I decide to move on from my shoreside spot and climb higher above the water. I recall the intentional camera movement workshop I attended at the Creative Light Photography Festival and begin to use my camera to paint impressions of the reeds. I decide to try slower shutter speeds of around 1 or 2 seconds rather than the faster ones I would normally choose.
Practice Period 12.1 – Alison Price, November 2022
Practice Period 12.2 – Alison Price, November 2022
Practice Period 12.3 – Alison Price, November 2022
There is a sense of surprise as I regularly check the images on the back of my camera and adjust the settings accordingly. As I work the water’s surface is tinged with pinks and oranges and takes on a luminous glimmer. I decided to let my camera and the movement of my hand take the strain without being too precious about the images I might make. I enjoy the excitement of downloading my images onto my computer these days when I am not entirely sure whether I have been successful with a new technique or approach. This is certainly the case with today’s images. I am concerned that with the slower shutter speeds the images become too blurred and thus further away from the reality I am seeking to capture. But I need to dwell with them and consider whether they add a different dimension or aesthetic to my current body of work. Here is a selection of this morning’s efforts.
Practice Period 12.4 – Alison Price, November 2022
Practice Period 12.5 – Alison Price, November 2022
Practice Period 12.6 – Alison Price, November 2022
Practice Period 12.7 – Alison Price, November 2022
Practice Period 12.8 – Alison Price, November 2022
Practice Period 12.9 – Alison Price, November 2022
Practice Period 12.10 – Alison Price, November 2022
Practice Period 12.11 – Alison Price, November 2022
Practice Period 12.12 – Alison Price, November 2022
I would be very grateful for feedback on these images.
Tender and fragile!
Perfect choice of words for reeds at this time of year – decay and dormancy is the order of the day.
I think “the reality I am seeking to capture” is a key phrase. Perhaps you could try writing about that reality in words. Sometimes, it is more a question of the experience I seek to explore. There is a beautiful statement by Emmet Gowin that has been very important to me – “All important pictures embody something that we do not yet understand.”
As you know, I have experimented with ICM, and after a successful body of work in the spring, I am trying to find my way forward without simple repetition. I think experimentation and trust in your questions and process are essential.
In terms of feedback on the images themselves, I am drawn to the ones where the reeds are more defined and have more contrast. In my work, I often tried for an exposure time of 1/30 and different speeds of camera movement.
Thank you for your comment and feedback Roy. It is very helpful. I am trying not to repeat previous work and like you prefer the more defined images. I tend to use about 1/30 normally but it was suggested to me that slower speeds produce interesting images too. In Skye, the shutter speed depends on the wind’s strength and the water’s movement too! I think we do have different starting points – you taking a phenomenological approach whereas I am taking an ontological journey.
Allison,
I would love to hear your thoughts on what the ontological approach means for you on a practical basis: for example how the ICM or other aspects of your creative expression relates to OOD. I do understand that it is a rejection of anthropocentric thinking and seems to suggest that “objects” exist beyond the purview of perceptual thinking. But how does that animate or guide your photography?
The slower shutter speeds work well – capture some of the atmosphere and peace, whilst showing interesting light and contrast.
Stress levels reduced after looking at the calm images!
I think you are right. There is a greater sense peace and tranquility in some of them.