I put together a compilation of two 30-second portraits of Junior, complete with music and transitions. It is meant to capture a snapshot of who he is today, as he is constantly and quickly growing and changing.

The last week or so, after 70 days exploring other creative outlets, I’ve found that my focus has been drawn back to photography. I revived davidmonnerat.com, and will be posting my more of my photography-related posts on the blog over there. I’ve been reading some of the photography blogs that I used to frequent last year, finding inspiration.

As I found myself drifting deeper back in to photography, Chase Jarvis, one of the photographers from the “popular” clique that I still kept tabs on as I let most of those connections go, announced that he was doing another Chase Jarvis Live session, in which he  was going to do a photo shot for a band called We Are Augustines. I knew nothing of the band, but I know that when Chase does a photo shoot live, it’s always classy, informative, and generally mind-blowing. Chase was kind enough to link to the promo video for the band and their new album, Rise Ye Sunken Ships.

I was intrigued. And I tuned in.

The first hour or so was Chase interviewing the band, mixed with them playing some of their songs. It was a wonderful combination, and hearing some of the stories that were the inspiration for the songs on the album were, well, inspirational. It must be such a wonderful curse to be able to turn the negative, profound things that happen in one’s life in to a poem, a story, or lyrics. It’s something that I’ve not been able to do, even as the last few years have, in addition to the great joy, included much sadness for me.

Bill McCarthy, the lead singer, came across as a simple guy, sensitive, and sometimes profound. He talked about his brother, who suffered from mental illness and wound up taking his own life, and when he went in to a song, you could hear the emotion in his voice. I though on a few occasions it was as if when his mind pulled up the lyrics for him to sing, he was reliving different moments, and how painful it must still be.

I was impressed with how grateful they were of Chase’s time, and always the class act, I was equally impressed with how respectfully Chase treated them. Halfway through the live shoot, in between any of the photographic action, the cameras and the microphones captured Bill walking up to Chase and thanking him, it was…genuine. I don’t know, it’s not something you often see. In a world of egos, and celebrity, it was refreshing and inspirational to see how really, really grateful folks can be when they share a piece of themselves.

I started the day not knowing what an Augustine was, and ended the day impressed with who they were as people.

Not a bad day.

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creative 365 – no. 78

There is a common attribute that good photographers and good writers share, and that is being a good observer (not in the creepy Fringe Observer sort of way).

In photography, the observer reference can be seen as quite literal, since photography is a visual art requiring basic visual awareness, at least, before pushing the shutter release. Different types of photography require some more focused attention to different characteristics, but overall and generally speaking, a good photographer will watch and learn the behaviors of their subject in order to draw out the desired vibe, look, or emotion. It could be noticing that a young model is nervous and breaking the ice, or that a composed shot feels forced or unnatural, because “real” people wouldn’t be reacting in a certain way.

Writing is the same way. In order to write about characters reacting in a certain way to a situation, it’s important to know how real people react in those situations, so that the story lines retain a sense of believability, regardless of the genre of writing. More often than not, characters are drawn from real life. The gardener, the dad, the cowboy, the cop, all having some special attributes or abilities to make the story unique, but all rooted in fundamental human behaviors.

Observation is also a wonderful source of inspiration. And old couple holding hands as they walk down the street, a good Samaritan stopping to help fix a tire on a busy highway, a young couple having a hushed argument in the back of a coffee shop. There are things happening all around that can serve as the source for the next great work of fiction, or as inspiration for composing a photographic scene. The trick, I’m learning, is to just let yourself sit back and watch. I often feel like I’m rushed, or need to be distracted with my phone, or just focused on my own self and not taking the opportunity to be more conscious of what’s going on around me. It’s certainly not an automatic behavior for me; at least, not yet.

But like everything else, it’s going to take practice.

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creative 365 – no. 76

My wife is wonderful for a lot of reasons. Of course, she’s beautiful, smart, talented, a wonderful mother, and she did produce the most amazing son a father could ask for. But she also has a thing for holidays that I never developed, and she makes each holiday special for her boys.

Thanks, Sunshine.

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creative 365 – no. 75

Continuing on my photography-related post from last night, I wanted to post a few quick tips for improving your photography.

Get to know your camera.

When you bought your camera, in addition to the camera itself, there were probably a few other items inside the box. Maybe a battery, some cables, and a bundle of paper. That bundle was probably an owners manual; maybe a few of them in different languages. They include those in the box for a reason, namely that the camera you just bought has more features than the space shuttle.  You should read through the manual at least once. Some creative types have taken it a step further, and posted a picture using every feature in their camera. Most cameras contain a lot of feature that you will likely never use, but you’ll definitely never use them if you don’t know about them.

Learn the three elements of exposure: shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.

Understanding how these three elements contribute to making an image will dramatically improve the images you take. For example, there is a direct relationship between reducing the shutter speed and choosing a smaller aperture that will give you more depth of field. Knowing how they directly relate to each other will open up creative doors that you didn’t know existed.

Learn the basic “rules” of photography.

Learn the rules of composition, like the rule of thirds. Learn how to use focus to draw attention to the subject. Learn how to use subject placement. Learn the fundamental rules so that you can follow them. Learn them so you can break them.

Practice.

Practice makes perfect. Digital photography affords you the ability to take an infinite number of pictures and not have to pay for the cost of developing film. So take pictures. Experiment with the different features in your camera. Experiment with the three elements of exposure. Experiment with the rules of photography, and experiment with breaking those rules. Whether it’s your wife, your kids, your pets, or the food in your refrigerator, there are always willing subjects around you on which to practice. Take your camera everywhere you go, take it out of the bag, and use it.

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creative 365 – no. 75