This is part of your style that you don't notice!
Are you aware how your experiences are reflected in your photography?
As I looked at the photographs in series, I saw how what I was photographing reflected how I was feeling.
To recap quickly, I have just spent 83 days living in my truck following an unfortunate turn of events. My camera had come out less and less as the trip had worn on. I tried to document what I could but I had reached a point I didn’t want to document it anymore. I wasn’t having fun and I wasn’t in a good place. I did force myself on occasion to pull out the bag and I am glad I did. I made myself shoot because I wanted to find creativity through the lens of increasing desperation. I had run out of money, gas and hope. I was running on faith. As Eric Clapton stated “what else can a poor boy do?”
I was feeling isolated and the nights were becoming lonely. In my limited understanding Bon Buddhists have a way to interpret that feeling of being alone in the world as a place you can see how unique you are and how much one soul makes a difference. The other side of course is that due to lack of good sleep, food and company, I was going stir crazy. So I was starting not to trust my decision making ability. I wanted to see if what I was going through effected my vision for a shot. It’s known in Psychology that how we feel can play a role in how we frame our world and choices. When we’re sad we like sad music or movies and vice versa.
I made a rule that I wouldn’t review any shots until I was done the trip. Then I could review and see things I’d forgotten and for me, it helps to have a fresh perspective. None have been edited except a quick crop to a couple. Here’s a few.
To review quickly, apart from ‘crabby islander’, I notice I’m using space to offset (seaweed) or to frame (dinghy) or using space as the subject (lonely walker). I see solitary subjects or single objects. Some are set amongst chaos (lines and shapes with log) or blatantly (dead tree). I remember thinking early on that I’m finding shots that are perfect portrait frames or backgrounds but they lacked a subject or meaning. It’s just a pretty bush. As I was finding meaning in the trip, my photos were doing the same. It got lonelier and more singular. And more abstract.
I missed working with someone and that combination of collaboration and personality but I am going to widen my scope and shoot more purely to shoot.
I am now in a position I hadn’t even considered. I landed on my feet and I’m doing well. I will be shooting again in the future but in a slightly different way so stay tuned for that and how my new situation couldn’t be more perfect to shoot, cook, travel and settle for a bit.
I will write soon, thanks for your time and comments!!