White and Blue

Remember my desire to photograph white, white houses and blue, blue sea? 'Nuff said.

I'll be back here tomorrow, full of all sorts of creative ideas from my retreat. See you then!

Mystery Revealed

As I went back in time in my photo file to find an image that would reveal yesterday's mystery, I came across this photo of the ceiling in the Gaudí designed Casa Batlló. Actually, I came across two photos of this ceiling, and I remember them well. At the time I was editing, there were two different compositions I processed similarly and liked, but I couldn't decide between them. Since I couldn't decide, I just left them in the file and didn't do anything with them. As I reviewed these images yesterday, this specific composition jumped out at me as being the more interesting of the two. It was absolutely, crystal clear in my mind. Why had I had such a debate long ago?

This is a great example of how we grow and change over time. My style and eye has been refined since I worked with these photos eight months ago, and I have a different response to the images from that time. I see the world from a new place, a shifted perspective. Have you ever gone back in time, and discovered wonderful things in your old photos? There are many gems for you there, I guarantee it.

No one was able to guess what yesterday's image was, and I'm not surprised. It was a bit abstract, and requires a little bit of a history lesson around architect Antoni Gaudí. Gaudí was inspired by observing the world around him, and the catenary arch is one example of this philosophy that you can see in many of his designs. A catenary arch is the shape that a chain or rope will make when at rest, the forces perfectly balanced. When you turn this shape upside down, you have the shape of a very strong arch for building.

The image I showed yesterday is the mirror reflection of a grouping of chains that Gaudí used to design a cathedral. The hanging chains form a series of loops that become arches and domes when viewed in reflection. The whole set up of this exhibit was very neat, with the mirror and the shadow on the wall to help illustrate the concept. Here are is an image of the chains "right side up" to help you see what you were looking at.

Here is yesterday's image of the view in the mirror, in color. A little more context helps you understand what you are seeing, doesn't it? It's amazing how we as photographers can manipulate reality, just by including or excluding context. That's what makes this medium art. We, as the artists, get to decide.

Creative Space

I come at you this morning from a blank page. No preconceived notion of what photo I will choose, what words I will write. No agenda. This is what creative space feels like. Breathe into it. Let the ideas expand to fill the space, let them go. New ideas will come to fill the space.

This weekend I spent some time being creative. Editing photos for fun rather than to get something together for a specific project. Creating a collage intuitively, to see what comes out. I need the time and space for these things, in order to maintain my balance and perspective. Do you find the same?

So I start again with a blank page. Sometimes the blank page can be frightening, but right now it feels wonderful. Maybe it's more like sitting in an empty room than a blank page. A room where I can see the door but I'm just going to pause here and rest for a while. Breathe in, breathe out.

Photo is from Casa Batlló, by architect Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona, Spain.

Images and Words

If an image is worth a thousand words, why do I find myself writing so much? This is an interesting quandary I have found myself in... As my passion for photography has increased, so has my need to express it. Not only in images, in words. Where I took the photo, why it caught my eye, how it makes me feel, what I've learned from the experience, how you can do it too... writing, writing, writing.

The surprising thing, to me, is that I have discovered that I enjoy it. I like to write. I like to find the words to express myself, to bring an idea into reality. To help someone understand something new, maybe see things in a different way. I never though of myself as a writer, yet here I am writing, almost every day. I think I'll add it to my little "I am" statement...

I am an artist, a photographer and writer, and I have a unique vision 

to share with the world.

It feels a little weird. Like a new style I'm trying on, one that looks good but I'm not comfortable with it yet. I think I need to wear it a little while and see how it feels before I go off and change my "About Me" page. :)

Speaking of writing, what brought all of these thoughts to my mind -  my second article for Jenny of Rising Sun Coaching is now posted over on her blog. If you are interested in learning more about how I found my passion and purpose during my time in Italy, and how you can too, then give it a read. 

See you next week! We are off traveling this weekend. Venice again, the in-laws are in town for a visit. I know, rough life. :)

The Means or the End?

A stairway is a means to an end, a way to get from one level to another. But sometimes, the "means" can be separated from the "end." It becomes important in itself, like this stairway in the attic of Casa Battlo in Barcelona. Yes, it's a stairway. That's the obvious and practical "end." But it is a beautiful work of art, nicely framed and ready to be enjoyed, in it's own right. The "means" develops an identity on its own, a purpose of its own, without considering the intended "end."

I've been thinking a lot about the process of creating art, creating my photography. The process of creating - of noticing and seeing and capturing and playing - is as important as the end result. The photo that I present here each day is just the obvious and practical end of my art, like the purpose of a stairway to get you from one level to the next. But the fact is that the process, the means, is probably more important to me, the creator. That's why I continue to create, why all artists continue to create. If it wasn't, we'd all be done with the first work of art we are really happy with, especially if we aren't doing this for a living. (Getting paid for art is another kind of wonderful "end" for the artistic process.)

Ursula K. LeGuin said, "It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end."

The journey, for me, is the creation of the photograph. The beauty of this "means" being it's own "end" is that process of creating is not finite, is an ongoing, never-ending, renewable resource. Infinite. Regardless of what I created or shared yesterday, I have more to create today and tomorrow.

Isn't that an incredibly positive and exciting way to think about it? I encourage you to think of your art, whether it's photography or writing or cooking or yoga, in the same way. The end is not the purpose of the creative process, the means is!

Fundamental Shift

I came to a surprising realization this morning, that somewhere, sometime in the last year I have made a fundamental shift. I can see this shift in several ways...

In my photography, I have moved from the idea that I'm just capturing our travels to share with family and friends and remember later, to the idea that I'm creating art.

In this blog, I've found my voice, sharing my unique vision of the world around me and my creative journey.

In my self, I have moved from identifying myself as an engineer (my day job for the last 18 years) to identifying myself as an artist.

I am an artist.
Photography is my medium.
I have a unique vision to show the world.

Wow, that feels great to put out there. This is an exciting realization for me. I hope you continue with me on this journey, because who knows where it will lead.

(Photo is the entrance to the Marksburg Castle, outside of Braubach, Germany in the Rhine River Valley.)

Architecture as Art

The attic of Casa Battlo, one of Antonio Gaudi's houses, is a magic place. All arches and light. Gaudi was an amazing architect of the Modernista age in Barcelona, he was able to create such a wonderful feel in the spaces he designed, even in something as mundane as an attic where only the servants would go. He was an artist, and his canvas was the buildings and spaces he created.

The feeling of light, design, art inside Gaudi's Casa Battlo was reminiscent for me of visiting Frank Lloyd Wright's Gordon House in Oregon. It's like you enter the space of genius. These places make me look at architecture differently, not just from the outside but from the inside too. And then I wonder why most of our buildings are boxes with holes in them for light, when we could have spaces like these.

Contrast

Behind the Basilica di San Francesco (Basilica of St. Francis) in Assisi is this courtyard. I'm not sure if it's a cloister or what exactly it is, but it's a beautiful little place full of contrast. I like the contrast of lines and curves, sun and shade, near and far, bright color and subdued neutral. See how many contrasts you can find in this one image!

City Portrait

I tend to like these photos through gates and arches and doorways. It's as if the city itself is both the frame and the subject. You get a sense of being outside and looking inside, but the twist is that you are already inside, just by the nature of seeing through the arch. Enjoy the perspective, and the little view of the duomo piazza in Brescia.

Shapes of Light

Steps of a castle entrace at the Bled Castle in Slovenia.

This is a type of photo I've noticed catches my eye, as I go through and sort photos and pick my favorites for the blog. This kind of photo I would categorize as mostly about light, shapes and patterns. I could turn this to black and white and the photo would still work and convey a similar feeling. These images are often relatively monochromatic to begin with.

This is in contrast with the other type of photo I often share, in which COLOR plays a huge role, like yesterday's soaps from Nice. Yes, light and shapes and patterns are still important in these photos, but turning them to black and white would completely lose the feel and story.

Just a little observation on my photography for today, that's what I love about doing this blog. It helps me to see things in a slightly different way!

Beautiful Brescia

A hidden courtyard invites you to stop for a moment in Brescia, Italy.

Brescia is a medium-sized Italian town about an hour from here. Yesterday morning I had my Italian driver's test (I passed!) and then we headed out for a sunny Saturday in Brescia. Just a new place to explore. Brescia has it's own personality, with many of these hidden courtyards, large doors with stone arches and rock walls partially stuccoed. Every time I start to think, "I'm taking the same picture, over and over again, just in a different place," I realize the subtle differences that give each town it's own sense of place in the world. These little details are what make each town we visit more than just a point on the map, more than just the same thing over and over.

Arched Entryways

This arch is an entryway into the castle ruins of Rheinfels castle in St. Goar, Germany. This is one of the medieval castles of the Rhine River Valley, and you can go inside and explore the ruins a bit. It is very cool to get an idea of what life was like in these castles, it seems like a hard life of defending your territory, cramped and not-so-sanitary living. Not as romantic as we make it out to be today!

I liked this photo because of the scale. You can see Patrick and Brandon inside the arch, and get an idea of just how big it was. They needed to be able to ride through on horseback with flags, etc. so it had to be tall. One more use of the arch, not as decorative as the Rennaisance arches in the Italian courtyards, but interesting just the same.

Hallways with Arches

This is an early favorite, from our trip to Pavia in the spring. I don't remember the name of the Castello, but it had a huge courtyard with these beautiful arcades on the first and second levels. This was the second level. I love the perspective of looking down the hallway as the arches get smaller and smaller. Perspective is a fun thing to play with!

Arches and Courtyards

This courtyard is in an abbey in Verona. Again, more arches. But also of note are all of the courtyards. From the outside, the street view, many cities just have sidewalks and buildings and streets. But once you get inside, it often opens up into these wonderful courtyards. Hidden little places of beauty with greenery or fountains, the ability to get some outside air and sunshine in a nicer environment. Buildings have courtyards, cities have piazzas for the same thing.

Arches with a Fountain

This photo is of the Palazzo della Ragione with the fountain in Piazza delle Erbe in front, in Padova (aka Padua). I spent a fun day there with my sister, on our tour of the Veneto in November. This town is full of arches, there are all of these covered arcade walkways along the streets. It was a sunny day when we were there, but I bet everyone is thankful for them when it rains.

I had an amazing realization about arches this morning... Of course it's not just me, there are lots of arches all over the place because it's part of Rennaisance architecture and Italy is where the Rennaisance happened. Whew. Glad I figured that one out.

But yesterday's post also made me realize that I do show a selective view of the places we visit in my photography. Do you notice graffiti in my photos very often? No, but there's lots of it here in Italy. Patrick mentioned it in his blog post yesterday. So the photographer does impose his or her preferences in the photographs. And, apparently, I prefer arches, with no graffiti!

Arches

I loved this courtyard in the Palazzo Ducale in Genova. I've been looking at the photos I have in queue to post on my blog and have noticed that I have a LOT with arches. Arches inside buildings, arches outside. Arches of gates, arches of hallways, arches of windows. Either arches just catch my eye or they are just everywhere here in Europe! Maybe both. I will probably never be able to answer that question, because you can't really extract the photographer from the photographs to see the true reality. You just see the piece of reality that the photographer saw at that moment. And my reality includes a LOT of arches...

Famous Frame

We're back from our Disneyland Paris trip, but one last image from our first Paris trip to send you off from this series. A nice sunset, framed by that famous tower. Au revoir!