Depending upon the context, "shooting from the hip" can take on one of several meanings. In my case, it refers to the practice of taking photographs while your camera dangles from your hip. Or in front of you. The main point is that you don't hold your camera up to your eye, carefully compose your shot, or check the results. You just randomly click the shutter button and take what you get.
Shooting from the hip is pretty spontaneous, which is not my style - I usually like to everything organized and planned out ahead of time. Normally I shoot in manual mode, which involves checking exposure and adjusting as needed. Street photography (not my style either) is particularly suited to shooting from the hip because of the variety of scenes that present themselves and the constant change in what comes into view. There is a surprise factor in letting the camera capture the randomness of people, scenes, shadows, and random objects that one would not normally notice. So, last October, when I was in downtown Chicago for the Filter Photo Festival, I decided to try my hand at shooting from the hip. It was fairly early on a Sunday morning, and at first there wasn't a lot of activity, not even from the picketers in front of the Sheraton Hotel on Michigan Avenue. But then, there appeared a trickle of people in all manner of costumes, moving towards Grant Park for the Chicago Monster Dash. The idea is to run either a 5K or half-marathon in your favorite costume. If you don't do well on the racing part, there are prizes for best costume based on originality, execution, wearability and overall effect. Perfect! Early morning sunny day, fresh and crisp, a fun atmosphere, and unusual subjects. Set the camera to aperture priority, let the camera hang at an angle at the hip, and click away.
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Please join me and other local photographers at the Opening Reception of "A Moment in Time." Friday January 20, 2012 from 6-8 pm at the Bloomingdale Park District Museum, 108 S Bloomingdale Rd. Here is a link to their website for more information: http://www.bloomingdaleparks.org/Facilities/BPD-museum/exhibitions.htm I am a big fan of entering contests and submitting to Gallery Shows. I have had a few successes and lots of misses, but each one has been a valuable learning experience and preparation for the next step. I was very fortunate to have two of my three entries accepted for the exhibit "A Moment in Time" that is currently showing at the Bloomingdale Park District Museum. The image shown here, called "Time Warp" is the one that didn't make the cut. I thought that a straight-on image of the iconic Marshall Field's clock would be too pedestrian, so I applied some creativity and joined two very different images to achieve this artistic effect. It is a curious experience to learn what the jurors have accepted and what they have not (notice I did not say 'rejected'). In my case, I felt this was the strongest of my three submissions. In another show, another juror, this one could have been selected. At least that is what I tell myself. That is the beauty of it all, and why I join others of my colleagues who recommend to keep on submitting. Hope to see you at the show! Welcome to my website and my first blog. I am having a great time exploring the world through digital imaging, and I am very excited to share my work with the you.
Speaking of excitement, Mother Nature has put on a spectacular display this year - the colors are amazing, and I have had a great adventure capturing the colors, the changes, the beauty. It has been the perfect palette for creativity, expressiveness, and fun. That is important, because I see photography and fun as two sides of the same coin. Whether it is trying out new techniques with the camera, combining existing images together, or experimenting in post-production, it feeds my soul and brings me happiness. I hope that my images will strike a similar cord with you. |
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