Nov 29 2011

Getting to know your subject

When I decided that my photographic career would be the Florida Landscape I had to devise a method that would keep me focused and productive. I was also interested in producing a body of work of some value but also of some variety. Creating portfolios from various areas gave me the opportunity to focus on a certain location for a specified period and then move onto another area for a set time. This method of working also gave me the opportunity to view and photograph with some depth.

Another benefit of this method of working is you find yourself seeing interesting images sometimes next to each other, as seen in the St. Johns River images below. These were taken on the same day merely by swinging my tripod to the right and moving slightly.

 

Or in the case in the Florida Wetlands images shown below were shot facing west (left image #2509) and facing east (right image #2503) but on different days.

 

Because I go back to the same area for a year at least I am able to be very familiar with what is there and how the different seasons changes the light, the air, the landscape. I often think people move away too quickly to look for something else before they really see what is already in front or beside them to photograph.