My photographic passion is firmly in landscape and nature shooting. It’s where I feel at home, where I’m most comfortable, where I have the most to say through my images. However, i have a TON of interests throughout life, outside of photography that I enjoy experiencing.
I’ve always had a camera and take snapshots when I’m enjoying something other than focused photography. In the last couple of years though, I have worked hard to bring more of my photographic skills to these other interests. I’m doing it for a couple of reasons: 1) learning how to read, interpret and capture a wide variety of subjects will help me “see” my preferred subjects even better and 2) because these are interesting subjects to me, I’m wanting to see if I can find my voice to tell a story with subjects I’m not used to visualy speaking about.
It’s this first point though that is the basis for the article today. I posted earlier about “flexing your creative muscles” by shooting often and practicing “seeing creatively” I believe that shooting subjects that you’re not comfortable with also flexes and strengthens the creative muscles by making you work harder to create good compositions, reading the light differently than you would shooting your preferred subjects, and seeing the everyday world around you differently.
I’ll not write a whole lot on this subject and instead demonstrate through the images below. I do urge you to try and get out of your photographic comfort zone and try to shoot something different in a creative and artistic way.
Now, knowing I typically shoot landscapes and nature shots, here are some shots that are outside of my own comfort zone
Rope layed out on the deck of a ferry headed to Victoria BC
Porsche at a concours car show in Forest Grove Oregon
A P-51 at the Oregon International Airshow
Portrait of a fellow artist
In a junk yard
On the deck of the USS Constitution in Boston Harbor
A boat sitting at dock on Whidbey Island
Walking around Sedona AZ and spotted a bucket of keys
Skiff in Camden harbor
Car show
Old bridge in the Columbia River Gorge
Art deco airplane
Cool colors and patterns
Porsche 918 Spyder
This last shot is one I absolutely love and I’m so happy I pushed myself beyond taking snapshots while I was at this car show and tried to bring some artistic flavor to the event.
Sometimes, I try to art in colors I don’t usually work in. It’s harder, and takes more work to get something to where I like it, but that’s how you grow.
I really like these pictures. i grew up in PNW. And Dad worked for Porsche when I was little. 🙂
Very cool! Yea it’s harder working outside of comfort zone whether it’s subjects or colors or seasons. Great job to keep pushing yourself