Inspiration?
12:13
Dear friend,
today I have read some articles on web about creativity and inspiration and I wrote few lines for myself. As I was writing them down, more and more comes to my mind and I though I am going to share it with you. I know that you for sure have similar experience.
Inspiration doesn’t come on its own, one need to be in process of doing it, photographing in my case. When you stay passive and wait, it may never come and if it does it is accident ;-) When you busy with the photographing, than suddenly flow arrives as the inspiration comes to my mind. It was like that last time as well.
I was with Jacco photographing in freeing early hours close to Eindhoven. At the beginning we just walked around without a single shot. When the boys come to play ice hockey I have got idea to photograph them. I imagine photos from very low angle, lying on ground. I saw in my mind movements of the skaters, puck and flying ice with the texture of frozen lake’s water. Those boys, after they redressed, unfortunately decided to skate on other side of the lake where I couldn’t follow them. Actually I didn’t want as I feel they did it because they would like to enjoy the game without the stranger watching them. I didn’t mind, I understood. So I wonder around while Jacco was busy with his cameras.
Occasionally I took a photo, but nothing really worked until I put the gel filter and the Sun hasn’t raised a bit higher. That special light showed me all the miracles of tall frozen grass. I start making images and I couldn’t stop. I changed the gel, angles. I run through the grass with shooting at the same time, experiment with under and over exposures.
I was happy I was in the flow. It last for about hour than I felt tired but still very happy and I walked back to the car. Here you can see few images I made in that hour, I am still not through all of them. So it comes, that day I decided to go out with Jacco, more to spend some time together that to do some serious photography. But we both had the great time and we made nice images.
Hi Richard
This is the first time Im writing to you though I religiously follow your blog & photographs, They’re an inspiration.
I read your recent post about Inspiration & thought I’d share my experience.
I was feeling that the hunger to shoot has died, but after I read you post I started to think…what am I doing ? I took the initiative to get into the flow.
I had few old photographs which I posted this gave a tremondous boost to take up the camera & start shooting.
I think Im in the flow & when low I know what to do, read your blog & go through your photographs.
Thanks a ton for the post.
I wish you a happy Sunday
Cheers
Harsha
Harsha,
thank you, I am honored that my article and even my images could help you.
You are absolutely right: when you stay passive and wait, inspiration may never come. You have to look.
For a large part, this is also the subject of the book I’m reading and which you mentioned a few days ago… Even in a familiar environment, there is enough to be seen, the problem is that we have difficulty seeing it. It is all so “common”, we overlook it. Learn to look. See the opportunities. I guess the moment you had with the skaters is where you saw an opportunity, had some “vision” in your mind of what you wanted to shoot, and tried to shoot it.
I’m also not done with all the pictures of our shoot that day. Still have two rolls to develop; maybe I’ll do one this evening.
When is the next shoot? :)
Richo, that’s how it is for me also. I don’t lie around the house waiting for inspiration. I go out, and sometimes I get an idea; and sometimes I don’t.
Of all the pictures on my site, there was only one image that I imagined while still in my bed; and that was the shot of the blurred guy in the snow by the river at night.
I did sort of see that idea in my mind before I even left the house – but that is one out of 100,000 times.
My inspiration comes from what I see, and what I’m thinking about, and what is happening when I go out. And there is that same feeling, that maybe lasts for 1/2 hour or so, maybe longer, of having good ideas and walking back home feeling happy that I have something.
No difference – whether it was with a digital camera, or a film camera, I know when I have something that is worthwhile. And soon that feeling fades, and I need another fix. And I can’t wait to go out and explore the world again.
Dave
That image you mention is one of my favorite from you as well. Lately I must say I walk less with camera and imagine more. And when I see the place, the person or the light. I try to arrange (place, person,..) for future and will come there and do the image from my mind with use of that place, person, …)