Olympus-OM
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [OM] Aesthetic sense.

Subject: Re: [OM] Aesthetic sense.
From: *- DORIS FANG -* <sfsttj@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 17:28:45 -0400 (EDT)
 Dr. Cordery's comments on aesthetic sense are on the mark. One thing 
you can do to improve your awareness of light is to buy a hand-held 
meter, and run around without a camera, getting an idea of light values.
Another thing you can do is to shoot for some time without 
any sort of meter whatsoever (with B&W film). At first it's shocking,
 but after a week, it becomes perfectly obvious that such a thing is
possible. Soon, you'll be  relying on the big chip between your
shoulders, and have become far more aware of the nuances of light than
before, no longer a "meter slave". 
  To increase your awareness of color, I strongly suggest picking up a
copy of Josef Albers "Interaction of Color", and do all the exercises
(they involve colored paper). These are things I have found through
teaching that improve one's aesthetic sense and confidence.
  Like the good Doctor, I often grab my bellows and a couple of lenses,
and head to a Botanical Gardens to lose myself photographically. Just
cobbling the many Rube Goldberg devices I've made for my flashes for this
purpose gets the process started. 
  Practice is good, but remember, you MUST push yourself. Doing the same
thing over and over hones one at a certain level, but to climb to another
level requires re-creating yourself. The learning curve is not some pretty
parabolic arc, it is a jagged curve, that sometimes plateaus, and often
takes downward turns. Persevere, and also, push yourself, strive to evolve
visually. When we think of photography, the click of the shutter is what
is most commonly thought of. That is only part of it. The hunger that the
original poster felt for developing himself aesthetically is proof
that he is alive and listening to the Muses' whispers. Feed that hunger!

                          Doris Fang





< This message was delivered via the Olympus Mailing List >
< For questions, mailto:owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
< Web Page: http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright/olympuslist.html >


<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Sponsored by Tako
Impressum | Datenschutz