One reason I’ve not posted much is that I feel I have hit a plateau with my photography. Part of that is the lack of inspiration that can come during this period which is a great challenge in seeking beauty or even something interesting. Yesterday morning would have been an opportunity to create but I had an early start, leaving the house in the dark, at a customer’s house an hour away.
Had I the time, I imagine there was a scene like this on Mount Pollux.
I’ve been spending much of my time reading what other photographers have to say about creating art, finding inspiration, and honing processing skills. One is never done learning so I’ve thrown myself into that and will see where it takes me. I’d like to express my love of nature in a somewhat different way although at heart I am still a natural history photographer.
As I have not been making any new images, I am looking through the archives and processing old files that in my opinion at the time did not make the cut. This is one.
Quiet and solitude are repeating themes in my work. I actually prefer understated images over those with bright overwhelming color. That said I’ll still be doing sunrises but hope to handle them a bit differently.
Have a nice weekend folks!
Stephen Gingold Nature Photography Blog 
Reblogged this on THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON….
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Thanks for sharing!
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👍
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This image suits my liking very much Steve. I’m happier with more understated images also, the less processed the better. Let the scene speak for itself, as this one does. David duChemin is a photographer who inspires me, I listen to his podcasts as well as reading his books.
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Thanks, Annie. I’ve read a few of David’s books but have not listened to any of his podcasts. Thanks for the suggestion.
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I find old files often spark some inspiration. These photos are lovely but it will be interesting to see how you do things differently in future photos.
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Thanks, Anne! These are my tendency by nature so I don’t expect to be too different but am open to widening my outlook so will see where it takes me.
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I’ll be interested to see your new views of sunrises, as well as whatever else begins to appeal to you. On this warm and humid morning, your first photo especially made me very happy.
Your first paragraph suggests you’ve moved into that ‘in-between time” that can be challenging. Here, it arrives about January; the old blooms gone, the new not yet appearing, while dull and withered rules the day. I often remind myself of something Annie Liebovitz said in At Work: that she finds that the “in-between moments are as interesting as the moment itself.”
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I do enjoy that first image and regret that I was unable to pursue another on that work day.
I’ve not read any of her writing so probably should add her to my ever-growing list. At some point I’ll have to say “enough”! Her advise sounds similar to the wisdom about negative space in a photograph/painting or the silence/rests between notes in a music score. Whenever I return to shooting my nose will be pointed at a lot of dull and withered.
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Friday aside, you could have titled this post “Introspection.” Each person naturally resonates to certain things and not to others, so it’s easy to fall into a groove and stay there. Many times I’ve thought that about my photography and my writing. We’ll all be interested to see what new directions your work takes. Today’s reprocessed second image works fine with me.
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We’re all very different despite having connections to each other that cause us to feel a familiarity. And it is easy to go through life with one outlook in various areas of our lives. Many of us are changing periodically through our experiences and with that comes new vision. Glad that you like the second image. I put a little more time than usual into it which I think will be the norm in the future.
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We need to listen to nature and observe the ups and downs as we travel through the seasons. When fall is coming to an end, and the colours around us become more subdued, our mood often shifts from exuberant to melancholy. The challenge is to give expression to this feeling through our photography. In your photos above, I see the change already taking place.
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I think there is beauty in melancholy as well, Sometimes I am able to convey that during this season as well as others if I can just set my own feeling aside and appreciate what nature provides. Thanks, Peter.
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You are so right, Steve. There is beauty in the darker parts of the year, which reflect our feelings, including melancholy.
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I look forward to witnessing your continued evolvement, Steve. Stretch and grow! 🙂
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So do I Eliza although I am not sure if it will look much different. 🙂 Time will tell.
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I hope you will find new inspiration, Steve. But I have to say that even though it might be helpful to learn about other photographers’ thoughts and suggestions, you have everything within you you need to know. And I think nature herself is the greatest inspirer.
All the best,
Tanja
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Thanks, Tanja! Oh, I know that my creativity lies within but it does help to get inspiration from others to shake it loose sometimes. I certainly am not looking to copy or produce similar work but we are a product of all we experience which include the experience of others. I hope to pick up a little from others to help tap what is inside of me. As I mentioned to Anne above, in the end it may not look very different from what I have been doing but I hope at least my vision and outlook will grow. 🙂
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I mainly hope you will be happy and content. 🙂
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We all have our ups and downs but my ups are taking control. 🙂
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I’m glad to hear it!
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I really like that second image. I find the colors, so soft and warm, elegant and it is a restful photo.
Reassessment is a good thing, as it allows for the experience and learned lessons to synthesize a fresh perspective.
You have a nice weekend, too!
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Thanks, Tina. The feel of the moment was as you describe and I tried to maintain that without creating more or less than it was. Your comment verifies that for me. 🙂
I am always reassessing my life. I wonder about everything I have done and do as I go along. It would be nice to experience satisfaction. 😀
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Remember that to a person like me living in a different place and season to yourself, so much which may seem ordinary to you is out-of-the-ordinary to me! 🙂
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The same can be said for the images of plants and locations that you share too, Liz. I enjoy seeing the differences between New Zealand and the northeast U.S. 🙂
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It’s lovely to know it works both ways! 🙂
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Well, you’ve been posting daily for how long? Your output is really a remarkable achievement, Steve, and fallow periods can really be helpful in their due course (I have them rather a lot). Much as I appreciate the emphasis the landscape photography community is now putting on “expression,” I don’t believe an extrospective, curious outlook need be avoided. I don’t wish to look at nature and only see it mirroring myself. Interest and fascination with the non-human world and its processes are certainly legitimate subjects for art. (I don’t really think the proponents of artistry are in fact arguing against this, but it’s a potential pitfall.) Experiment away, of course, but feel free to fascinated with the things that fascinate you.
I love the second image here!
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Thanks, Jackson. I am not sure when I started with daily posts but it has been a while with the occasional gap. Longer gaps currently. Oh, I’ll still post closeups of insects and flowers as well as cascades and sunrises. But I’d like to add some expressiveness to my work if possible.
Thanks! I put in a lot of time on the second image.
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These are so beautiful Steve and very artistic.
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Thank you, Anita!
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Beautiful images, especially the second one. I think we all need to keep moving and exploring creatively – it stops us losing interest and keeps our creativity flowing. I hope you find paths to follow that excite you!
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Thanks, Ann! Yes, without curiosity we tend to let our view of life become stale and uninteresting. I am sure there will be much to grow excited over. 🙂
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In the world of print competition for PPA (Professional Photographers of America), all entries must carry a title. Sometimes, that title makes the difference between a wonderful image and a Jaw-dropping “wow” image.
These days, if I get stuck for creativity, I go back and look at images that I’ve made in the past…sometimes WAY in the past…and search through the image for hints at a title that might make that print a “wow” print. What happens is that I begin to see things within the image that I did not see before. Sometimes those things are not just small details, but they are overall impressions when I step back from the image. Sometimes I even turn the image upside down in order to see subtle contrasts, in order to see compositional elements, that were hidden by the things that our brains do to an image from repetition of seeing the same, or similar, scenes from the past.
As silly as it might sound, searching for a title makes us look at a scene, an object, a composition, from a different angle of creativity. That title cannot be the obvious, like “Early Morning Fog,” but something that evokes an experience, or emotion. For example, your image of the tree in snow might be titled “Tree in Snow with Fog,” OR it might be titled “Brittle.” One states the obvious, while the second one evokes something you experience on a cold, icy morning.
Go for it!
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Your advice to turn the image over is similar to the reasoning that many liked composing with the view cameras. The subject becomes less important as the shapes and tonalities come to the fore.
I always have trouble, or most always…I do better with the frogs…coming up with titles. I’ve maintained the “image should stand on its own” position although I do agree that a catchy, clever title, or meaningful such as Steve’s suggestion of “Introspection” would add to the viewer’s or judge’s response. As a judge yourself I’d say you know whereof you speak. I’ll see what I can do with my future posts.
As you can see, I am alreading diving into the past. I’ve been reading the blog posts, in book form, of one photographer who denies the value of looking back. He’s quite an accomplished artist but I disagree and see much value in the archives. Not just of images that are worthy of new light but also of lessons and an opportunity to either improve former work or take note of weaknesses that can be made stronger with advanced vision.
Thanks for your input, Bob.
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Ah, the plateau experience. I know it well. May you be at ease with it, Steve, and enjoy your explorations. I’m confident that you will find your renewal. Meanwhile, we’ll enjoy your trip through your archives. Thank you for processing this photo, which is a beauty. BTW, I have always enjoyed your sunrises, which have somehow been about more than a pretty sky.
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Thanks, Linda. I am glad that you see more to the sunrise images than prettiness. I try to go to places where the sunrise enhances the landscape and vice versa rather than just aiming at the sky.
At my age, I’d like to think I’ve hit a stride rather than landed on a plateau but life is a constant of change.
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Quiet and solitude are so necessary. Beautiful photos.
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Thank you!
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It sounds like it’s a time of change. You write about what’s happening eloquently, without extra words or tedious complaining. That’s admirable. And you’re approaching the problem with a plan, also admirable. Read, look, think, analyze, and I suppose, wait. I love these two photos – they embody the season and the idea of quiet waiting. This time of year is always hard for me so it’s good to see someone else who feels uninspired dealing with it so well. Thank you.
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There are a lot of us who don’t respond well to the change of season from autumn to winter. The trick is to look at the details as well as the big picture. The last few days that second one has been outstanding although happening while I drive to work. 🙂
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Thanks, Steve, and I’m feeling better lately. I do tend to notice the details more than the overall picture and the idea of keeping big picture/details balanced is a good one. Enjoy those early morning drives to work!
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It can be difficult to hit a dry spell. I really like these muted images you shared here. I have also been going through a time of reassessment. I still get in there and paint, but very often I feel I am reaching for something just beyond my brush.
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“Just beyond my brush” is an apt description of “painter’s block”. 🙂 Sometimes we do get to into our work and a step back does wonders.
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Yes indeed. I remember when my children were small and would get a fever. Being sick seemed to put all mental activity on hold but when the bug passed, they’d seem to have made leaps in mental development! It was magic. I think it is like that. We are experiencing creative fever.
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I’ve always felt it was good to take a break … especially when feeling less than inspired. I have never put pressure on myself to post on a regular basis but rather when I have a collection I want to document, and feel is worthy of sharing. I figure there is more than enough on all forms of social media to keep viewers busy. I have tried all kinds of photography over the years (trying to be different) to come back, full circle to landscapes and historic relics. I’m now good with that because I think it’s important to do what you love, no matter how many other’s are doing it. Sometimes it just takes that next great shoot to pull me out of a slump. I like quiet images too … they may not get the overwhelming response from the general public but other photographers do understand and appreciate them.
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Yep, you told me so. 🙂 Something like a sunrise is inspiration enough, I think. I am not, or was not, thinking of going cubist with my photography but I think I need to feel I am adding something more of myself into the images and posts. One can’t force that so I hope it just comes naturally with more experiences.
When looking at the number of views on the WordPress control panel page I can almost always tell, without looking at the post titles, which was the more colorful image of that series by the height of the bar. Color and bright shiny objects do attract. 🙂
In regards to quiet images, of course peace and quiet are what I most prefer to express in many of my images. I sometimes get pretty excited by the intense sunrise color but those that are more subtle are my favorites. Thanks for your encouraging words, Denise!
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