The Love of Art

My great friend with whom I chat every night, makes me excited about art. Just talking with him about things such as photography lighting, or night shooting, gets me itching to grab my camera and make some pictures. I want to improve, and learn. The realisation that I have a long way to go in my art lessons isn't in the least bit overwhelming, because he has a way of inspiring me to learn more and more. Another thing that helps, is the fact that I have already come far. I've learned so much since I first picked up a camera two years ago.

My two big goals at the moment are to become expert at lighting, and learn my camera's histogram. Those are two fairly basic things that I should have perfected a long time ago, but I skipped over them a bit, in the interest of learning other things. I just get so excited about the poses I plan to do, or the scenes I plan to shoot, that I don't take time to really get my lighting exact. I do work on it, I wouldn't want anyone to think I don't bother at all - I take test shots with the lights set up close, then further away, at this angle and that one, but I don't push myself as much as I need to, in order to really understand the concept of lighting, and to improve.

It's too bad that more people don't rediscover their artistic selves. We were all children once, fingerpainting in kindergarten. We created sandcastles, and placemats and crooked ashtrays from clay. For many people as they reach adulthood, art stops being a way to express their own unique selves - it becomes a daunting thing with rules, and degrees of talent, and snobbery. It degenerates into a twisted, unnatural thing that is, in fact the very opposite of what art is intended to be.

Adults who spend a lot of time following their artistic inspiration are often considered a bit batty. Actually I don't mind this lable so much. I think it's appropriate to say that artists are children at heart. We've kept in touch with that being inside us who declares that art is fun. Art is valuable, and keeps us alive in ways that non artists cannot conceive of. The truth is, I feel seperate from non artists, as though I am a different species. When non artists look at me strangely, or laugh at my ideas, or show impatience, it proves that they have a proper understanding about where we both stand. In responding as they do, they've declared themselves to be non artists, and on my forehead they have slapped a lable that I am utterly proud of.

It's too bad that many people get so hung up on following art "rules", they stifle their own creativity. One of my favourite sayings is 'learn the rules so you will know how to break them'. It's important, in my opinion, to learn the basic tips and rules in art. I want to understand thoroughly, the concepts of great photography. I want to know my way around my camera, how and why to change certain settings when shooting in certain conditions, and how to arrange things in a created scene in order to achieve a pleasing photograph. At the same time, I love the idea of breaking a rule or two, in order to create something very different. It's so important for an artist to give their imagination free rein, and never allow the accepted 'rules' to stop them from doing what they want to do artistically. So often I see photographs that were taken by people who kept strictly to the parameters set by others. The pictures are technically perfect, the photographer has learned precisely how to use their camera, but there is something missing. There is no life in the picture. It's imprisoned in a cage, I can almost sense the art within the piece, aching to bust out.

Someone once told me, after looking at my pencil drawings, that I should try to draw with less precision. My portrait drawings were technically well done, I'd added so much detail the result was incredibly realistic ... but he suggested I try to draw more freely. Rather than spend hours getting the features exact, he suggested I try to make sweeping strokes that might result in strange, off kilter renderings. It would free me up, he insisted, loosen up my intensity. It was the first time I'd heard such a thing, but it made sense. I began to understand the idea of freedom in art. While it's very important to learn the craft, to understand what the experts do in creating their masterpieces, it is equally vital to follow one's own instincts. It's important to stretch out, and allow yourself to draw outside the lines.

Tonight I'm planning on going out around one or two in the morning, to get some street shots. I have two neighbourhoods in mind. Fifth Street has art stores, an old theatre, and flower baskets hanging from the streetlamps. The other is called 'Old Orchard' - it's a residential neighbourhood with large old homes and huge trees lining the boulevards. Both neighbourhoods are within walking distance from my apartment, and close to each other. I hope to get some beautiful night pictures that I can turn all moody and brooding with photoshop. I might stop at the beach on my way home, to get shots of the moon shining on the calm ocean.

The greatest gift in the world is a folder full of new photographs waiting to be photoshopped!