studying statues

It struck me yesterday how truly very personal photography is. When your producing a piece of Artwork its pretty much your soul on a canvas. Its an incredibly brave and nerve racking thing to paint what is all your own creation and then hold it up for citisism from the world at large. Its what dissuades many artists from carrying on, one bad review and they're back at school with the teacher telling them they can't draw. Game over.

But on the whole with photography your capturing what has pretty much been created for you. You see a shot and take it. Slightly different if you construct the objects or people into a picture but still the objects or people where initially available fully formed for you to use. I had the impression that photography was a little less exposing but I realise now that it is just as much a blaring horn of ones talent, or lack of it, as painting is.

The two pictures above are what prompted this revelation. My friend and I took and hour out of our busy Sundays to wonder around our local memorial gardens, in the centre of which is this wonderful copper statue. We both snapped away and moved on and these were our best shots. One picture works and one doesn't. One has impact and emotion and one is just a picture of a statue. Mine is the one that doesn't work.

I was trying to get an amazing angle, from below with her left hand pointing to the top of the picture and her right hand to the side but it just doesn't work. My friend moved back and took the picture from the front, straight on. How dull i thought, wrong! Two peoples different interpretation of the same subject and the end result totally exposing their creativity at that moment. Thank goodness the pictures are not for an exhibition, that would be a standing in the church with your clothes off nightmare!!!

We're going to do more of these photography trips as its really helpful and inspiring to see others interpretations of the same locations. We start a new photography club in a couple of weeks also, a creative cell.

I'm looking forward to it.

We also wondered around the deserted streets of the town on Sunday and I'm pleased to say I did get some shots that I am happy with.