Labor Day Reflections
Today is Labor Day in the United States, a holiday to celebrate the contributions of the American workers. It is also considered to be the end of summer, although officially that doesn't happen until later in September. For many it is a time to take a trip, go to music festivals, and a time to get kids ready to go back to school. For me, this weekend has been a time to reflect more on my photography, especially when I am out Camera Walking. So over the weekend I watched several online conversations with Jay Maisel, a well-known photographer, who for 61 years has been walking the streets of New York and elsewhere capturing amazing photos. Invest ten minutes and watch this video. Perhaps you will come away inspired as well.
His perspective resonated with me and it has challenged me to look at how I approach my walks, so I went to a different neighborhood this weekend to see what I could capture. The Fremont neighborhood is just over the hill from where I live, and while walking to the canal I was struck by this image. It is a beautiful piece of art with a powerful message, but what pulled me in was her eyes.
"Stay open." We must learn to leave ourselves open to accept things instead of searching for them, according to Maisel. Go out empty and capture what's there. Contrary to many photographers' advice, Jay goes out daily with his camera without any plan in mind. He advises us to be aware of the ordinary. A Tibetan proverb says that "Objects are there for you, only if you see them."
"Look for gesture." In his book, Light, Gesture, and Color (Voices that Matter), Maisel defines gesture as "the expression that is at the very heart of everything we shoot. It's obvious that it's not just people who have gesture. It's in everything we look at: chairs, tables, houses, cars. If we look....it's there. Choose the gesture you wish to show. It will make you infinitely more aware of the world around you. It will broaden your perception and awareness of everything." Wow, how well said!
"Get an image that moves you emotionally." Photography is a tool and the way you see life is in the way you photograph, according to Maisel. He asks what do you communicate to others in your photo? When you take a photo that you love, ask yourself what was the trigger, the reason, that prompted you to take it. As long as there is a trigger there is a point to the picture.
This image was one that I captured a year ago in Fremont. It still is one of my most favorite images because I caught her playing. I was lucky to capture her with her feet off of the ground and her head turned, so that her red hair becomes the focus of the photo. It still makes me smile.
"What are you interested in - photographs or photography?" This question made me stop and think. I am certainly interested in the image that I take, but by his definition, I am more interested in photographing - the process of taking the image. Photographing is about wanting to take the picture and how you feel at that amazing moment when you are capturing it. That is the essence of Camera Walking for me. I love walking through my city finding unique things to shoot. It brings joy to my walk and lifts my spirit.
"You have to do it because you love it." I couldn't agree more. I love taking photographs and especially when I go Camera Walking. With Maisel's good counsel in mind, go out on a walk with your camera and see what you can discover. It can be a wonderful exploration.
