A Better Day...
After yesterday's blog post, I wanted to let you know that things did improve. I had a wonderful end to the day starting off with a free Abtract on-line photo class with Eileen Rafferty sponsored by B&H Photo. Class #2 will be next Thursday when those of us who did our homework submit an abstract image for critique based on the ideas presented in yesterday's class. Much of what Eileen presented confirmed that I have been going in the right direction already creating abstract images. But having been a college professor in photography, she really believes in giving her students a lot of historic background on our photographer forebearers. As she noted, abstract photography is nothing new. It has roots in the very beginning of photography. She supplied us with a lot of examples that even went back as far as the mid 1800's. All of these were so interesting and proved that those of us behind the camera can create far more than just copies of the larger views before our eyes. I took lots of notes but they were mainly ones listing ideas for how to create some new abstract images. I really needed this class. Even before it was over today I started looking at my surroundings and thinking/wondering what I could create right then and there. She was actually teaching us to look at the world around us with new eyes, something I already knew and have done before. But I needed the reminder. I am excited to pursue some new and old ideas in this genre and see what my favorite will be to submit for a critique next week. The above image is one of several I created with my iPhone camera during the class, and I never even had to get out of my desk chair to make it. After my first photo workshop in 2012 I realized that as a result of that workshop I now was looking at the world in a new way. But life can get in the way of doing that. This last pandemic year has definitely put a damper on my doing it. That's why we should never stop giving ourselves opportunities to learn and grow. If we don't, it is far too easy to fall into a rut and just let life happen instead of making it happen.