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January 10, 2012

AN EXAMPLE OF PROCESS


... for the photographers amongst you, here's a bit of insight as to utilizing two of the most important compositional tools:  patience and the feet ...

... in the boston museum of art, as i walked through this room i noticed the young girl making a sketch of the sculpture affixed to the wall ... the very first element of my picture taking process was to continue on as if i was simply aimlessly strolling from one gallery to another ... only when i had almost exited did i begin to pay attention to work of art directly behind the girl ... then, very casually, i turned and tucked myself against the wall (note: watch out for alarm sensors), brought my camera to eye, and flicked the little switch that all photographers possess in order to control their cloaking devices ... invisible, i snapped the first in the sequence, ready to pivot and put my back to her if i noticed she was beginning to turn ... she didn't, so, still an unseeable apparition, i snapped another shot ... if you make a very close inspection of the tiny pools of light on back wall to the far left, you'll see that as she got up and began to move, so did i ... my 'instinct' was to bring the second pool of light into view, hoping to better define the passageway leading off behind the sculpture, the additional art viewer was purely a bonus ... 'patience' came after frame four, as i waited forever for what i somehow knew was going to happen ...


... henri cartier-bressen spoke to me of "the brief moment, a lightning instant of give-and-take, just long enough for you to level the camera and to trap the fleeting prey in your little box," and while taking pictures i always remember his advice as i calm my eyes by humming to myself carly simon's little ditty, "anticipation, anticipation, is makin' me late - is keepin' me waiting'" ... photography is about many things, often the least of which is the camera ...


NIKON D100-SIGMA18-50@18MM-F/5.6-1/13th-ISO800