A couple of weeks ago I attended an artists retreat down on the far south coast of New South Wales. I had my oculus, my glass sphere with me and I was down at the beach before dawn each morning looking for that time when light and landscape come together to create something breathtaking.
Sometimes a picture seems to assemble itself before my eyes. I get this feeling as a scene unfolds, like a premonition, that right this moment or very soon after something beautiful is happening in front of me or 'just over there'. Perhaps it is simply my mind opening itself to the possibility of beauty … that I am allowing myself to be open to what is unfolding in front of me. Other times I can be surrounded by a terrific scene and light but I'm oblivious to it as I search for something within it … something beyond it. Those times I'm looking to scratch an itch I can't reach … I know there's something there but I can't see it … yet! This picture is a rare one of me doing just that.
This is a picture of me taken by my friend Helga as I walked across the wave platform in the light just after dawn holding my oculus out in front of looking for the spot … in my left hand I'm cradling my camera and my back pocket holds my cable release and intervalometer. I have an obsessive gleam in my eye that speaks of concentration and an early start. I am surrounded by superb golden dawnlight that the ocean spray is carrying in foggy curtains around me … beautiful!
About five minutes after this picture was taken I was taking the photograph below (which blogged about here) … I had found the spot … I had seen beyond and now I'm sharing it with you.
How about you? Do you search, often surrounded by beauty but oblivious to it? Maybe you find yourself standing inside a tree heavy with spring blossom and buzzing loudly with bees looking for that bloom that speaks for the tree … that speaks for all of spring? The leaf that speaks for Autumn… do you find yourself finding the spot?
I'd like to know 🙂
I love the idea of “finding the spot” in our photography quest, Geoff. I’ll think of that the next time I’m out with my camera. I even wrote down “oculus” the other day after reading your first post, because it looks so cool to use. In this way you have inspired me to try something new…maybe one day. 🙂
Ginnie, I love the thought that something I think is fun to do has inspired someone else to go and give it a go too! Thanks!
I am a shadow of a photographer, but still have to stop sometimes and enjoy the moment instead of trying to nail it. Given that I rarely do nail it, the need to stop and enjoy it is even more important.
The oculus does sound very cool though.
Hi, I was intrigued by you being a ‘a shadow of a photographer’ … I somehow imagined you simply following another photographer around 😉
Sometimes when I’m presented with the beauty of things and I’m itching for the camera I’ve not brought along I remind myself just how important it is just ‘be’ … to enjoy the moment. When I’m composing a photograph I find myself in a kind of mediatative state so I’m in the moment as well in a way 🙂
Thanks for dropping to say Hi.
My shadow is an insubstantial wisp of the reality.
Quite! They do that those shadows. My shadow simply seems to follow me around … perhaps it’s me that’s the insubstantial wisp? 🙂
What you’ve written in the second paragraph sounds wonderful, thanks for sharing these feelings. Together with the picture of you I can sort of imagine you being out there looking for beauty in the world, your mind working, your eyes searching 🙂
For me the actual picture taking is still kinda crude, more trial and error than skill, lucky coincidence and sometimes even accident. I still have not really a clue how my cameras work which means that I often can’t capture what I see. I often find myself wondering around seeing all that beauty and it makes my heart hurt that I just cannot capture it in a picture, partly because I don’t always carry my camera with me. But then I tell myself that I don’t have to take pictures of everything and that I should not forget to continue seeing the world through my very own eyes.
I noticed that a lot of people don’t really see the miracles and wonders around them, to show these is in a way my little ‘mission’. And who knows, maybe using a film camera will help me to focus a bit more on a single picture, selected special moments, giving more room to the itch you describe and being more patient.
Thanks 🙂
Honestly I used to think that my photography was ‘luck’ or ‘coincidence’ too. I stopped myself thinking that when I looked back across my portfolio and thought ‘well that means I’ve been lucky for a long (the scientist in me said an unfeasibly long) time to produce something like this’. I think that’s when I truly began to believe in myself as a photographer. I went through an obsession with trying to capture everything I saw and became frustrated when I couldn’t. I came to realise that I wasn’t ‘seeing’ any more with my mind and I began to put more effort into creating pictures that went some way to express something I felt I wanted to convey to someone else – like your mission … it is an art – but I still struggle with calling myself an artist.
The spots are absolutely everywhere. I think that it’s the frame of mind that allows us the find the spot. I know that I have stood in a place and seen nothing of particular interest until I day dream a bit and viola, I don’t have time enough to explore every possibility. Great post and discussion:)
Deep stuff…when you know you know!
For me the joy is in exploring..finding something out of nothing 🙂
With concert photography – you just spend the entire time in the same environment waiting for an interesting thing to happen, when it does your composition or exposure might me shit – so you try again anticipating a shot. They rarely come off…..but once in awhile the performer will linger as if they know it’s the moment….click…http://www.flickr.com/photos/buglogic/7181605560/in/photostream
Thanks for dropping by Marty … that’s a great shot 🙂
hello,
first of all, i really want to thank you for your comments on my blog. I don’t have the time now to visit your blog, but i’ll be back very soon ! It’s high quality around here… Sorry for my -bad- english… i am french !-)
…
You’re welcome … there’s great stuff over your way! I look forward to you returning when you have the time and I understood your english perfectly 🙂
I can definitely relate to ‘finding the spot’. My macro lens is one of my favorites and I love searching for the detail amongst the beauty that surrounds me. Sometimes though I wish I could stand back and appreciate the bigger picture like your friend so beautifully did.
Thanks Kathryn,
bigger picture definitely helps sometimes! That said, I love taking macro … and ‘finding the spot’ in such a tiny world made large is, I think, what I enjoy most about it 🙂
The Adventures of Geoffrey and his oculus….sounds like a good title for a book! 🙂
Seriously , It’s a great pic of you searching on the beach for the “perfect spot’ ,(and you did find it!)
I love what you have written here Geoffrey..It has given me much to think about.
Even though I feel a bit clueless at times, I am enjoying figuring out my new camera..you are giving me much inspiration on my own journey.
Warm regards Judith
Thanks Judith,
‘My Oculus and Me – the abridged adventures of Geoffrey Dunn, Photographer’ … I like it. Maybe a small print run in the photobook style 🙂
I’m looking forward to what you come up with!
G
I love feeling the moment
So often I fail to capture what I feel… frustrating…but real
Sometimes we just have to exist in the moment … to record it with our minds. The captured image rarely transcends into what we felt at the time … the breeze … the warmth of the sun…
Finally, I signed up to Follow your blog; it’s so much easier to get the e-mail notification. Truly, hope that it works. First, your work is so luscious that I am forced to linger, freeze the moment to appreciate your vision. In this post you refer to the “spot.” John Berger is one of the classic philosopher/writers about this subject, and he talks about our “way of seeing.” Most of us take a lifetime to reach that juncture where we can stop and be in the moment, be with what is before us, see what really is there, be worthy of the small miracles of beauty. It’s all there is front of us, yet each of us sees differently and uniquely. The image that you have created and bounded by layers of monochromatic hues stuns my sensibilities. Thanks for seeing what you see, and sharing it with us. Sally
Welcome Sally 🙂
I always appreciate your comments and the insights you provide – thank you … I can see I have some homework too researching Mr Berger!
We’ll soon see if this email business works huh? 🙂
Geoff
Wundervolle Bilder, mit ebensolchem Licht zeigst du uns! Stelle mit gerade den Klang des brechenden Wassers vor!
Ich versuche immer zu sehen, welche Schönheiten um mich sind. Dies begrenzt sich nicht nur auf das Sehen und Fotografieren. Ganz wichtig in meinem Leben sind auch Düfte. Damit meine ich nicht die Wolken von Parfüm, in die sich viele Menschen Hüllen. Nein der Duft von Regen, der Duft am Morgen, der einen heissen Tag ankündigt, der Duft von Holz, Erde etc. Für den Blognamen “alltagsblick” entschied ich mich, weil ich Fotos zeige, die in meinem Alltag, meiner nächsten Umgebung entstehen. Ich möchte die Schönheit bewusst sehen, erleben. Ich fühle mich reich beschenkt, an der Faszination Natur teilhaben zu dürfen.
Gruss
Google translete version: Wonderful pictures, with as much light you show us! Place with just the sound of breaking water before!
I always try to see what beauty is to me. This is not only limited to seeing and photographing. Very important in my life are also fragrances. I do not mean the clouds of perfume, in which many human cases. No, the smell of rain, the smell in the morning, announcing a hot day, the smell of wood, earth, etc. For the blog called “everyday look” I decided, because I show photos that arise in my life, my immediate surroundings. I want to see the beauty of conscious experience. I feel richly blessed to be able to share in the fascination of nature.
greeting
Claudia, the beauty is as you say, all around us we sometimes become too preoccupied with ourselves to notice. The notion that we ‘share’ in the nature is beautiful to me … that we get back what what we give … lovely.
Google translate version: Claudia, ist die Schönheit, wie Sie, überall um uns herum sagen, dass wir manchmal zu sehr mit uns selbst beschäftigt zu bemerken. Die Vorstellung, dass wir “teilen” in der Natur schön ist für mich … dass wir wieder was, was wir geben … schön.