A Portrait of Darren

A Portrait of Darren, originally uploaded by Mixed Madness.

So, I've started using a new lens, the nikkor AF 85mm f/1.4D, yes....the legendary and ubiquitous portrait lens of old (and new). So is it the lens, or the camera, that produces such excellent imagery --- or is it the photographer? Well, the camera is an inanimate object, so I doubt it is solely responsible. But a job has the right tool. And for my work, the right tool is the 85/1.4.

And it is of my work, that I would like to digress slightly from the lens, or the camera, or the program, for a moment while I write about my desire to do good work. Back in '06, I decided that photography was a serious interest, and not simply a pursuit of gadgetry. Since then, I've worked hard to discover where my talents lie, and where there is room for improvement. And I think that a look through my flickr photostream shows a broad body of work with various techniques and experimentations with no real direction or focus. But now, I am proud to acknowledge that my focus and skill as a photographer are slowly being honed and coming together as I settle into my niche.

My goal as a photographer, is to capture and communicate with both the subject, or viewer of my work. As a completely unschooled practitioner, my development in the art of capture and communication come through thought, imagination, and practical application, rather than through illustration and instruction. My credibility of course, will only come about through example and result.

So from now on, my work will be much more focused on what I wish to communicate to the viewer of my work, whether they are simply viewing my work, whether for commission, or for the pure enjoyment of it.

I would say that my biggest challenge in becoming a successful photographer is, myself. More specifically, my fears. To answer that challenge, I will have to force myself to be more daring in my approach, to be able to connect with my subject in order to achieve my vision. And in that respect, it is portraiture that challenges me the most. Shooting things are easy. They don't move (well, mostly), they aren't shy or apprehensive, they may or may not even know what to do in front of a camera. So has to be me that teaches my subject to be where I want them to be, show what I want them to show, and be who I want them to be for that 1/250th of a second I need to capture their likeness.

In the coming months, I will be shooting more intimate portraits of the people who are closest to me, at least in the beginning. The image you see above is of my son. A young man whom I often find difficulty in achieving that split second connection with. I used to kid around with my wife as I thought how un-photogenic he is because it was so difficult to get a good shot of him, through hundreds of frames. But the truth was, I wasn't connecting with him behind the lens. The camera is what I sometimes think of as a barrier between artist and subject. While some photographers prefer this separation, I do not. I want our emotion to be free of barriers during the split second I need, but more than that, during my entire interaction with them. My pursuit of connection will force me to deal with my own fears and insecurities. And it is with those insecurities that I've dealt my entire life in some form or another. And I think the moment I can conquer them, my work will be spectacular.

As I fight my battles with equipment, fear, I will begin to see my goal of being a successful photographer come to fruition. I want to be a photographer, not for the recognition or money, but for the pride of my family and the look in the eyes of that little boy up there. He's my son, my future, and I love him very much.

I hope to share more in the coming months, so if anyone is reading this, stay tuned.

Peace,
Joe

Recent work

Sorbet

Curl against Blue

Red Glow - Berry Blue

A Dash of Color

Curl against Green

Another Butterfly

Violet Water Lily

Black and White Lilies

Primary Colors

Breezeway at 1230 Peachtree II

Brown Butterfly

Colors and Shadows

Piedmont Park - revisited

Light vs. Dark

It's been a while since a posted to my blog. I've been on flickr a lot, and of course deviantArt. So I thought I'd add some of my recent works.

March new stuff

Feeling Nostalgic....

Downtown HDR

New stuff

Darren

From a couple of years ago.

A semi-foggy day

Foggy Trees

Foggy Tower

Road to nowhere

More digital color crossing.

1180 Peachtree

Breezeway at 1230 Peachtree

Curvature

Twins