Project 52: Week 2 - Consider Your Vision

Starting this week, Project 52 will be following the assignments from David DuChemin's book "The Visual Toolbox: 60 lessons for stronger photographs". DuChemin, a world and humanitarian photographer, leads a nomadic life and has captured compelling photographs on all seven continents. When he's not traveling the world, he calls Canada home. This is the first book of his I have purchased and already I am enjoying it and can't wait to work through all of the assignments.

Our first assignment is "Consider Your Vision." Our task was to pick our favorite photographs that we've taken and ask ourselves what we are trying to express. This isn't necessarily about picking images that are technically correct or even the most popular ones we've taken. But about identifying what our vision or style is. After all, as artists, we create art that shows how we see the world. This reminds me of an Elliott Erwitt quote "photography is an art of observation. It has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them."

As I look through the images I chose as my favorites, several things they have in common jump out at me. First, I see images that tell a story. I notice the use of color and textures incorporated in the backgrounds. Finally, no surprise here, most of my subjects are pets, and I feel a connection with them through my photographs.

One of my goals for 2016 is to work on developing my style. So this exercise has been extremely helpful for me. While creating "perfect" art is always a goal of any artist, more importantly, it is to express my vision of what I see with my camera.

As with every Project 52 post, we are to take an image(s) the week our theme is announced. I struggled with it this week since now that it's winter everything is bleak, blah and lacking in color. We did get our first snowfall a couple of days ago followed by some sun, so I found a park with some dead vegetation (texture), a setting sun and a dog (Izzy) who loved running free on a very cold winter day.

What do you see when you look at my photos? Do you agree with my take on my style? If you disagree, how would you describe it?

Next up is Elaine Tweedy, I Got The Shot Photography, Northeastern PA-based photographer. Don't forget to keep clicking on all the links until you get back here.