

Sunsets and sunrises are one of my favourite subjects of Photography, more to come in future blogs ...

   

Mode Meditation

So what is mode meditation? Well, put simply, I go into a meditative state and see many amazing images, at some stage, I then bring myself to a half way state, partly in meditation and partly conscious and start to paint having pre-prepared my materials and tools beforehand.

The pictures produced this way tend to be more ethereal, impressionistic, less depth and all of this depends on how close I am to being fully conscious. So, some can be extremely bright and colourful if I am more conscious and aware. there is another technique I use, especially when asked to paint for someone.

The other technique is designed to ensure the painting is unique to the person I am producing the Art for. Sometimes they give me a theme to work on, yet at the same time to make the Art work more personal, I also ask a few questions on likes, hobbies, interests and a few quirky questions too. Each person is asked different questions. If no theme is given, then just the personal questions are asked. Each painting is quite unique, even for the same person or family.


Once the questions have been answered and sometimes before the questions are asked, I meditate on the theme and/or personal answers, its quite amazing the visualisations that literally 'come to mind'. For instance, for one friend, she was Piscean, loved Japanese culture and was very fond of the yin-yang symbol. In my Visualisation I saw 2 Koi fish, black and red/orange in the Yin-Yang position, so that's what I painted. Whilst I knew pisces was represented by fish and the Koi fish was Japanese, at the time I didn't realise that Koi fish, black and red/orange represented the Yin-Yang symbol in Japanese culture. It wasn't until after I completed the painting and did an Internet search that I discovered this to be the case.

Yin-Yang Koi

I have seen them represented in other colours, like blue and orange, white and black but this one seemed to be the most traditional way of representing the yin-yang symbol. This was not my first meditation painting in Australia, my first was produce by the mode meditation of simply going into meditation and then starting to paint.


What is interesting about the method of mediating and then literally 'going with the flow' and painting are the different paintings it produces and that I have no idea what it will be until I stop. Also when people have seen some of my Art work produced in this way, some immediately feel a connection to a particular painting and say "you have painted that one for me" or "it reminds me of ... I like it, thank you for painting it for me."


The first painting I produced in Australia started off as one thing and ended up as something else, as so often happens with my meditation paintings. the two examples below are of my first painting in Australia and a painting I have produced recently.

First Painting in Australia

Blue Angel

The first painting started off as a sunset, however others have suggested it looks like a bushfire when seen the way it is represented here, it does depend on how you look at it to what you see. 'Blue Angel' started off as a Shipwreck and then turned into this ethereal image of a female. It's rare I label a painting that's because in labelling I find it narrows the viewer connection to the painting, I would rather the viewer see what they believe it is rather than impart my preconceived ideas to the viewer.

As time has gone on, my paintings have become a reflection of the country in which I live, Australia. The most iconic of these has become the spearhead to my 'Spirit of Australia' collection, which features a Boab Tree. The Boab Tree is one such tree I feel very connected to. Trees do feature in many of my more recent paintings, as do Sunsets and Sunrises. Other features in my paintings are the moon in various colours and water.

From "Spirit Of Australia" Collection

There are variations on this one that have been painted for others, who have requested them and each time a feature changes slightly. Have a look at the ones below:- 

The last 2 were painted in Western Australia for my brother and sister-in-law and were a part of 6 individual paintings that made up a whole painting. So, even where I paint, time of year can alter the style and feel of the painting.


Below are examples of some other paintings I have produced via the mediation then paint process:-

The following paintings have been created for people based on a theme or with a theme in mind but for no one specific. Currently I have 22 themed projects to create, 4 collections to start, collate and finish and working on a commission. I am always happy to continue doing commission work and this always comes first but most importantly, I love that I have a job doing something that not only gives me joy but joy to others.

 

So that's mode meditation.