Chicago Botanic Garden :: Hosta Cuddle

“Hosta Cuddle”

I was running out of inspiration in my photography.  My last “photography trip” was way back in early March 2011, and the next one would not be for a year or more.  No one was buying my photos, and no one was enrolling in my workshops.  I was getting very few “Likes” on my posts.  I was thinking why do this at all.  Who cares about these images anyway?  There are trillions of them on the internet, and why bother?

Yesterday when I was walking up my driveway after a day at the office, I heard the singing of a Cardinal up in the sky somewhere.  I stopped and listened and looked until I saw him, sitting way up on my TV antenna.  Then I smiled and whistled back.  Was he singing for me?

Last Saturday I was at the Chicago Botanic Garden, to shoot some pictures of the flowers and plants there.  Initially, I was walking around in the grip of the mind’s chatter — “Find pretty flowers … in soft light  … with uncluttered backgrounds … and get their names  … and won’t everybody just love it  … and blah blah blah blah blah.”

But then, by walking around, by myself, just being still and letting the plants attract me (letting my heart attract them?), by just walking around and noticing my feelings, my mind’s focus was directed to a group of hostas perched quietly along a stairway under a canvas tent.  Their stillness and apparent contentment with their position, leaf curling against leaf, created in me a feeling of appreciation that these flowing, unspectacularly green ripply plants had accepted their destiny to put on a display –  today — now  — just for me, because everyone else had passed them by.

So what is the purpose of a plant growing or a bird singing or a Harry making a picture?  Is it to win awards, recognition, appreciation from other people? I think not.

I think, when we are still, we are all inspired to do what feels good to us, and I should not forget that for me it feels good to pour some of my life into creating a thing of beauty.  Like the Cardinal singing his song.  Like the hosta leaf growing and cuddling with her sisters.

I will remember to focus my mind on these things, before focusing my camera.

Award Winner :: Antelope Canyon

The Chicago Area Camera Clubs Association (CACCA) awarded my image named “Entry” an Acceptance Ribbon in its 2010 Annual Spring Salon Competition.  CACCA was founded in 1936, and is a progressive photographic organization composed of about forty clubs in the Chicago area.  Over 1000 members are actively engaged in every phase of photography.

“Entry”, Antelope Canyon, Navajolands, Arizona (c) Harry Hitzeman

An Acceptance Award is granted to the highest scoring one-third of submissions, and means that the image will be included in a promotional DVD.  It scored a 24 (average of 8 from each of 3 judges) with the highest possible score being a 27 (9 from each of 3 judges).

From the CACCA Judges Handbook:

An image that scores an 8 is a very strong image. Such an image is technically correct and much more. The elements of the image must work together. If there are flaws, they are minor and hard to find. Obvious flaws must be compensated by other elements in the image. Images that score an 8 may break the “rules”. When the rules are broken, they are broken for impact. Technical excellence is expected to a high degree in an image scoring 8. Difficult exposures, effective use of selective focusing and depth of field, as well as other advanced photographic techniques are commonly found in such an image. The image exhibits SEVERAL elements towards which those who are working at polishing their craft should be striving.

You can view more of my works from Antelope Canyon here and here.

Award Winner :: Oak Creek Sunset

Monday I was given an award for this digital image from the Mayslake Nature Study and Photography Club in Oak Brook, IL.

Oak Creek Sunset

I took this photograph from Oak Creek near Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona, on November 6, 2009.

Going out that evening, my goal was to get a photo shooting east at Cathedral Rock, with some nice warming light from the sun setting in the west. However, the sunlight was blocked by the above (then gray) clouds.  I was ready to call it quits after snapping way too many blah images of the rock, when the rock started to get pink, then orange.

I turned around to the west and saw this scene.  I have never seen the sky this orange, this big, this boastful.

Photography Grinder Rule # 1: Never put your camera away until you’re back on the truck.

 

Photography Club

Image via Wikipedia

Tonight I attended a meeting of the Mays Lake Nature Study & Photography Club at Mays Lake Peabody Estate, 1717 31st Street, Oak Brook, IL.

From their home page:

“The club was founded in 1965 to help photographers broaden their knowledge of nature and improve their techniques for “capturing nature’s beauty.”  The Club’s purpose continues to be primarily educational, with an emphasis on nature study and photographic technique.  In the process of learning, members gain a greater understanding and respect for the natural world.  The Club is hosted by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County.”

Tonight’s agenda: “Non-competitive Critique”.  They called it non-competitive because they were not competing against other clubs. It was a good way to see a simulation of how competitive events work.  There was a judging of about 25 ~ 11 x 14 prints, and then a viewing of about 10 digital photos on a projector open to comments from all.  There were three judges, and each held a numeric keypad wired to a  machine that counted the scores.  Each judge could assign a score of up to 9 points, then the points were added together.  The highest score of the evening was 27.

Note also that in nature photography, they disqualify as a “nature” photo any image that includes an object that was from the “hand of man”, such as a telephone pole or picnic bench.

Attending a local camera club is a good way to improve your photography, and it’s fun hearing what the judges appreciated about the images, and hearing how they believe the photo could be made better.  Cropping, sharpening, color balance, composition — all were all in play, and I was pleased to hear that most of their opinions agreed with my own.