I Spy With My Little Eye

7/12/2013

Let's face it. Everyone's eye is different when it comes to art and photography. That's what makes things interesting. One of my favorite things to do is to look at photos taken by others and see what my eye gravitates toward. Some I like more than others, and that's because of my "taste."

I was thinking about this alot during the week, as I participated in an exhibit event and took some photos of event goers in a local park. It was then I realized that I actually had formulated a "style" and I gravitate toward it 90% of the time, not only when I take my photographs, but when I process them. Not everyone will like my style, but that doesn't worry me because I understand that we all have our own unique artistic appreciations.

So to illustrate my style I'm going to focus on some of the photographs.

When you are in a park full of people who are listening to a band in a pavilion, it's hard to ferret out shots that don't have other people's hands and legs and body parts as a part of them. My theory is you just don't worry about the body parts. Cropping is a magical tool and if you use it wisely, the focal point will remain where you want it. However, there are often opportunities to find things that are off by themselves having a good time. Especially kids. Especially when there is a pond. So this first photo took the opportunity of two friends? sisters? i-just-met-yous? enjoying some foot splashing in the pond. It was late in the day (past 6:30) and the sun was just right at this angle.

I processed the photo to reflect the quiet time it portrays for these two young girls. It's one of my favorites from the evening.

Here is another lucky find. A gentleman enjoying some solitude from the crowd on another section of the large pond. He didn't even know I was there. Thankfully, my camera is quiet. I tend to shy away from posed images. I grew up in a family that always dictated how you stood, where you stood, that you needed to smile, and that wanted a million posed photographs of every event. I find that people show their true being when they don't have to pose, so most of the images I try to take are not posed. There are exceptions. (See below.)

This is an example of an unposed-posed photo. I happened upon this family and snapped very quickly. You can see the gentleman is still talking, the child is curious and about to get off the swing, and the woman is smiling, but not at me I'm sure. She is smiling at something the gentleman is saying. I love capturing photos like this one--the unposed-posed style.

Four friends on a path who had no idea I was focused in on them. Yes there are other body parts in the photo, but your eye should be drawn to the four. Some photographers might have cropped out the remaining body parts of the man immediately behind the girls (who was with them), but I left him in because the path was heavily traveled and because leaving him in, to me, showed the "togetherness" of the girls in walking four abreast on the path.

Here are some additional photos from the night. I think you can certainly start to find and understand my style.