22 posts tagged “photograph”
I find it interesting how people react to titles of photos and have come to the conclusion that the title can cause an unwarranted bias on the picture. The title I use for the above photo on my flickr site is "When you look into the heart of a rose" and one of the commentators humorously finished the sentence by saying I see nothing but the bugs. They were kidding being funny however it really made me do some contemplating about the titles we put on our work. Now titling is not always my strong suit simply because sometimes I am just too lazy to think through the best title, but lets explore for a moment what purpose the title serves. In the past titling art work wasn't that crucial because the observer say the work before the title, but in today's digital age it is more likely that the observer will see the title before the work because it has been pulled by a search engine so if the title isn't interesting or if it is offensive then that observer may never make that click.
So what makes a good title? In my humble opinion the best titles evoke the same stirring as the piece of art however finding that perfect match is really difficult sometimes. This subject doesn't just end with art though it spills into every moment of our everyday lives. Names of businesses, products, communities, pets and most importantly children. Ultimately your title (name) is all that you have, so when someone speaks or hears your name does it stir thoughts of hard work, loyality, honesty and respect or does it cause thoughts of disinterest, laziness, dishonesty and disrespect. A rose by any other name?
As an artist I have talked of us being historians, and this past Sunday I had the opportunity to put my artistic historian skills to the test, to capture and tell the story of a tragedy . What was a wonderful Sunday afternoon at the an airshow turned tragic as a thunderstorm ripped through the airport mangling tents and throwing objects around. A child lost his life and many others were hurt, you can read my account and see the pictures at Story
In the moments that followed the storm, my first thought was how could I help but there many trained paramedics and rescue personnel on the scene so I turned to recording the scene with my camera. I tried to take pictures that convey the emotion of the story as well as the story itself. I left and when I arrived home I uploaded the pictures and sent them to a couple of local news station and then decided to write a small summary and submit it and some pictures to Ireport.com.
Monday came my fifteen minutes of fame, CNN called and wanted to use my pictures and account on their website and TV. Suddenly my little story and pictures were easily assessable to the international stage. At last count the story was viewed over 42,000 times but my thoughts were had I been an artist in this. I believe I got the answer to the question when I looked at the comments and people were disagreeing if it was disturbing and tragic, because part of my definition of art is that it makes people think and discuss.
For me this came at a very strange time and provide validation to me you see I am down to my last few dollars and still have not found a job. The tragedy obviously put things in perspective as far as counting my blessing and being grateful but it also came me hope and belief that I do things well and would be valuable as an employee.
Today let your family and friends know how much you love them.
The sharing of joy, whether physical,
emotional, psychic, or intellectual, forms a bridge between the sharers
which can be the basis for understanding much of what is not shared
between them, and lessens the threat of their difference. -Audre Lorde
As artist we are ambassadors for our world and our lives, conveying the similarities and the differences to others in a somewhat non threatening way. One of the best bridges is joy. Capturing the expression of joy in a piece of art is a special moment, for the language of joy is universal. In every culture, joy is prized it is a sign of prosperity, of self contentment, of peace if only for a fleeting moment. It can open doors because it shows that moment of simplicity and vulnerability.
Joy is important in all lives without there is a depth and dimension that is missing. Today capture a moment of joy in your art and live a moment of joy in your life.
Failure is a part of life and learning. First you must define what failure is to you, and realize that definition may change as different situations arrive in your life. Currently my definition of failure is redefining itself as I struggle to be true to become the artist I was meant to be. Is it failure if I can’t currently live on what I make from my art thus having to take a small job to survive? In the past I would have defined that as failure but now as long as I am persistent with my art I don’t define it as failure it would only be failure if I gave up the persistence with my art and once again let the corporate world define who I am. How do you define failure in your art and your life?
Is it failure if everyone’s opinion of what you think is your best piece ever is just so so?
Is it failure if you don’t have a piece hanging on a gallery wall somewhere?
Is it failure if you haven’t moved someone with your art?
Is it failure if you haven’t caused someone to think about things in a new light with your art?
Is it failure if you life a small existence but the world is a better place because you are in it?
Without a definition of failure you won’t be persistent to what is true to you. Today define failure for you in your art and your life.
Spring emerges with first a color splinter,
Gains speed with each day gone by
And finally burst forth in spectacular reply.
Spring by De Olkiewicz
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We make the common moments of life profound by pausing.
It is the common ordinary moments that tell the details of our lives, of who we are of where we come from and where we are going. What an honor and a privilege to creatively immortalize those moments for others.
Today turn the common into the profound by pausing and appreciating it.
"All we see of someone at any moment is a snapshot of their life; they're in riches or poverty, in joy or despair. Snapshots don't show the million decisions that led to that moment." Richard Bach
Today are you creating snapshots or masterpieces?
Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy. -Thich Nhat Hhan
Capturing smiles in art is tricky business, because so often what we get is the obligatory cheese smile. You know the one I am talking about, I am doing this because it is expected of me. I feel great accomplishment when I capture a real emotional smile. Smiles have many different emotional expressions, sheer joy for being... (like the one above); mischievous; contentment; in love and on and on and on. Those are some of the most important moments in life however they are the most difficult to capture because they happen in unplanned moments.
Are you defining success in your life and your art or are you allowing someone else to define it for you?
It is said that before you can achieve success you need to define what success means. I would take it one step further, and say you must define what success means to you for you to truly achieve success, otherwise you are simply succeeding by someone else's standards. A month ago others would have defined my life as successful, as I was an accomplished manager of a operation of 300+ agents, 20 team leads and 3 supervisors but as I began to look, evaluate and define I did not define it as success because I wasn't being true to who I am nor was I doing my utmost best on the job each day. In my life I am not successful if I am not achieving my definition of success no matter how much money I make or how many people I manage.
Living by someone else's definition of success in life can be destructive, however creating your art by someone else's definition of success is devastating. You may sell many pieces and be praised by many people however if you are not creating to your definition you are not being true to your emotions, expression or point of view. This world needs true artist who are willing to stand behind their creative expression because they have achieved their definition of success for their art, not talented people who are produce work that doesn't have their heart and soul in it.
Today, define your own success in life and in your art.
