Day 21. I actually got this image done before noon today, actually while eating breakfast. As the sun comes up in the morning we get this pretty dramatic shadow coming through the back gate, since I generally talk about photography as the act of recording observation I’ll just say: I like how this looked.
The reason I needed to get done early with Dog a Day today was because Phoenix Art Space came over this afternoon to interview me about my upcoming Fine Art project. I will link the article on tysoncrosbie.com/blog as soon as it is posted next week.
The Phoenix series of images is currently being edited to 20 from about 2000 raw images taken over 10 months. I will also be placing all twenty images in a self-published photo book scheduled for release May 15th, 2008. Look here for more information around the 1st of May.
Today I just ran out of time to actually make an image of one of my dogs. So this image is a substitute:
This image was made in Northern Arizona as we first traveled here (on vacation at the time). And the wind from that thundercloud actually broke our tent in half shortly after this image was taken. Below Squid is actually a cave and to his right a 100 ft dry wash that we called a canyon, quite an adventure.
I certainly am not the type of photographer that has a camera in my hand constantly. I prefer to work from a concept or in specific environment.
Today it was off to North Mountain for a much needed disconnect from the internet. I planned on photographing the dogs on the edge of the mountain overlooking the city at dusk. We arrived a little early at the spot and everyone was getting a little hungry so I worked with the light as it was.
Since I firmly believe that image making is about observation arriving at the wrong time was only another opportunity to push myself to create. It doesn’t matter how much planning or set up an image has there is usually a lot of experimentation after a shoot begins. And that is the main story of this image. It took me awhile to make my way around the subjects and use Jamie as a flag for the sun but the result is a dramatic image using about a two stop underexposure to create the silhouettes.
We are pretty new to Arizona but were surprised that there are no leash free hiking areas in the city. If you know of some let me know in the comments.
It seems pretty prevalent in photo culture to deal in trade secrets and technical ‘tricks’, to achieve polished final products. However, I feel like the technical aspects of photography are the easiest to learn and share, most people would be hard pressed to spend more than a week learning the functions of a camera, including understanding the results. I am also certain that a short google search will reveal thousands of blogs freely dispensing the technical side of photography.
I intend for this blog to focus more on the creative aspects of photography rather than the technical details. Gear, though important, in the end is only a tool like a rake or a shovel and just owning a rake and a shovel doesn’t grow a garden. It is far to easy to get pulled into a mindset of believing that “tools = final product”. Photography is far from the only trade that indulges in this fantasy, most creative vocations have developed highly specialized tools of the trade that are usually only accessible to the very talented or the very wealthy. That creates a paralyzing trap for most of us, where we begin to doubt that we can create with the tools available to us.
Don’t get caught in the trap of believing that you need more gear or better gear to make great images. If you spend your time making images with a point and shoot digital and a desk lamp when you finally get the SLR and strobe lights you will already know how to use them. Because the camera is just a tool, and even the most expensive camera in the world is just a black box with a hole on one side, there is nothing magic about it.
Is there a piece of gear that you would love to own, if so what is it? Let me know in the comments.
The hardest part about photographing Squid in the studio is that he is too cute. In most of the images of him he ends up looking like a stuffed animal, instead of a real dog.
Today is Friday and on Friday we go to the dog park in the afternoon. Anyone that has a JRT knows the boundless energy these guys have and the trouble they cause if they don’t release it occasionally.
It was my goal to shoot the incredible athleticism of this breed by catching them mid-air after the ball. I took the long lens today and shot about 100 images of them chasing the ball at the park. In the end though this image taken after all the excitement of the park won out.
Do you have dogs, if so how many and what breeds?
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