Camera Roll

Camera Roll

Happy New Year

crystal flare

Weathering

Weathered shoe,

retired, yet,

you keep

my imprint in your leather soul

And who would know

the journey

would render you

the tone

of a discarded iron coil?

Dawn

Sunrise or sunset

Colours display

Warm or cold

Night or day

Sunrise 

over Jindy

Of Ice and land

In the winter months the life force of the land goes deep within. The sap of the trees moves down into the roots, and the surface of the earth is cold and damp. The flow of the creek slows down as ice spreads an army of still-life crystals over any trickle which dares to hesitate. Suspended then for all of winter the ice remains until the warmth of the returning sun can generate enough heat to penetrate its glassy hold.

A winter season of the creative soul may be triggered by the events of the natural world, or it may follow its own intrinsic cycle. In that time of darkness it can feel as though all light is lost - that the warmth may never come again. In a really tough winter the creative source may appear to have withdrawn so far into the core that there is little hope it will ever emerge. The cycle may come on suddenly and last for a week - or perhaps the onset  may be imperceptible, and it will grip at the heart for years at a time. 

Just like the earth, when the cold cycle of the creative spirit retreats into the inner world, the surface is abandoned, frozen into a white death of silence. Look closely, listen carefully, lay your hand gently on top of the frozen waterfall, and you will feel the force of life beating strongly as the ice water courses through the veins of the earth, surging powerfully beneath the rocks and shiny dark crevasses within the falls. As the earth withdraws its life force to regain its strength and escape the harsh and damaging frost, so does the creative soul.

Seasons of plenty can't go on indefinitely. The cycle of giving must be balanced by the natural cycle of replenishing. As the earth comes out of darkness the light and warmth return, bringing with them the energy which triggers a new cycle of harvest, of health, of happiness. Allowing the creative spirit time to withdraw into the darkness of winter gives the soul permission to rekindle, reflect on the inner life, and burst out in spring, teeming with new ideas and energy. Go on the journey in the knowledge that a new richness awaits when the inner work is complete. Don't cease up in the presence of ice.

Is Science the true art of photography?

Should photography be a precise and specialised science? Or, should photography be a expression of the soul? For me, it's about drawing, risk taking, trust, adventure, and exploration. For others, it's more about precision and knowing exactly how the image will appear.

In many images, exquisite attention to every detail is required, with specialised lighting, highly crafted backlighting, and the work must be created in the controlled environment of a studio. I prefer to treat the camera as a palette, searching for the scratchy marks and scumbles that are made when the landscape is allowed to etch its way onto the canvas of the film.

Whatever it's about for you, go to it, find it, and make it your own. 

Night Drawing

Into the skyline the glowing sun falls,
and up comes the shlock of the night.
Blinded by darkness,anything is possible.
An outline of a tree,
a skidding brake light.

How good is my work - good enough?

Is there a reason not to put your work out there, give it a go, tell people about it? Many people whose work is really great are too self critical to show their work and it gathers dust in the cupboard while its creators strive for perfection, innovation, and notoriety. Other types are overly confident about promoting under-ly impressive work. Either way, there's one thing for certain - having a go, getting it out there, celebrating your expressions, innovation, individuality and responses to your life, your work, your relationships, and interaction with the world you live in - can only lead to improving your work over time. Making excuses that your work isn't good enough is infinitely easier than showing up - rising to the capabilities unique and innate to every individual. So go on, get out there - stop making excuses and go straight to it. Show the world what you are made of, how you see things, what it is that you're here to contribute!