Tom asked us at the beginning of the workshop what we thought we might like to get out of it.
My answer was: different ideas to make my photos stand out.
I also meant that I wanted them to be different from other people's photos.
I want to take photos that no-one else does and that cannot be easily replicated.
I like it when people say, What is it ? when they look at my work? Then they can bring their own thoughts to it.
That is if they can tolerate abstract. Some people look at abstract shake their heads and say, I cant understand it and move on. I am happy for them to move on they are not my audience.
I really like abstract because you can put your own interpretation into them.
I like the ambiguity of soft focus.
I abstracted Tom because he is the teacher and I didn't want to have to organise a model release.
I think he is at one with the universe.
He is an understander and a proponent of abstract.
Love of gardening with Number 24
Why 24? I have an attraction to this number, I like how it fades into the white.
I am a keen gardener.
I have a long association with Garden Place because I used to live in Hamilton for around 13 years and I used to go have lunch in Garden Place.
Everything in Garden Place like everything and everywhere in Hamilton has changed so much, since I lived there 30 years ago.
It is in a constant state of flux.
Hence the wispiness and transitonary appearance of the images.
Landmarks houses, shops I knew and grew up with have all disappeared.
I always associate the balloons with Hamilton.
I go over every year and photograph the hot air balloon festival.
It is one of my bucket list wishes to go up in a Hot air balloon and photograph the process.
ExplodingBalloons over Waikato
I like the idea of exploding balloons or balloons fading off into the distance.
The blowing up of balloons with the fire and the gushing of air out of balloons as they deflate
I like the black space of nothingness with whispers of text popping through.
What is this? it's as though it is all in a hazy dream.
I also associate Hamilton with biking along beside the river.
This is like the motion of a bike as you are riding along. Disappearing amongst the bush and semi tropical plants that line the biking track beside the river bank.
Another heart this time looming out above purple like a full moon. The full moon has been featuring in my dream lately.
Purple is the colour of healing and wisdom.
The garden lettering is also appearing.
2020 a year of innovation and hope
I like this photo because it looks aged and I love the old bike.
It has feelings of nostalgia and the passing if time.
Tom Ang overlaid in orange with Chinese text from a window
The edge of some text on a poster.
I really like spheres and circles.
I'm often photographing or creating them.
Again I like whispy non-descript works with no focal point.
Text is overlaid and you don't know what it is saying.
Disappearing Bike with Text
Bike juxtaposed with text. I am a writer and text is important to me.
The ghost of Tom Ang, the teacher
Night meeting at Garden Place with Number 24
Ghost Bike 1
Ghost Bike 2
Spirit of Garden Place
Whenever I go to a workshop I always like to reflect things that I have learned.
I like to write about it to re-enforce the learning.
What I learned from Tom Ang's 3 hour Photography Workshop at Snapshot Camera's
1. There is an over emphasis on making things right.
2. Be prepared to make a lot of mistakes and don't delete images you put them up on computer.
3. You may destroy a gem, A lot of good photos are mistakes.
4. Don't chimp while you are photographing because it spoils the rhythm.
5.Look into the golden mean and apply to your photographs.
It will improve them rather than relying on the rule of thirds.
Rely on instinct, if you do this you will naturally be going towards the golden mean.
6. Try +3 F4 Aperture Priority. ( I did this, I have never been on +3 exposure before, but Tom says a lot of good things can happen with over exposure).
7.If you are photographing people in a public place set it all up before they turn up. Again don't chimp ever especially when doing portraits. It's off putting and stops the flow.
8.Take lots of shots of the same thing changing angles or point of view, only amateurs are brave enough to take one shot.
9.Review your shots and work out how you can improve them.
Where to from here?
I will do some shots in the city of Rotorua with F4 and +3, focusing on window displays and lettering and see what I can come up with.
I will do some research on his historical photographers.
I will have a go at dropping some flowers from the garden on top of some water colour paper.
I will do some more photos with haiku
I will do some work with haiku and tanka writing with WABI SABI Images. I will post these and write about them in my blog.
So yet again I say if you want to improve or change your photography seek out the services of a good teacher.
Positive Quote of the day
The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”
―
