This mesquite tree at Doe Branch Park on Lewisville Lake serves as a universally accepted sign for "Enter at Your Own Risk".
March, 2006:
four girls in black and white
These are four images of girls in black and white.
1. rising sun, 2. just think about it, 3. curved reach, 4. room to grow
Feeding Finch
This female finch and many others like her visit our 2nd story balcony bird feeder daily. All of the destruction to make room for construction in the area has caused these birds to look for new homes and new sources of food.
This shot was taken with Nikon’s worst telephoto lens through my dirty office window.
a weekend ahead
Some days I feel ambitious and I want to *do* something and *get out there* and *experience something*. Other days I’m feeling social and I just want to be surrounded by people and whatever that entails. Some days I want to be alone to do whatever is important to me at that moment. This weekend, however, I just want to do whatever feels good and not worry about what other people think or how I’m going to be judged or what my actions might mean. Maybe I’ll get my wish.
Those of you who know me know that most of my weekends are full. Very full. This weekend is no exception. However, it’s sort of a choose your own adventure weekend. I have some things that I have to do with no set time to get them done, I have things that are happening at certain times that I’m not fully committed two, and that I am committed to that are happening at specific times.
For instance, this weekend I *must* finish preparing my taxes so I can get them reviewed before April 15th. I also *need* to finish editing “the book”:http://revjim.net/2006/03/24/finding-place-the-photographs-of-daniel-james-fall-2005/.
Tonight, some friends are having a gathering that we hope to attend. At least I think it’s still happening. Te start time, end time, and goings on, however, have yet to be defined, so it’s quite open. There’s also two great bands playing together downtown that I’d love to go see. I’m also inclined to just go home and make myself enough martinis to keep me from driving anywhere. Besides, if you’re drinking martinis with a few smart, good looking girls, what more do you really need for a good Friday evening?
I’ve committed to going to my brother’s bachelor party on Saturday night, but the exact time that that happens is still open. Mike and I are possibly having brunch on Sunday (interested? let me know) though the time and location are still quite in the air.
I’d also like to get outside this weekend. It’s supposed to be nice and cool. A photoshoot would be fun too, if I could find a willing model. My truck could use a wash after all the mud this past weekend and the house is getting dangerously messy. But, these things can wait if they don’t end up working out.
“Finding Place”: The Photographs of Daniel James
“Finding Place” will be a book containing a collection of my photographic work from the Fall of 2005. It will contain approximately 90 images taken during this period ranging from Landscapes to Portraits and everything in between. To get an idea of some of the images that will be included have a look at the “Finding Place Gallery”:http://flickr.com/photos/revjim/sets/72057594067939867/. This gallery is a work in progress and will be reduced and expanded as images are selected for this special collection.
bq. “More Information on ‘Finding Place’ »”:http://revjim.net/books/20054q-finding-place/
Skins: Three Apples on Curved Back
This is a black and white image of three apples resting on the curved back of a nude woman. It is part of my project entitled "Skins" in which I attempt to combine still life and figure photography, comparing and contrasting the human form and skin with various other objects in a study of light and texture.
While the project is not yet complete, this image is intended to serve as an example of what is to come.
Part of Project: Skins.
the perception of art
I don’t usually post more than one photograph each day. I feel that limiting myself in some way keeps me from displaying junk by forcing me to choose from those photographs that I’ve edited and select one, and only one, worthy of display. However today I’ve made an exception. After selecting, editing, and publishing “I’ll build tomorrow” this morning, I realized that it wasn’t an image many other people appreciated. Wanting to present good, meaningful work, I decided to publish “shack on the hill” as well.
But now to my point of concern. I really love “I’ll build tomorrow“. I love the mood of the photograph and the subtle, muted tones of the bricks and grass. I love the blown out sky and the leafless trees. I love the curved angle of the brick and the separation it creates between the grass and the sky.
I had been saving that particular image and the 5 others similar to it until I felt I could really spend some time and give it a good edit because I really liked the image. This morning, awake much earlier than usual, I felt I finally had the time. I selected the best of the six images. Then I edited that image 4 different ways with subtle differences in color, tone, and, therefore, mood. I was very happy with all of my edits but one really stood out amongst them all. I archived the others and sent that image to publication.
I always expect, perhaps unfairly, some feedback from each image I publish. I know that there is a level of quality in the work I produce that will elicit at least some response from someone given enough time and enough people. After hearing nothing at all, I decided to place my image in a forum that is guaranteed to provide feedback.
Within an hour I had the feedback I was looking for and I was floored. Despite the fact that this image is one of my recent favorites, the general opinion I received was that the image is nothing special and amateur at best.
Sometimes I can simply dismiss the opinions of others. This forum, in particular, generally produces terrible feedback because its members are required to provide feedback on a certain photograph in order to get feedback from someone else on their own. However, when all of those opinions are negative and that fact is coupled with the fact that I’ve received no unsolicited feedback, it’s hard for me not to consider that there might be some truth to those opinions.
How is it that I could like an image so much that others find utterly boring?
I considered, at first, that emotional attachment may have led me to choose this image. However, I can’t think of any reason why I would be attached to this particular image. It was not difficult to take. I had no life altering revelations at that particular location. Nothing profound happened before or after I took that photograph, nor that entire day.
Why would I be drawn to this image when others, clearly, are not? This, of course, isn’t the first time this has happened, and it leaves me wondering if my perception isn’t somehow flawed or vastly different than the majority of other people and, if so, why that would be.
