It’s easy to yield to sameness, particularly if doing things a certain way has brought you success in some measure. Artists are not immune to it. Singers who have a hit are often pressured by their managers to produce a record that sounds similar to the one that rocketed up the charts. Actors who bring a character to life may spend much of the rest of their careers trying to escape that role to avoid being typecast.
My favorite subjects are people and the details of things. With those two areas alone, I have more subject matter than I have time left on earth. I have discovered that it is good to expand and try things completely removed from what I like to do and where I’ve received recognition. If I stay with the same subjects, I tend to get lazy. I can create good work without doing a lot of thinking…and ultimately that will bring disaster.
For me, the solution is to try something new. Get into an aspect of creation and image making that requires me to think longer and look more deeply before I push the shutter button. Slow down. See more possibilities. Take chances. Break rules. Make mistakes. Have fun!
That’s what I’ve done with these two images. Monica and I ate dinner at a local restaurant the other night. Just outside the door are these glass water walls. As we were waiting for the valet to retrieve our car, I noticed how beautiful the colored store lights were when they were diffused by the running water. After reviewing a few images I made on my phone, I was ready to spend more time there. That’s what I did a few nights later. Each image is unique given the nature of the flowing water and the impact of car lights as they pass by.
I’m still learning to look and happy to be a student.
