Win some, lose some.

I don't know how long I'll be on this "random photo" kick, but until I'm finished it looks like I'm going to be doing photo dumps and talking about my day. Part of me wants to stop and go back to one photo subject per day, but the other part of me is having a lot of fun photographing everything that catches my eye and then picking my favorite one for my 365 photo. Of course I could do both. I believe I will starting tomorrow. Actually, probably starting Saturday because tomorrow I'm going to a concert right after work.

I've been thinking more about my restraints regarding abstract and artistic photography. I remember being in high school and letting my friends use my digital camera. They would frequently take the camera and angle it while taking a photo, or take a photo of something random for a crooked/low to the ground viewpoint. I never understood it and I recall it irritated me a lot. Especially the angled portraits of people. I would tell them not to do that because the photos would be crooked in my albums.

Thinking about it now, I know that I believed them to be taking pretentious, fake artsy photos and I didn't understand them. To me, photos were supposed to be straightforward, I was supposed to know where to look and I was supposed to be able to identify what I was looking at.

Where did this thought process come from? Why did I think this? Why do I still think this?

I wish I could pin point the turning point in my life, what I encountered that caused me to believe that any "abstract art" was new age nonsense that non-artists used to pass of as art. I feel like a jerk for revealing these thoughts right now.

But I know that I'm wrong. To a small extent, this thought process does apply to some people. However, it certainly doesn't apply to everyone or everything! I'd like to find a good art history book so I can educate myself.

I feel like a total phoney when I squat down low and take an angled photo of a random object. But sometimes I like the results. Sometimes the photo is really interesting and I quite enjoy looking at it. My eyes can travel around and around and I can find something to appreciate continuously. The tones are interesting and the colors are attractive. Why is this? It's just a random object!

Taking pictures of anything that interests me has helped though. I feel like I'm looking at the world differently everyday, even more significantly in the past few days as I've started snapping at anything that catches my eye. I've never taken angled photos until earlier this week. I'll see something I like and try taking it from different angles and tilting the camera to see if it enhances what I see. It's been working. Do I feel like a phoney still? A little bit. It'll take time to reprogram my thought process.

I named this blog 'win some, lose some' because I like some of the random photos I take more than others. Some are more interesting than others, and some feel more pretentious than others. Some of these photos I don't really "get", but I like them anyway.

-MJ

Color and composition, yes?

Focusing on shape and composition is difficult for me. I'm not sure where it all started, but in my mind it is contrived artsy nonsense.

I know that this is a false statement and the wrong way to feel about it.

It's difficult to break this belief for me though, I've carried it with me for so long. Admitting I have a problem is the first step! This is where art history would be so unbelievably helpful.

At work today Ryan and I discussed my current point and shoot excursions. He suggested that my focus this quarter be on taking more photos than just my 365 shots. He said bring my camera with me literally everywhere and take photos of anything and everything that catches my eye, no matter how big or small. I started today and I had fun with it.

I felt kind of like a bird, my eyes darting constantly around me as I walked around the halls and off campus. Felt a little ADD too, seeing as I double or triple checked everything shiny. Maybe a little crazy too, because of standing really close to random objects or squatting down and cocking my head to the side.

I miss having a camera with me literally at all times. I love my D80 and I miss it terribly right now, but I really appreciate how easy it is to pull out the pocket camera, snap a photo and then put it away. No muss, no fuss and it doesn't kill my back or scream, "I'm kind of expensive so I tempt thieves". 

Up there I wrote that I'm going to carry my camera with me at all times now. This kind of gives the impression that that wasn't my goal previous to today, which isn't the case. I've gone on and off having my camera with me on all outings and leaving it at home. Having my D80 with me at all times doesn't necessarily make it easy to use at all times. It's not particularly inconspicuous. I don't like it when people look at me funny.

I probably shouldn't care though.

I've considered purchasing a new point and shoot, but I'm having a difficult time justifying it. My old point and shoot, a trusty Sony from June of 2004, did me well for three years. But it's old now, and far too slow for speedy me. It looks as though Jake and I will be getting iPhones in June and that'll eliminate any situation where I lack a camera.

I greatly look forward to it. Can't wait to join The Best Camera community!

-MJ