Guest blogger Stacey Hill encourages you to embrace the blur in photography. When asked why I enjoy photography, my reply is always “It’s the perfect blend of technology and art.” For those who want to geek out about focal lengths, f-stops, and the other technical aspects, photography has plenty of space for that. However, if you want to explore more creative ways to use your camera, then there are lots of ways to do that.
Mental Health Benefits of Photography According to a study by QJM International Journal of Medicine, mental...
Mindfulness is about slowing down, being fully present in the moment, and receiving that moment. The exact same words apply to the process of making photographs. For me, to photograph is to be fully present in the moment. Because when I photograph nothing else enters my mind. I’m in a state of flow where worries, the past, and the future have disappeared.
I’ve compiled a list of 7 at home photography ideas designed to honor the mindful nature of the photographic process. All photo projects have one ingredient in common. They revolve around the art of seeing and will, therefore, develop your observation skills. Examining your outside and inside world allows you to get into that much-desired mindful state.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But sometimes we need words to give expression to what we think and feel around a single photograph or photography in its entirety. So I actually feel that pictures and words go hand in hand most of the time. When we see a photo there’s an infinite number of reactions to that single image. We need words to articulate our reaction.
Whenever I feel lost, I pick up my camera and start to photograph. The simple act of picking up my camera in the midst of what feels like chaos creates a little overwhelm free island of time. I’m focused on creating something and when I’m photographing there’s not much else that can enter my mind. It’s what I call the mindful nature of photography and it’s healing.
Photography Project by Joaquim De Oliveira Gonçalves. Street photography is without a doubt his favorite approach to photography. Joaquim started to photograph at a young age already. “I was usually the designated photographer for family vacations.’ Later on, he started to be more interested and he read a lot of books about photography and photographers.
This month’s blog takes us into the wonderful world of India. More specifically, to a little village next to the Mahanadi River, called Athmallik. This magical village is the source of inspiration and encouragement for Arpita to document the mesmerizing world around her. Arpita´s home town is surrounded by hills, deep forests, and water. “I have been surrounded and inspired by this since my childhood.”……
So, a funny thing happens every time I write about photography which is like on a daily basis. I make it a point to write Make Photographs and not Take Photographs because well, that’s what it actually is. A photo is made. But the spelling checker on my laptop keeps highlighting the word Make wanting me to correct it to Take. It annoys me because it’s wrong on so many levels and I always ignore the suggestion.
Photography Quotes to Inspire and Delight, a monthly series on Photography Playground. This month’s quote is by Robert Capa: “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you aren’t close enough.” I’ve always believed this is true for the actual physical closeness to your subject. But there’s also a deeper level to his words. It’s about the connections you make with the people and the places you photograph.
In our monthly blog about Obsessions & Fascinations Philine Bernard shares her fascination for nature, traveling and the outdoors. When she grabs her camera she can just shoot for hours. Photographing never bores her and she can lose herself in the moment completely. This creates calmness for her and she gets in a different headspace altogether.
This month’s quote is not by a photographer but by a writer. Oddly enough I never read anything by Maya Angelou but this quote has always had a special place in my heart. Because it’s so profoundly true. “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” The other day I was teaching a photography workshop with a deep focus on creativity. We talked about our relationship with creativity, memories ……
This month’s interview is especially beautiful for me since the person being interviewed is not only an amazing, unique photographer, she is also my number one example in life. The person sharing her story today with you is Karin van Mierlo, an artist, a teacher but above all, my mom. She always had the feeling that she didn’t choose photography, photography chose her.
Photography Quotes to Inspire and Delight, a monthly series on Photography Playground. This month’s quote is by Henri Cartier-Bresson and is a shout out to think before you shoot. “We must avoid, however, snapping away, shooting quickly and without thought, overloading ourselves with unnecessary images that clutter our memory and diminish the clarity of the whole.”
A lot of times, in a lot of situations, seeing the world in a different way is a consequence of taking pictures in a specific way. In Björn’s case, it’s the other way around. He always tries to look at the world in a different way and sees the details that most people don’t see. Approaching life already in this unique way is the reason why he’s interested and intrigued by taking pictures from different perspectives.
Photography Quotes to Inspire and Delight, a monthly series on the Photography Playground. This months photography quote is by the American landscape photographer Ansel Adams. “A Good Photograph is Knowing Where to Stand.” There are many moving parts when you’re making a photograph. And one of them is your point of view, the place where you stand.
For Tine Søby photography is not platonic but more so a way to awaken all her senses. To get impressions, to feel inspired, to see new perspectives. One of the most inspiring things Tine told me is that she gives space for the intuitive which does not necessarily come with logic. It rather comes with this cringing feeling of something that is hard to put into words but awakens your soul.
Photography Quotes to Inspire and Delight, a monthly series on the Photography Playground. This months photography quote is by Burk Uzzle: “Photography is a Love Affair with Life.” There’s no other medium that’s so intricate and detailed in showing us the wonder of being human and alive on this planet. At its best, photography touches and connects us on a deeply human level.
Pedro Baptista about his photography project in ‘Obsessions & Fascinations’: “As life progressed, I started to be more and more interested in what images convey. Pictures are like books to me – a way of looking at the world from other peoples eyes, perspectives, and experiences.”
Photography Quotes to Inspire and Delight, a monthly series on the Photography Playground. This months photography quote is by Alfred Eisenstaedt. “It’s more important to click with people than to click the shutter.” Because when the person in front and the person behind the camera are equally connected and at ease, you create the magic together.
Linora Cloter about her photography project ‘Buttoned Time’ in Obsessions & Fascinations: “Every day is different. Sometimes I get inspiration right away from a specific moment and that makes me press the shutter. Right away I’m intrigued and I want to capture this specific moment.”
Photography Quotes to Inspire and Delight, a monthly series on the Photography Playground. I choose the quote for this month because it’s a belief that’s infused in my photographic blood. It’s the basis of everything I share and teach at the Photography Playground. “A camera didn’t make a great picture any more than a typewriter wrote a great novel.” by Peter Adams.
Every month I share a photography quote and my thoughts and feelings about the quote. A good quote surfaces an idea in a few well-chosen words. I love the fact that some people are that skilled with words. This month’s photography quote is by landscape photographer Destin Sparks “Photography is the story I fail to put into words.”
Whether I am traveling or living my everyday life in a gray Northern European city, one of the things I try to do is to stay open to the magic of color. True, I do admit that it is easier in the more exotic and colorful parts of the earth. So, when I travel, I completely lose myself in photographing the pale green of a wall, or the copious pink of a bougainvillea.