the art of composition

Composition starts when you situate your camera in space in relation to the object. For me, photography is the exploration in reality of the rhythm of surfaces, lines, or values; the eye carves out its subject, and the camera has only to do its work. That work is simply to print the eye’s decision on film. - Henri Cartier-Bresson

For quite some time I've been conjuring up and creating content for my soon-coming class "The Art of Composition"; recalling all the lessons I learned in past art classes, observing my process of compsosing shots, examining my images and those of others and taking a lot of notes on all of it.

All up in my own head, I've been eager to learn more about what some of the photographers of the past have said on the topic of creating and composing their images.

I stumbled upon a collection of Henri Cartier-Bresson's quotes and I read page after page of his thoughts on photography; so many of which deeply inspired me as I nodded my head along with his words, yes, yes.

But, the more I read the more I would find a line or two; a comment or belief where I wasn't so sure. Do I agree with that? Does that ring true for me?

And then I did the same for a number of other world renowned, well-respected photographers. Reading, contemplating, agreeing and also disagreeing. Of course that's the case. It would be highly unlikely and very unnatural to agree with everything another photographer thought about photography. But, it was so illuminating.

The fact is, our photography is ours. How we approach it should be unique to who we are.  How we live our photographic bliss is totally up to us. There will be so many things we will agree on. Our passion for photography for one thing. But not everything. And that is totally how it should be.

What is photography for you? Share your thoughts or better yet, share a photograph. Something that shows us YOUR photography.

solitude and ritual

 

As parents, it is often difficult to find time for yourself when work, family, and everything but YOU seem to come first. I am sure that I am not alone in saying that when a rare moment of solitude finally does present itself... I feel, well, a bit selfish. My mind races with all the things I should be doing.

Recently, I found the cure for my self-imposed guilt.  I schedule "me time" into my day.  Since quality time must first be found to be cherished, it now goes on the calendar, along with client appointments, vet appointments, and picking up dirty socks.  As I proceed through my day, checking off my to-do list, I work my way towards my personal time knowing that I have "earned" it.

It is in these moments that I savor my daily rituals. The personal activities in life that are just for me.  Even the most stressful of days can be salvaged by the simple act of lighting a candle, hiding in the corner with a good book, and savoring a cup of tea.

Today, I invite you to share some the quieter moments from your day with us.

signs of change

Change.  The word has been ringing in my ears for a few weeks now.  The leaves on our trees are beginning their change from greens to golden browns. My kids returned to school ending what felt like the best summer vacation in years. The temperatures are dipping from the heat of summer to the cool of autumn.  The daylight is shortening.  So much change all at once.  It can throw a routine loving girl like me off balance.  Rather than fight the change I take out my camera and search for the beauty in the signs. The morning I dropped my son off at his first day of first grade I was really feeling tender.  I had my camera on me since I had just snapped what felt like a zillion photos of him walking into school, his new classroom, and of course, he and his backpack.  On my way home I took the long way.  I stopped a few times, each time getting out of my car, camera in hand, searching.  For what I had no idea.  I just needed to slow down and take those few minutes for myself.  I tend to go small on these occasions.  Beauty in the details sort of thing. Most of summer's wildflowers have come and gone here already.  The queen anne's lace have turned inward.  The once pretty parasols of white flowers now wrapped upward as if they are holding on to one another.  A true sign of season's change.  I snapped away at them and somehow felt lighter, happier.

As we say goodbye to another season what signs of change do you find?  Please share your images with us.

communing with nature

 "...deepening our emotional ties to nature is as vital to our well-being as the close personal bonds we pursue with family and friends." - Sarah Ban Breathnach, Simple Abundance

Today, let's deepen our emotional ties to nature.  Share with us a captured landscape, a scenic view or even a tiny vignette graciously and lovingly provided by Mother Nature. 

Everyday Excerpt

Each day I do the dirty work, the effort that attracts no notice but my own, and in this very place I find the ordinary ingredients for genuine fulfillment.

Rising with the sun to sort and stack the dishes, appreciating this simple task as the essential start to a healthy day. Chopping the blemished fruit into breakfast, savoring the taste of my own usefulness. Emptying full hampers without resentment or commentary. Making a marriage from sturdy pots and pans, an enduring masterpiece of mutual forgiveness. Cooking dinner while my daughter plunks the most lovely praise songs from the piano, knowing that my own mother, standing in her own kitchen, once received the same sweet cup of satisfaction from me. Watching my family circle each other in wary regard, wrestle and shout a messy wreck of feelings, seeing them suffer their deep adoration of each other, and leaving it be, well and good and theirs alone. Keeping silent about some things and laughing about most everything.

Loving all of this, and then forgetting to add even that, so full to the brim with this life already.

Excerpted from the book Hand Wash Cold: Care Instructions for an Ordinary Life ©2010 by Karen Maezen Miller. Printed with permission of New World Library, Novato, CA. www.newworldlibrary.com

For a dose of everyday inspiration, listen to Karen Maezen Miller read an extended excerpt from Hand Wash Cold on her blog today.

And please share an image of your own everyday beauty. For some perfect examples from our community visit the One Word Project flickr pool where the word this month is everyday.

Karen is graciously giving away a signed copy of her book for Giveaway May. Leave a comment here between now and Thursday midnight for a chance to win.

Congrats to Aia for winning the signed copy of Hand Wash Cold. Yay!