Blade of Grass © 2010 Bo Mackison

(Third in a series on why I chose photography as my creative medium and the basis of a new career.)

#3. Photography is my reminder to “Don’t Look; Really See!”

When I look at just a tiny bit of my world, I feel so privileged that I can see so many things. Most people pass by and never see many of the things that I see. Sometimes I focus on a tiny piece of the world measured in inches, perhaps only an inch or two square. Sometimes I focus on a single blade of grass. I notice its shape, its color, how it moves in the breeze, how it leans at a rather precarious angle, how it tangles into the earth with millions of other blades of grass.

Or I might study how a flower has managed to thrive in a bit of dirt in the sidewalk crack. Or notice that a lacy, yellowed leaf has fallen in the middle of a worn path and been crumpled by people’s passing feet.

When I concentrate on seeing so intently, so deeply, it makes the passage of time almost meaningless. I tend to push aside other concerns in my life, and so for a few moments all I do is see. At times, my photography practice becomes almost meditative in nature.

I try to capture some of what I see in photographs, and share my tiny visions with others so that they, too, may begin to notice.

No wonder that each night when I write in my gratitude journal I often write that I am thankful that I can see, thankful that I can crawl upon the ground and get up again, thankful that I have the privilege of examining my world.

And I am always thankful that I have discovered photography. If nothing else, the addition of photography to my life has opened my eys to a new world, has slowed my life a bit and made me more observant…and has made me very, very grateful.

Late Bloomers © 2010 Bo Mackison

(Second in a series on why I chose photography as my creative medium and the basis of a new career.)

#2. Photography allows me stretch artistically.

Each time I take my camera out in the field to photograph a subject, or work on a photo during post-processing, or practice getting a photograph to print exactly the way I see it in my mind, I expand my artistic abilities. There is something to be said for practice. When I look back at my first digital photographs taken in the summer of 2007, I appreciate the obvious effort that went into the production of the photos. I knew nothing about digital photography, I had only a vague idea what most of the settings and dials on my camera actually did, I could barely navigate a computer. But I was able to capture some of the appreciation I had for my subjects.

When I first began to shoot, one of my goals was to post a daily photograph on my blog for a year. Slowly I learned. The mere fact that I  committed to posting daily made me pick up my camera on days when I didn’t really feel like it. But once I began looking for a subject to shoot, my enthusiasm generally increased. I always got a photograph, and I was always happy I had made the effort to keep that daily promise to myself.

My photographs have changed a lot over the last few years. At first, I worked on the basics of composition and focus and pleasing subjects. Now my photographs vary greatly. One photo may look painterly, the next may be a macro study on the color orange, a third will be a refection study of a garden pond. I love to experiment. I love to see how far I can stretch the photographic experience that my camera can produce.

I truly love to have a camera in my hands, ready to capture my vision!

Seattle Waterfront © 2010 Bo Mackison

Today I begin a series of blog posts on why I have chosen to make photography my passion, my art medium, and my career.

Following my series, I will also run a series of guest posts from other people who feel that photography has been a positive influence in their lives, too. Some of these people are photographers who are passionate about their career, some are artists in other media who also enjoy photography, some are casual photographers, but all have one thing in common. Photography has had a positive impact on their lives.

#1.  I love photography because it constantly provides me with opportunities to build new skills and learn new techniques.

Life is a never ending learning experience. Photography is a great discipline in that there is always something new to learn. So many new things, always fresh and inviting. I could learn a new thing about photography every day (and I often do) and I will never discover answers to all my questions. How thrilling is that?

For example, here are a few of the many photo-related items on my explore list for the month of September:

1. I want to explore the use of neutral gradient filters.

2. I want to compare the different methods of sharpening in post processing.

3. I want to choose one photograph and print it on the four types of paper I have, plus print it on canvas.

4. I want to find a resource or two that explains the different equipment that can be used for macro-photography.

5. I want to read the book Within the Frame: The Journey of Photographic Vision by David DuChemin.

6. I want to catch up on editing my photographs from my early summer trip to Seattle.

7. Research how to best take photographs of thermal features including geysers, hot pools, fumaroles and hot pots.

8. Make a map of the thermal features to photograph in Yellowstone NP including best times to photograph in October.

I may not get all of these items crossed off my September list, but I’ve made a good start. After all, learning is a never ending process.