Soft Focus and Dreamy Low Light; Painting or Photograph — and Does it Even Matter?
I don't want to tell you about this portrait.
This weekend, on my Steemwave Saturday radio show, we got into a rousing community discussion that's come up during the last two episodes around expectations. I'll be posting the replays soon enough, but one thing that I acknowledged live on air is that the expectations I place on myself regarding the way I post don't always make a lot of sense. I love and value the photography of others, and their ability to communicate emotion and art in a single frame; but somehow, I don't value my own work that way. When I post a single photo — even one that I'm completely and totally enamoured with — I don't treat it with the same respect that I see in another photographer's work. I realize that every set of pictures I post is accompanied by words. Poignant recollections, delighted descriptions, poetry I've been writing and erasing and re-writing for months on end.
This doesn't mean that I won't write anymore; truthfully, I have no way to stop the stories that pour forth in a torrent when I sit to create something here.
But listening to and discussing this topic with the other creatives and curators around me, I can see the potential here to grow and blossom by shutting the fuck up every once in a while. Of being confident enough in my work that I can hold it to the same standards that I place on others, and every now and again, joyfully posting something simply because it's perfectly imperfectly stunningly beautiful.
Have you ever looked at a photo so long that you get lost in the focus? Zoomed all the way in until the grain mimics the textured layers of conté? Sometimes when I get editing, I get caught in that moment with photos like this one.
The inspiration behind posting this photo today doesn't belong only to my radio listeners, but also to @jasonrussell and the #portraitcontest. This week's theme is black and white, and it gave me the nudge I need to go looking for some of my favourite work to share. I'm not entering, because I actually sponsor this contest, so I can't compete, but I'm glad for the encouragement anyways.
I want to help @jasonrussell grow this awesome tag and the @portraitcontest account so we can keep encouraging and curating photographers who get caught up in way light plays at painting: I donate personal SBD that I earn, and so does he, to make sure there are rewards for people out there experimenting with photography.
So there you have it.
It doesn't matter who she is, or what it stirs in me when I look at this picture. Every now and again, I can come back to the sweeps and strokes of where painting and photography overlap and recognize that my art is complete, with or without the personal stories that I interweave into these posts. (It's pretty hard to shut me up, so I imagine it will be infrequent, but it's a challenge worth rising to.) And if you've been struggling with expectations, try something new, like the #portraitcontest, or hanging out in a live radio show... cut yourself a break now and again. Your best work is yet to come, and I can't wait until you share it with me.
These photos and words are my own work, inspired by travels all over this pretty blue marble of ours. I hope you like them. 🌶️
I see in this picture the sorrow. The disappointment of something held up, placed up. Some event with some person or peoples at some place. Her flowers have slowly retracted from the freshness. The lights are low. The gems will fall. The opulent presentation via physical adornments have failed to produce a permanent satisfying something. It’s grey. It’s silent. It’s gorgeous and lonely. It’s a captured emotion that resonates with anyone who has ever held those emotions, such is a gift of art. Connecting souls across universes.
Expectations are a bitch. I always set mine too high, even when I don't mean to have them. This portrait is gorgeous, with the contrast and the sparkles!
I think creative people always have high expectations of what we want for ourselves, I also think we are the ones that see more of the real beauty in other people's work.
The trick is to know when to let go of something and post it no matter what you think of it. I know for me some of my stories that I personally didn't think were as I wanted them to be ended up to be most people's favorite stories of mine.
So cut yourself a bit of slack and if you feel like the photo has a story that you want to get out what is really wrong with that? Can any of these photo's stand on their own? YES!!!!!! FREAK YES!!!!!!
BUT
It's YOUR post, your thoughts, you need to make it yours because THAT is what makes your posts special.
Like you said, somedays when you have not any words. Post the photo alone. If you have words there is nothing worse then keeping them locked up inside you.........how I feel anyway.........I hate thinking I should have, could have and what if.......
Just be the YOU!!! we all admire and everything else will fall where it should.
Just my 2 cents!
From my own point of view, it takes a selfless mind to take up somes work and advertise and popularise it. I know you so well, you have different stuff that are yours which you can express on steemit, but to take up someone's artwork and make it known to the public is actually a thing of the heart which i have learnt via msp you guys are great. I love the portrait it really cool.
Keep doing the good work and for me also i will do my own push in my own capability.
One love @crimsonclad
I think photographers and artists are generally very hard on themselves and go through similar emotions and thoughts as you raise here for yourself
But I find your work and these images tell a story on their own and stand out
Tip!
The photo has a lot of mysteries and missed feelings written all over it. I can't shake the uncertainty I see on her face, is it because I can see part of myself in her or it's just empathy
That is how creativity works like you said, in an unstoppable torrent, gone with the wind, like a dance, and it is always better to let it move you even if we are not aware of the specifics. Art and music speaks to us and through us like nothing else can.
We are our own worst critic!! Steemit has proven that to me time and time again! Post it lady!!! Post it all!!! Thanks once again for all your support!!!
Beautiful portrait! Says so much and has so much detail to ponder. I love it!
I actually enjoy reading all the stories you write to go along with your photography, but I do enjoy it when people their photography without writing anything to go along with the shot. After all photography is a visual medium and in most places, it doesn't require any additional explanation, sometimes even the title is superficial. I don't see why that's supposed to be wrong in any way.
I have noticed that some people in this community think that photographers should always write a ton of words to go along with their photography, but I think should not be required. Producing high quality shots (like your outstanding portrait here) require a lot of effort and I don't think photographer should feel required to write a novel to show effort just for the sake of it.
Timely and beautiful yet oddly mysterious! I love it! Don't be so hard on yourself (I know, easy to say and hard to do) but you are an amazing person! Don't ever forget that!
And two big thumbs up to the @protraitcontest! Great photography fun going on there!