I started working on this month's assignment this week. The assignment is to use a single lens or single focal length all month long. I like the idea of the assignment because it might help me to simplify the camera process to pay more attention to this image. I also like it because it forces me to explore the capabilities of a lens. I imagine if I use the same lens all month then I will be able to anticipate in the future the types of photos it is good for and what kind of technical approach I should take when using it.
I started working on the assignment on Monday. And, my first impulse was to cheat.
I can take photos with my point and shoot this month; as long as I don't share or post them this month, no one will know that I wasn't shooting exclusively with the 17mm lens I had chosen. After all, the point and shoot is so much more convenient than my big camera. Of course, that would be cheating.
On Tuesday, I put my point and shoot away and packed up my camera with the 17 - 35mm zoom. I shot some Halloween photos on the way home and all was good.
On Wednesday, I visited my friend in South Lake Union in Seattle. City Light is finally demolishing the Greyhound Bus Barn which will become a substation in the future. The colorful heavy equipment and aerial view was mesmerizing. I took a few pictures at 17mm which show the Greyhound property in the neighborhood context. I was tempted to zoom up to 35mm to fill the frame more and get a better sense of the work going on. Of course, that would be cheating.
On Thursday, I had a few minutes to spend at Lakeview Cemetery in Seattle. I had seen the memorial of ceramic artist Robert Sperry on a previous visit and thought I could get in the spirit of the season by making some connection between his crows and the other monuments in the graveyard. I got some OK pictures, but will probably come back on a day with better light or use a longer lens (next month) to force the pieces together.
Also on Thursday, I joined a friend on a photo walk near her house. We had many photo opportunities, including an up close and personal with neighbor dog Maggie.
We were on the prowl for Fall and Halloween photos. Some were easy with the 17mm lens, including a nice squash and pumpkin photo. Other images would have been better if I had been able to step into the midst of someone's yard to get the shot. Oh well, I thought, I can always crop. Of course, that would be cheating.
Less than one week in and I feel that I am doing well on the assignment. It is very hard trying to fit what I visualize in my mind into a photo using the 17mm lens. But, I am pretty sure that is the point. The task of becoming proficient in photography is not about taking the easy road and capturing the ready made photo. It is about seeing the possibilities in a scene and having the comfort in the tools to make the pieces come together in a story.
I don't plan on cheating this month. But the temptation might just make me into a better photographer.
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2 comments:
I found i wanted to cheat as well, but like you it would have eatten away at me. i particularly enjoy hearing your thought process and how you visioned the photos or happened upon them and how it was executed. Can't wait to see more of the challenging month!
My favorite is the dog and inspired some photos of my dog from it.
The warmth in the autumn and halloween photos is great! I particularly enjoy how sharp the bumps and ridges on the squash are.
I particularly like the dog and grave! They engage the viewer.
You did choose an extreme lens to work with. The temptation to cheat goes with extreme territory. At least in political circles :)
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