When gifts are given to me through my camera, I accept them graciously.
Minor White
At Reservoir Ridge Natural Area they have a picnic table that I sometimes sit at and eat something I’ve brought and/or journal. Just behind the picnic table is a sculpture called “Ghost Kitchen.” As I sat there I noticed the sculpture, the animals within it and it’s strange name. It then dawned on me to stand behind the sculpture and try to get a starburst through the bird’s eye. So, I graciously accepted the gift given. And, the sandwich was good.
The state of mind of a photographer while creating is a blank…For those who would equate “blank” with a kind of static emptiness, I must explain that this is a special kind of blank. It is a very active state of mind really, a very receptive state of mind, ready at an instant to grasp an image, yet with no image pre-formed in it at any time. We should note that the lack of a pre-formed pattern or preconceived idea of how anything ought to look is essential to this blank condition. Such a state of mind is not unlike a sheet of film itself – seemingly inert, yet so sensitive that a fraction of a second’s exposure conceives a life in it. (Not just life, but “a” life). – Minor White, The Camera Mind and Eye
There was a time when my idea of conceiving life was nowhere close to this quote. I was in a different place in life and in my photography. I now feel the words I share, the way I live life and the images I share all have the power to conceive a life. That belief is the reason I will do my best to treat people in a positive way.That belief is also the reason I will venture out on a cold December day with a camera and tripod. And as I head out the door there is no “pre-formed” scene just a desire to experience this beautiful world. And, just what will I find?
