As a jazz musician, I was taught the value of mental practice. As a drummer, mentally practicing patterns and phrasing helped tremendously on the job. It’s a matter of keeping your mind in the game at all times. Transferring that knowledge to photography, I’ve always viewed and analyzed visual art in terms of composition, simplicity, impact, etc., basically, what did I like, and why?….and what did I not like, and why? Images that have a positive impact I tend to file away or make note of for future reference, or try to retain the vision of the maker in terms of style, etc.
When I first started in photography, I saw this great shot of cliff dwellings in Colorado and never forgot it. Everything about the cliff shot was great, but mostly, the sweeping graphic of the wall above the dwelling was amazing. I found the shot, as I remembered it, on a Utah hiking website w/ no photographer name attached. Then, while photographing in an old Tuberculosis hospital in Eldersburg, MD, I wandered into a screened in room and the roof was slightly collapsed and sweeping upwards with deeply water damaged patterns in the ceiling, very reminiscent of the cliff dwelling image from decades before. The similarity in subject material was readily apparent and the shot was composed with the cliff dwelling image in mind.
I’ve had many instances of this cognitive process and urge workshop clients to always analyze the work of others in terms of what they like and what works in the image and, more importantly, what doesn’t work and file this information away for future reference.
The urban decay image is a 5 image HDR, converted in Silver Efex Pro and sepia toned.
We’re off to Cape May, NJ for a quick overnight trip to test a new product and visit with friends.
Back on Monday to get my NEW MAC LAPTOP!!
Feel free to drop in a comment and we’ll see you online!
Tony
Thanks!
Sure, please email susan@tonysweet.com to be placed on our mailing list.
- Please put me on your list for next year! I love your images and stalk your blog rerulagly! Thanks for the inspirtation. Would love to have workshop days during the week, as to not eat up possible wedding dates:)
Hi Karla! Nice to hear from you and hoping that all is well with you and Lee these days. Thanks for the kind words in regards to my photography. NYIP is really good, but as you move forward, be sure to check out Http://betterphoto.com, where I and many others, including some great portrait/studio photographers, teach. I’m still behind the drum set, but a lot less frequently…..best to you and Lee.
Hi Tony, Lee was telling me about your website and I just wanted to say that your photos are breathtaking! I so enjoyed looking at all of them. I am just getting started in photography and I am currently enrolled in The New York Institute of photography. 2 quarters to go! I so love nature photography but my true passion lies in portraiture. I have high hopes of opening a studio in the very near future. It was so nice to see you again. The last time I saw you, you were sitting behind a drum set! It’s been years. Keep the photos and learning videos coming! Karla McKinney
Nice to hear from you, Dan! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Excellent words to remember and fine image posts.
Tony, probably for the best. Uncle Freud was beginning to wonder why you (and I) like old, derelict buildings so much.
Thx, Roger. Henryton is finished. Sorry.
A wonderful lesson, one I had forgotten. Do you visit the hospital during your St. Michaels workshop?
I ran this about 3 yrs ago, and thought I’d re-state it after re-processing the Henryton image. Thx, Arthur.
Your philosophy gets my vote Tony…. Remember seeing this image when you first posted it and it is still awesome…