Light, Shadow, Muse

Light is essential to every photographer.  Shadow is as well.  The two, combined, shape and define more than a subject; they invoke emotion.  As much as we need light and shadow to create photographs, we must equally embrace our emotions for the same purpose.  

Photography requires much more than merely pressing the shutter button. And it goes far beyond menu choices, autofocus selections, shutter speed, depth of field, and ISO. Taking a photograph is one thing; creating an image is another. I cannot speak for all photographers, but it will always be my goal to create images grounded in my emotion. Hopefully, my attempts will stir emotions in others. Leaning on our emotions to inspire our photography has a meaningful impact on our view, understanding, and appreciation of our subject. That is influential. That is meaningful. That is powerful.

 Next month, I will take a group of ambitious photographers to spend the majority of three days inside the South Solon Meetinghouse in Solon, Maine, studying light, shadow, shape, and ourselves.  The purpose of this unique workshop is to encourage attendees to develop an intimate bond with a subject that, in turn, inspires their creativity and creative vision.  Perhaps I am wrong, but maybe, just maybe, I am right when I say that our best photography stems from our deepest emotions.  The trick, it seems, is finding the inspiration to work past the noise of technical talk and the comfort of documentation, toward something more intimate.  Light and shadow also come from within.  The South Solon Meetinghouse, not large in size but grand in persona, sits quietly, waiting for creators to slow down and listen.  Everyone needs a muse.

Photograph What You Feel