Bad weather makes for good photos.

Walking in the rain.

This April we had 21 days of rain in Boston. This record breaking stretch of “bad” weather kept the forecasters busy with their colorful charts showing one storm after another moving toward Boston. As a photographer, I love rainy days, but I learned to keep that opinion to my self.

Rain creates many special photo opportunities if you are open to them. Next time it rains, look for the reflections on the road surfaces, or water drops on flowers, or try photographing through a rain covered, steamy window.

I use manual focus for this shot in the San Francisco Bay Area (yes it rains there too). This way I could control the amount of blur and create an abstract image. Doing so amplifies the effect of the moisture on the window but allows the subject to be enough in focus that the viewer can imagine what it is.

The viewer may have to work at it but that is good. It means they are engaged longer with your image. And the longer they look, the more they will see. My favorite part of the image is where the water trickled down making a clear path through which we can see the stripes in the umbrella. Sometimes a small detail like that is what makes the image more enjoyable.

Looking forward to the next rainy day and hope now you are too.

Suzanne

Seeing something new in old familiar places.

Rockport MA Lobster Traps

Next weekend I am leading a photo field trip to Rockport MA… again. Several people have, signed up to go because they have never been there before. They are excited to see a new place camera in hand. Other people are joining even though they have been there before. They join because I will take them to new places in Rockport they had not discovered on their own. Going with a guide will be an adventure.

And then there is the third group, the type of photographers that have been there many times, know all the secret spots, and yet, realize that it is never  the same place twice. The light is different, the colors are different, and they are different. This third type of photographer is learning to really see creatively and be present to what shows up.

By this I mean to look at something they have seen many times before but notice something new and fresh. In this noticing and appreciation, they are able to translate an insight into an image to share with other. At this third level, photographers start creating images that reflect something of their inner experience or the of the spirit of the place.

I noticed this little bird inside a lobster trap feasting on the barnacles and bits of shell inside the trap. I had been to Rockport at least 30 times before and yet, I had never observed this before. Who knows what I might see next time.

Why not revisit a destination this summer you have been to many times before. Try to go with out expectations of what you will see. Just slow down and take a path you never wandered down before with your eyes. You are sure to discover something new in this place and in your self.

Sometimes it is just about the Ahaaaaa.

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I hesitated to post this photo because it was so darn cute. My creative critic voice said, "don’t post this sentimental, spring cliche photo of a gosling. What will people  think. "  I am a serious photographer and I don’t do cute. I photograph rusty pipes, man hole covers, old tractors or urban grit. Oh and flowers. I do love flowers. Most of all I love to teach people who are serious about becoming better photographers.

In fact, the story behind this image is actually the blossom petals on the ground. I was working with a private student by the Charles River. We were there to photograph the Cherry Blossoms by the lagoon. One problem, the previous night there had been a violent rain storm in Boston and the blossoms were no longer on the trees, they were on the ground.

I suggested my student “photograph what was there” and forget about what she expected to see or how she want things to be. WE were presented with a pink and green carpet so

But you can only take so many photos of petals on the ground. We were just about to head to the Boston Gardens and a family of geese showed up and started nibbling on the grass. Right on cue, the little one at my feet picked up a blossom.

Ok I could not resist the click.  Blossoms + Goslings = Seriously Cute.

Advice for the serious photographers out there this week, lighten up! Take photos just for the joy of it. You may not win a contest, but you might create a smile.