Oasis of light
Toronto, ON, November 2009
About this photo: We're slowly bringing Thematic Photographic's feet week to a close. Click this link to see where this ridiculousness all began. Thanks to Mojo's kindness, we have a new theme for next week: 2009, the year that was. Feel free to start thinking about which of your pics from the last year are most memorable, and which ones you'd like to share. Launch post goes up tomorrow (Wednesday) at 7:00 p.m. EST.I seem to be bringing home more moody photos these days (see here, here and here.) I guess that's understandable given the kind of year we've had, but it still jars me a little when I see more shades of grey than I'm used to. Although I never thought the artistically brooding thing really fit me, I realize I may need to rethink that a bit, albeit temporarily.
Regardless, this somewhat dark chapter has some side benefits. It's allowed me to explore the technical challenges of shooting darker scenes. It's also forced me to not rely on color as a crutch. Which, hopefully, may help me get better at this photography thing after all. Time will tell. For now, however, I offer this sombre view, taken as I reflectively walked back to Toronto's Union Station and headed home to my family.
Your turn: Do your photos reflect your mood? How?
Oh I think any kind of art form reflects the mood of the artist. (Or in some cases perhaps the state of impairment when the piece was created.)
ReplyDeleteI really like this shot though. The victory of light over darkness is a theme repeated throughout human history by people of all sorts. Every religion, every political platform, every charismatic cult following even, they all reference the "beacon in the darkness" paradigm. It's a fundamental need, perhaps even more elemental than food. In the fist few verses of Genesis we get light. Before anything else, we get light. (Okay, technically that's not true. "The Word" came before light, but the first creation was light.) The Statue of Liberty "lifts her lamp beside the golden door" (or behind the green door or whatever). Diogenes, walking around with a lamp lit in the middle of the afternoon (not very watt-wise, that Diogenes).
So you've captured a very elemental metaphor of humanity here. Or is it an allegory? Or a ... nevermind. It's an important piece.
Love this, Carmi.
ReplyDeleteYes, my photos affect my mood, and my mood affects my photos. It's one of my favorite types of photography...symbolic.
Hello my friend!
ReplyDeleteI have been semi-regularly (which is to say not regularly at all) kept up with you posts and I have felt your pain through the trials you have face over the past year. I know that offering my condolences is woefully inadequate, but you have them nonetheless.
To answer your question, no, my photography doesn't often reflect my mood. It could, but I am just not shooting very much these days. My writing (blogging, specifically) is far more reflective and I feel as though I might be finally coming out of the doldrums that have plagued me these past several weeks.
Though we've never met in person, Carmi, I consider you a good friend. Our relationship now spans about four years and my hope is that the coming year will be bountiful for you and your family.
Mike