Exploring the Details

I do not travel to follow itineraries. I travel to see whatever I happen to see. All it takes is a willingness to wander, to make mistakes, to ask for help, to observe, to follow my instincts, to face fears and step outside my comfort zone. -Ordinary Sparkling Moments

Whenever anyone asks me what I do for a living, I always smile and say, “I am an artist”. Questions then follow about the kind of work I do and what inspires me, and while all of these exchanges are among the most pleasant for me (I mean really, I get to say I’m an artist...an artist!) I have lately been wondering if I should toss all formalities aside and try to express the more fundamental truth of what I do. More than being an artist, a writer or anything else, I am a wanderer, a dreamer, and an explorer. Whether I am on a journey across the Pacific or sitting in my studio pondering my place in the world, my fierce passion for explorations of any kind is what feeds my creative work more than anything else, and it is the tiniest of details in these wanderings that give me the deepest sense of delight.

I have been incredibly blessed to have traveled to many beautiful parts of the world, and on every excursion, there are two items that are always with me: my journal and my camera. I have been known to write journal entries as I’m walking down cracked sidewalks in Havana and as a woman obsessed with graffiti art in Buenos Aires. I am constantly writing, sketching, photographing and observing, trying to capture all the minutiae of new cities, unfamiliar neighborhoods and foreign cultures. Then when I arrive back home, notes, images and doodles in hand, I let all these bits and pieces spill forth so that I can re-assemble them in an entirely new way. I use my photography to express all the subtleties I saw, sensed and experienced in places where I could not understand the language yet still perhaps felt strangely at home.

To allow yourself to dive deep into the tiniest of details in any environment is to open yourself up to colors, images and textures that might go unnoticed if you’re always looking up at the skyscrapers, so to speak. There is so much to see and admire on the ground, in a drugstore window, in the layers of paint on an old building. I find that the more I let my eyes stay focused on one small area, the more I comprehend the real flavor of a city and a culture. In Tokyo, the artful details of their manhole covers helped me understand their appreciation for beauty. In Havana, the peeled paint, broken windows and piles of rubble let any visitor know this was a city lost in time. In Buenos Aires, the political nature of their graffiti gave me a glimpse of the tension still deeply felt by a city with a dark, complicated past. The personality, history and passions of any city, town or neighborhood can be found in its details, by looking in the most minuscule of spaces and letting that take up your entire field of vision.

You don’t need to travel across the globe to explore life’s details. This is a technique you can use anywhere, anytime, even in your own home. What if you took an afternoon to explore the details of your home with your camera? What would those images say about you, your family, your routines, your likes and dislikes? Giving time and attention to the smaller corners of your own living space with your camera can help hone the muscle that notices tiny sparkles in unexpected places. Then you can use those skills to capture all the peculiar, radiant, mysterious charms of any location, near or far, at any time of the year in any part of the world.

Take your time. Observe. Look closer. Let yourself get lost in the details.

Photo and guest post courtesy of artist extraordinaire Christine Mason Miller (aka Swirly Girl). Christine has graciously offered a copy of her book Ordinary Sparkling Moments to one lucky reader. If you want in on the action leave a comment here to be included in the drawing. 

Congratulations to Bridge of Ride the Waves of Life the winner of the wonderful offerings from Jen Lemen.

Comments

[kosenrufu mama]

wow, i love her... i would like to win her book.....

http://esterdaphne.blogspot.com/2008/11/un-sogno.html

[cyndi]

absolutely! i'd love an opportunity to win her book. i'm in!

[Marcie]

'God is in the details' (said by Mies van der Rohe).
Am always looking for that:
http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=612

[Nihal]

Exactly! I too take time to observe the mini details in and around me, even the outside because all the beauty is hidden behind those details. That's why there's always a comfort in my life, I mean the comfort of small pleasures.
So generous to offer this giveaway, lets see if I'd be lucky.. Thanks for the opportunity.

[Vanessa]

christine shares such wonderful thoughts and insights!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanessa_r/3005949485/

[Sebrina]

Oh wow, I would love a a chance to win a copy of her book. Thank you!

[Emilyt]

Inspiring entry today. I'll be looking for the extra in my surroundings today! I sometimes get lost in the bleak and the desolate...I'm sure there is soul within.

[Puna]

I thought I was always too busy to pay much attention to details. Until I got my camera that is.

Now, even drum stick heads are fascinating to me.

http://lifesignatures.wordpress.com/2008/12/03/december-photo-project-dec-3/

[yellow pooky]

i do love details:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yellowpooky/3077770583/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yellowpooky/3080332539/

[aveleigh]

It was while I was growing up in a small town that I realized the beauty of life was in noticing the details of my surroundings. There was nothing to do there but ponder, and I was a teenager who was sure that most of her thoughts were brilliant. It turns out most of them weren't, but this one stuck.

Now when I'm traveling, I feel so blessed to be able to take in the details of other people's daily lives. I was very inspired by this post and I think I could learn a lot from Christine.

www.avenuphotography.com

[Jeanine]

Christine, such a beautiful post! If you are reading this... what has been your favorite place to explore in this world? I have 5 weeks off in Feb-March and I don't know where to take my camera.

In the meantime, this cold December is keeping me indoors these days and seeing as I can't seem to go a few days without clicking, I've started taking photos of my home.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wonderphotos/sets/72157610620359761/

[trupeach]

wow. what an amazing post.
here is a detail from my parents' house that struck me over thanksgiving: the napkin drawer of all things
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13818098@N00/3079355633/

[kt]

I loved this post! i have been getting lost in the details of my mornings this week whatever catches my eye just in little fleeting moments with photos
http://kt40.typepad.com/kt40/
kt

[betrank]

Once again I'm reminded to stop looking for the BIG picture and photograph the tiny things that go unnoticed.
Great post!!

[shelli]

Wow. She sounds like someone whose book I'd like to read! Spending a week at my Polish in-laws, I began looking at the details of spending time with them:

http://www.mamaofletters.com/Site/The_Focal_Point/Entries/2008/12/4_Cheese_Blitz_with_Homemade_BlueBerry_Topping.html

[cindy k]

the book is wonderful. i love to get a closer look with my camera
http://flickr.com/photos/71443419@N00/3000028145/
http://flickr.com/photos/71443419@N00/3045143177/

[Kath]

I don't love housecleaning. The vacuuming and floor washing all bore me and I have little interest in it. Fortunately my husband does the "big" clean. I love the small cleaning, where I handle and wipe the dust off all the little things in the house and I stand close to the art on the walls taking in how beautiful they are and remembering why they were bought in the first place.
I think is why I'm loving my new macro lens so much.

[margie and kath]

last night my sister and i were talking about colour and our photos. she challenged me to match her orange picture. no question we both took these shots because of the colour and detail.

http://3yrplan.typepad.com/photo_du_jour/

we both travel daily with our cameras. even to the grocery store. i always say to her, you never know.

[Stephanie]

Since its winter time in Michigan, I've felt like "what on earth am I going to photography all winter". My children are already running when I get the camera out. This reminds me that I need to work harder at photographing the small things. There are plenty of small things at my house. Usually on the floor ready to be stepped on and cursed at, but there are plenty of small things.

[devan]

nice!

[Jean M Fogle]

What would life be without the little details. As we loose ourselves to the fast pace of our lives, we loose our ability to take the time to pay attention to the details. Stopping to look closer gives us a moment to catch our breath, get centered and after a brief break we are ready to tackle life again. Loose yourself in the moment and you might just find something you have been missing!
My detail pictures are of the ice that is slowly but steadily creeping in!
http://pixels-n-pen.blogspot.com

[abbey]

I LOVE this post... your description of what you do, etc....
loving december so far! ;)

Here are some details....
http://www.photoblog.com/abbeyh13/

[Nikki Jo]

I think that getting my camera and learning to "live" with it has taught me to appreciate the details. I don't know how many times I'll be looking at a print I've taken and go "what's that?" as I look closer and see something I didn't even realize was there when I took the picture.

Now, I look for those things BEFORE I snap. lol

[sandi]

Would love the book!
I also love details...and am looking inside the house and in the alley now that it is cold here in Minnesota.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandis_art/3082473176/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandis_art/3017200831/

[Kelly]

Great post! Shortly after my daughter was born, we went out and purchased a new camera and three new lenses. I was obviously not shooting weddings with a newborn, so I decided I would see what photos I could find in my house. It really opened my eyes to detail and it has paid off even in the portraits I've photographed since.

I'd love a chance at the book!

[carey]

wonderful! i feel like i need to go explore my house now!!

[heather]

I believe that it's the details that the artist sees, and reveals, that speak most about how the artist interprets beauty. And that we all see just a little bit differently, and that itself is beautiful.

[renee @ FIMBY]

oh my, a chance to win a copy of ordinary sparkling moments - my fingers are crossed.

[hil]

That was a wonderful post. thank you.

[lizzy]

this is a beautiful post. thank you for sharing with us, dreamer/explorer. i always said i wanted to travel with my journal, my camera, and lots of tea in my suitcase. that's it. onward to adventure.

[raina]

I need some ordinary sparkling moments in my life right now :)

[Jennifer]

Would love to read her book!

[jag]

Yes, indeed, the beauty is in the details! There's an abandoned church near my retreat house. I have spent many hours exploring its faded beauty...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jagspace/2608703077/in/set-72157610159243695/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jagspace/3061921641/in/set-72157610159243695/

jag xox

[Charlotte]

this post was so insightful... i would love to have her book!

[Jen Lee]

I hope my path crosses with Swirly Girl someday soon.

[deezee]

from a fellow wanderer who's in need of some more wandering...

[Lori]

Love your reference to manhole covers in Japan as I've just started taking photos of them in the places I'm living and visiting here.

[lora]

Great post. This sure is the season to find ordinary things sparkly! =)

[Liz Dager]

would love this!

[Shawna]

Having two young children makes it hard to travel much to take pictures. Fortunately, it gives me two beautiful subjects I never tire of capturing with my camera. http://www.flickr.com/photos/shawnac

Would love to win this book.

[Sharon]

What a treasure, this book!

[camerashymomma]

the details are what make me feel most alive. most connected, just like you said.
i would love to get my hands on that book!

[claudia]

Well said! Cool book, would love to own it!
I agree with Marcie, God is in the details - life is in the details! I'm nearing "completion" of my noticing project this year, I've gone well over the number I thought I would take and don't plan on stopping next year.

[Marcy]

This is why I'm craving a macro lens... ah well. I can still explore. =)

[iHanna]

True, so true. I find new beautiful worlds on my kitchen table every day, like this lovely island:

http://www.ihanna.nu/blog/?p=933

:-)

[AppleTree]

Awesome.

[krista]

insert one ordinary sparkling comment......

[Jessica]

Great entry. I'd love to win her book!

[marcy]

i have always hesitated to call myself an artisit, that was alway s someone else. now that i am an artist i have given myself permission to see the world differently and the details have become very clear. thanks for the chance at receiving this great book

[Stephanie Fox]

Great perspective!