Some Days I See Well

Something about the colors, something about the moment. Varanasi, India

 “If I could say it in words, there would be no reason to paint.” — Edward Hooper

See Mode

Our final morning on the Ganges was magical. Maybe it was the quality of the light or the rythmic progress of our hand-rown boat through the water that transported me into that wordless state so conducive to creativity. Whatever the reason, for a time, I felt fluent in the visual language. I perceived scenes and moments directly as images without the filter of words. Seeing and composing photographs felt effortless and joyful. Scientists call this mindset a Flow State. Athletes refer to it as being In the Zone. I call it C-mode, for Creative mode or See-mode, for well, you get it. 

 

What is the Art of Seeing?

“There’s nothing worse than a sharp picture of a fuzzy concept.” -Ansel Adams

People often ask me what I mean by the Art of Seeing. Quite simply, it’s the ability to turn off language based Logic-mode (L-mode) thinking and momentarily exist in C-mode, where thinking happens in ideas, images, and feelings. It’s familiar territory to us all…we go there automatically when we look at pictures and we innately understand its vocabulary. That’s why everyone instantly recognizes good photographs. It’s why you knew what a good picture was long before you learned the first thing about photography. But when we try to speak in this tongue, to create photographs, we often feel clumsy and ineloquent. Most people think the problem is a lack of that rare quality called talent – the Photographer’s Eye is a gift bestowed to but a few. But I’ve learned that the real issue is more about using the right tool for the job. 

The Role of Craft

The craft aspect of photography complicates things because it seduces you into believing all of the answers lie there....as long as I have the right equipment and really know how to use it, I will produce great pictures. But it’s not true. Gear, technique and software undeniably impact the appearance of photographs, but the role of craft is to execute and polish our vision. It’s the vision itself that is the heart of image making...it’s what the image is about, it’s the difference between taking pictures and making photographs. 

 

Seeing is a Skill…and a Journey

Something I Saw

Learning this lesson was my 'aha moment’ as a photographer and I’ve spent a lot of my career since studying the creative process...and ways to hack it. What I’ve settled on is that Seeing is a skill, one that anyone can learn. I know this from experience. C-mode Seeing didn’t come naturally for me, far from it… but the more I work on it, the easier it becomes. But Seeing is also a practice, in the sense that meditation is a practice. It’s more a lifelong journey than a mountain you summit. And as with all journeys, some days or moments are better than others. The good times are our moments of clarity, the experience of being in flow, in the zone, fully present. It’s the elusive runner’s high that keeps us chasing the dragon. But can that dragon be tamed to show up more often, preferably on demand? I’m still working on that and probably always will be. But over the years I’ve learned some tricks, creative hacks if you will, that entice the muse to appear more reliably. Some are lessons learned from others and some I discovered on my own. I’ve jotted down a dozen or so of my favorites in a short ebook called, Shifting Into C-mode: Practical Ways to Sharpen Your Creative Vision. It’s a free download on my website, I encourage you to check it out if you have any interest in ‘the other half of photography.’ 

This article is the first in a series I’m calling my Art of Seeing Manifesto. I hope you enjoyed it. Stay tuned for the next installment, Your Next Breakthrough Won’t Be Your Next Camera. 

Is India on Your Bucket List?

The Colors of India 2018 Photography Workshop & Tour

“This is India; the land of dreams and romance, of fabulous wealth and fabulous poverty, of splendor and rags, of palaces and hovels, of famine and pestilence, of genii and giants and Aladdin lamps, of tigers and elephants, the cobra and the jungle, the country of a thousand nations and a hundred tongues, of a thousand religions and two million gods, cradle of the human race, birthplace of human speech, mother of history, grandmother of legend, great-grandmother of tradition...” - Mark Twain, Following the Equator, 1897

You'll be amazed at how well Twain's perceptive observations still hold up nearly a century and a half after they were penned. Our task is to capture  bits of the India of yesterday and today with our cameras.  India’s ancient monuments, including its most famous, the Taj Mahal, are just beginning of what this land of colors and contrasts offers the avid photographer. I’m very excited to announce the Art of Seeing Photography Adventure’s latest workshop, The Colors of India, Feb 22 –Mar 18, 2018. Join us for an immersive, photo-centric exploration of a culture carved by deep rivers of spirituality and history. Our itinerary covers the best of the must-see monuments but we’ll veer off the beaten path early and often in search of more authentic visions of Indian life.

          Experience Highlights

·      With its riotous colors, the Holi Festival is arguably the most photogenic cultural celebration on the planet.

·      The holy city of Varanasi lies at the center of the Hindu universe and attracts millions of devout pilgrims seeking spiritual rejuvenation in the sacred waters of the Ganges river.  

·      Jodhpur, the Blue City, exudes such a relaxing vibe that you will be tempted to do nothing but park yourself on a rooftop terrace with a cool beverage and stare up at massive Mehrangarh Fort. 

·      Wake up for sunrise over Gadissar lake in the desert outpost of Jaisalmer Fort and then ride into the Thar desert atop a camel for sunset and a star filled night in the sand dunes.

The opportunities to make unforgettable memories and photographs on this carefully curated journey are literally endless. Join us and See for yourself.

15days/14 nights all inclusive $5595*

*See workshop page for complete details: www.artofseeing.com/india-2018

Seeing in Color

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Some like it warm

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But maybe you're too cool...

Here's a great (unintentional) example of how color, or more particularly, the color of the light can impact the mood of an image. I went to the Venice Beach Pier the other day to do some scouting for a photowalk I'm leading this weekend. I wanted to catch the last rays before sunset but I got there a little later than planned and the sun was disappearing below the horizon by the time I reached the base of the pier. Looking northwest 'up' the shoreline, the light reflecting off the wet sand caught my eye. I raised my camera, composed and made a few exposures. Pretty standard stuff...but still pretty. Then I turned around and saw that the view 'down' the shore also looked interesting. I especially liked the lines of foam some of the waves made as they rolled onto the beach. I shot a few more frames and moved on. Later, as I was reviewing my haul on the computer, the thing that jumped out at me was the difference in the colors of the two groups of images. The upshore shots which included the sunset sky and its warm light reflecting off the water look completely different than the downshore shots which are dominated by deep blue tones from the twilight sky. The thing is, I made all of these images from basically the same spot just facing different directions, and when I check the time stamps, there's only a 5 minute difference from the first to the the last frame. I won't try to describe the mood of either set of shots or even offer an opinion about which one is 'better'. These are things that are different for each viewer. But it's hard to deny that the two feel dramatically different...and it all comes down to the color of  light. 

By the way, if you are in the LA area this weekend and want something fun to do, join us for our Venice Beach Photowalk. It's part of Worldwide Photowalk Day. The walk happens on Saturday, Oct 1 and we will start at the base of the Venice Pier at 5pm. Hope to see you there! 

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Photo Tip: Use Fuzzy Logic for Sharper Compositons

It’s pretty much an automatic reflex with most photographers to press the shutter button halfway to activate the autofocus as soon as they put their eye to the viewfinder. And why not, what’s the value of looking at a blurry image? Well, there’s a lot of value I think. In fact, I would say that at this point I do the majority of my composing looking at an out of focus image. As counterintuitive as it might seem this practice really helps me ‘see’ compositions much more clearly. When you look at a blurry image all you can really make out are the major shapes and tones in the frame, which are exactly the elements you want to work with when composing a picture.This technique confounds your left brain’s pesky tendency to suck you into the details and lose sight of the big picture.

In my next post I’ll be writing in depth about the workings of our left and right brain hemispheres. Suffice it to say for now that our left-brain is in love with details, instantly naming and categorizing everything it ‘sees’. Unfortunately, this gets in the way of actually seeing the things we are looking at. You need to be in right brain mode when composing images and looking at a fuzzy scene helps you make that switch. That’s because an out of focus image makes no sense to the left brain – it can’t deal with it. It can’t name its components, there’s nothing to categorize. I like to imagine that the left brain looks at the blurry picture, throws up its hands and walks away.

So next time you are composing a shot, keep your finger off that shutter button. You may even have to manually throw the image more out of focus. Then look at the amorphous shapes and tones in your frame and start making adjustments– there are no rules for this, you just have to try things until it starts to feel right. I know that’s really vague but all I can say is that a good composition feels pleasing visually and balanced while a poor composition does not. Using a tripod is a huge help when you are working this way because it allows you to make small adjustments, then evaluate, then adjust until it ‘works’.

This method is really a corollary to my previous photo tip about looking at small images when shooting or editing to get a better sense of the overall composition, what I call the ‘shape’ of the picture. It’sjust another way of tricking the left brain into stepping aside and letting the right brain do its thing.

I’d love to know what you think about this photo tip. If you found it helpful, you can subscribe to future tips & posts about the Art of Seeing on my homepage.

Good shooting,

-Ken

The Art of Seeing Weekend Workshop

Winter Fenceline

2010 Aug 28 - 29  - The Art of Seeing Weekend Workshop- How can I improve my photography is a question I often hear.  The short answer is practice, practice, practice. But practice what exactly and how? What is "The Art of Seeing"? Can I develop my photographic eye or is it a talent you are just born with (or without)? These are the questions we will tackle in this intensive two day workshop. Through a combination of lectures and field sessions, I will demonstrate that everyone can learn to see 'correctly' and practicing the art of seeing is the surest path to improving your photography. Cost $350. Click here for more details and registration form