Bliss and grunge...

As it happens sometimes, I found myself playing around with some images

without any particular direction in mind
or intent...
other than, perhaps, the intent to avoid "pretty flower" photos.

Do you ever feel that way...unable to stomach one  M O R E  beautiful posy picture?

No offense meant, it's just that I need to be heading somewhere else at the moment...

away from literal and more towards how a scene *feels*...

Without a doubt my garden makes me feel blissed-out, especially at this time of year
near high summer, when all the plants are busting out of themselves in vegetative exuberance.
Then, there's all that late evening light
putting its own dramatic spin on what's going on out there...

but there's more to it and its hard to explain...

I add grunge (funny photo term) to what might be "a pretty scene" while I ask myself, why?  

What I realize is,

I'm doing the same thing with image making 

that I do with cloth and stitch and beads:

trying to tell a story.

And with any kind of storytelling,

sometimes it's just better to leave out some of the obvious.

There's a mini-revolution happening at the moment and although I'm not much of a "joiner," 

I'll readily admit to my voluntarily participation in the phone photography revolution.

I happen to think it is one of  the most  freeing

(as in, getting unstuck OR finding a way to express oneself in the first place) 

forms of creativity out there...so accessible to so many,

no rules, shoulds or shouldn'ts...

just a fantastic way to play with light and color and special effects that will

 rock your grandma right outta her traditional chair.

Here's a wee example of just how much change can happen...

This is a straight shot right from my phone camera.

No tweaking, no alterations of any kind.
High noon, hideous light, super contrasty...boring.

Here's (maybe) a not so boring interpretation with some vintage effects and old-timey blurs.
Leaves a little something to the viewer's imagination

and for now, that suits me just fine.

: : :


If you happen to be in a similar artistic mindset, may I suggest a worthwhile read...
Nicola Taylor wrote something today over on the Shutter Sisters blog
and her title sums it up splendidly:  on finding your own way...
Nicola left her career as a stockbroker and not believing she had any creative voice at all
made a life-changing discovery to the contrary.
In her words:
"It's one of those magical things that happens when you just let go
and allow the story to have an ending you didn't envision."
Read her heartfelt post  HERE.