A walk in the woods

A series of images encountered during my walk in the woods yesterday. Click on any image to see it bigger.

Daily Practice 164/365

Title: "Variable/Identical"

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I'm fascinated by the tug between identical and variability in the patterns of nature. The shapes of leaves and flowers form in response to biochemical signals timed with great precision. Unlike the patterns that form in our own thoughts and lives, which often serve no useful purpose and are often counter-productive, the patterns that form in nature are specific in form and purpose.
  

I observed these plants on a walk this morning, while returning books to the library. I've been collecting images of plant patterns for the past little while, with the intention of making some cyanotype prints. These prints are made using sunlight and simple chemicals, the image emerging by washing the print with water. Images of nature, made with the power of nature.

Daily Practice 163/365

Title: "His thoughts drifted to reflections of the sky"

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early walk, deep green peace, a splash of red berry, all leading to the calming pool where coalescing reflections bring perspective to ruminations. then the long, long climb, breathing deep, heart pounding, legs burning the trail opening to the sky.

Daily Practice 162/365

Title: "The dawn of hope in a time of despair"

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Daily Practice 161/365

Title: "Graveyard of Modern Totems"

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I was reading a discussion about cliche images on a toy camera photography forum. The original poster was asking what cliches to avoid as he embarked on making images with his toy camera. There were several very thoughtful comments, one respondent advising him to look at lots of work by others.

While good advice, I think a few important points about looking at other work were missing. I personally think that one only gets a benefit from looking at other work with a critical/analytical eye. It's not enough to "know what you like" - it's very important to understand why an image works well. Learning this from other work informs your own work, and trains your eye to important elements like composition, tones, textures. As your eye gets trained in this way, it becomes important to apply that same critical/analytical look at your own work - so you can understand why some of your images work, and others don't. Look at your images from 6 months ago - do you still connect to them, and if so why? If some of your older images no longer seem so compelling, analyze why. This type of consideration of your work and that of other artists will provide numerous benefits.

I think the other missing piece of information about looking at the work of other artists is having a balance. Looking at "lots of work" must be balanced by making your own work and finding your own voice. If you place too much emphasis on looking at other work, you run the risk of becoming derivative, of making mediocre versions of work that others have made (or equally bad, making excellent "homage" pieces that have nothing of your own sensibilities incorporated). If some other artist's work appeals to you, think of ways you can take the process in a different direction, working on a theme or project to which you personally connect.

Today's image came about as I was walking around campus during my lunch break. I noticed the dramatic sky, and came upon the playing fields. The tight clustering of the fields means there is an accumulation of lighting standards. They are tightly grouped as if in conversation, but unlike the totems that appeared a couple of days ago, these modern versions have no story to tell, no myths to share.

Daily Practice 160/365

Title: "Alien blossom-eating fish and space ship"

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Really....it was quite an amazing sight!

Daily Practice 159/365

Title: "The intersection of myths"

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Standing below these monoliths, readily connecting to the past, to stories and myths of creation born of a mysticism that one wants so desperately to believe.