Recognising Your Eye

Hey, I know that record you are playing....

The tracks on my 'retrospective album' spin on the turntable in my mind. My album has no title and no place, other than the ether of my memory. I play my top hits regularly but have never actually recorded a compilation album. I rely on the memory of my favourites rather than revisiting them in real time. Having no previous cause to physically group them I have relished this opportunity to drop all my favourite images, (my top hits) into the one location. What I have been thoroughly elated to see, is a synonymous group emerge from an eclectic collection of little gems that had been scattered through time. Now I own my personal copy of "Maxipix- The Best Of". My very own retrospective compilation album.

Over the past week as I played the role of recording artist and producer I was quite amazed to see that my pictures had many common themes and elements. The subject matter polarised but six common themes began to manifest. For this prompt I originally decided to demonstrate the strength of each common element by creating  little montages illustrating the repeating themes in my work. During the production process, however, I scraped that idea realising that I did not need to demonstrate the links using multiple images, nor did I want to saturate each theme or common thread. I noticed too, that many of my images fit into more than one category, crossing boundaries and could not be boxed or pigeon holed. I continue to add to my budding private collection but here for display is a sampler of my top hits.

The play list:

Track 1: 'lines lines lines' (line)
Track 2: 'the sweetest spot' ( focal point)
Track 3: 'sunshine spotlights' (light)
Track 4: 'calm contemplations' (mood)
Track 5: 'rainbow replicas and shades of pale' (colour)
Track 6: 'the fluke shot' (timing)

Line: 'lines lines lines'

The first of the common themes to emerge in my inspiration file came as no surprise to me. During most shoots I endeavour to orchestrate shots that have repeating elements. What I had not previously noticed, however, is that much of the repetition is in the form of elongated lines, a little like thatching.

'lines lines lines'

Focal Point: 'the sweetest spot'

The photographs I frame with this common thread, I describe as having one selective focal point. I exercise shallow depth of field to heighten one selective focal point and de-emphasise and blur the surroundings. This is my most favourite type of photograph to shoot. It comes with challenges but I enjoy overriding those to ultimately find 'the sweetest spot' where I am perfectly happy with the focus being sharply in just one spot.

'the sweetest spot'

Mood: 'calm contemplations'

Being a reflective person, I savour opportunities to dwell in peace and mull over ideas and experiences. I enjoy my own company and relish in quiet moments of solitude. I think this is the case because most of my time is monopolised by meeting the needs of others. I do this joyfully (well, mostly) but greatly appreciate and long for moments where the static stops and the calm begins. Many of my photographs reflect this contemplative and wistful mood. 

'calm contemplations'

Light: 'sunshine spotlights'

I have always been concious of using natural light to create my images. Quite simply, this is because I do not have the equipment nor have I mastered the techniques of flash photography. In collating my inspiration file I noted many of my favourite images use streams of sunlight as a natural spotlight to glow on the subject in my pictures.

'sunshine spotlights'

Colour: 'rainbow replicas' and 'shades of pale'

I thrive on colour, after all I do teach five year olds. I noticed that in some of my photographs I am drawn to kaleidoscopes of colour rather than blocks of one colour or contrasting colours. In stark contrast to this, many of my other images fall into a category I have entitled, 'shades of pale'. Monochromatic shades of tone on tone are littered through my inspiration file.

 'rainbow replicas'

'shades of pale'

Timing: 'the fluke shot'

Please indulge me as I add one final category. This type of photo does not appear in my inspiration file as frequently as others but I am inspired by it all the same. It is what I have called, 'the fluke shot', the rare coincidence when you are in just the right spot at just the right time pressing the shutter at just the precise moment to freeze time before it disappears forever. This is the fortune of opportune moments.

'the fluke shot'

In developing my photojournal, I have appreciated the opportunity to play with words. I have always relied on my pictures to tell the story but now I have experienced the the joys of journalling, I am delighted to be able to share not only my pictures but my words. I feel that during the past few weeks in addition to 'finding my eye' I have also been 'finding my voice'! Thanks Kat.