Trying to Find a Way of My Own
Text copyright Heather Forcier,
images copyrighted as indicated, all rights reserved

Nothing compares to time spent in the field. I find great contentment seeking and photographing subjects, capturing the essence of a place at a particular moment. There is little else I'd rather do. But to make the most of my time behind the camera, I invest time at study, referring to a selection of printed publications and internet resources, searching for ideas and inspiration.

In addition to facing the ongoing challenge of technical proficiency, more recent aspirations have compelled me to look at the artistic aspects of my imagery with a desire to create something more unconventional. Within the NatureScapes.Net image critique galleries, photos recognized for depicting an emerging style of the photographer or offering a more unique presentation of a subject have captured my interest. A year ago I might have overlooked what they had to offer. Today, with an emerging awareness, I took notice. There are many images that impress me on a daily basis. I took the time to contact a few photographers for some additional insight into their photography. While it is impossible to adequately represent a photographer's entire body of work with a single image, I have included an image from each for illustrative purposes.

A SENSE OF STYLE
Comments on Robert Hasty’s images indicate they are becoming more distinct and evoke mood. He is deeply motivated to produce photos that have never been seen before; new ideas are always on his mind. Sometimes he sets out to photograph with images previsualized; other days, he lets his surroundings inspire him. After less than a couple of years behind the camera his images are starting to develop some of that personality he is striving for.

Each time Michael Brown photographs he strives to do something different. For him, his surroundings offer endless possibilities and opportunities. He looks for that which has been overlooked and tries to bring out the emotional qualities of a subject by understanding it. Responses to his image posts in the critique galleries acknowledge that he is successfully developing a different style.

The work of Robert and Mike intrigues me. Both have been involved in photography just about over one year. Self-taught, both found it helped to follow generally accepted guidelines in the learning process before setting off on a different path. Neither has turned to high end professional camera equipment for their endeavors; neither has found limitations to their creativity because of it. From them I am learning the creative process cannot be rushed, but it can be encouraged. I need to slow down, learn to look for and find the opportunities around me.

GOING BEYOND ORDINARY
Many of nature’s great landmarks have been well photographed. With possibly hundreds or thousands of photographs of a place in existence, what hasn’t been done before? E.J. Peiker has been an avid photographer for over thirty years and utilizes technical knowledge combined with artistic creativity to produce different images. Not only are they an unusual look at some familiar scenes, they are inspirational in their own right. From E.J.'s work I realized that I may think it's all been done before, but the limitation really may be only in my own mind, in trying to do what I've seen before. There are many more opportunities to explore with greater vision.

During a recent trip to Vermont for fall foliage, Greg Downing encountered rolling hills of vibrant colors and quaint pastoral scenes. But his focus shifted to something a bit more creative. Using reflections of fall colors in the water, he used a slower shutter speed to allow water ripples to create an impressionist-type image. For some variations in the patterns, he cast a small stone into the pond that created an intriguing effect. I have witnessed New England fall colors annually and photographed in a similar way each year. Greg's approach put a creative twist on the image possibilities and I started to see the familiar landscape in a different way.

"OUT OF THE BOX"
Charles Glatzer's images and unconventional, "out of the box", thinking have been a continual inspiration to me. His advice is that imagination, visualization, and technical competency are the key; if the image can be visualized it only takes the proper technique to create the photo. The more technical ability, the more possibilities there are. For pan blurs, Chas suggests low contrast light such as that of pre-dawn, post sunset and overcast days, and prefers a shutter speed of about 1/15th of a second for birds with large wings and a methodical flight pattern; 1/60th of a second with faster moving subjects. The tripod and head should be level to ensure an even horizon, and to pan, do so smoothly at the subject's speed with follow through after depressing the shutter. "The smoother and more stable the panning technique, the better the result."

FINDING MY OWN WAY
This is just some of the information I have assimilated in my quest to do something a bit different; I have found many more examples that provide me with inspiration daily. While it may take some time for me to absorb, perhaps even longer to successfully put into practice, it is exciting to contemplate the new possibilities with different techniques and ways of approaching subjects. I look forward to the challenge!

Heather Forcier gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Robert Hasty, Michael Brown, E.J. Peiker, Greg Downing, and Chas Glatzer in her research for this article. While Robert and Mike do not yet have their own web sites, more work of E.J.'s can be seen at www.ejphoto.com; more work of Greg's at www.gdphotography.com, more of Chas's work at www.shootthelight.com.