Occupy One in All

As a photographer, I look for quiet moments. I try to capture slivers of time that might otherwise go unnoticed. Photographing the Occupy Wall Street movement in California, therefore, presented me with a number of new challenges. So much of what took place during the protests was performance, or as my boyfriend aptly called it, street theater. And yet, I found myself reluctant to press the shutter when I felt a scene had been orchestrated for the camera.

Ultimately, I relied on two different approaches to photographing these performances. One was to seek out quiet, unobtrusive moments hidden within the crowd. The other, somewhat opposite approach was to tap into what I enjoyed about street theater: its drama and excitement. The most compelling images in the end, however, were those that combined aspects of both approaches…

A woman sits quietly on a bus and watches the protest swirl by on Market Street.

A young man focuses intently on playing the flute while in the midst of an Occupy Oakland March.

Solitude in the middle of a crowd.

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Finding the light

Photographers never tire of discussing, praising, or complaining about light. Despite this, it is sometimes easy to forget just how important the quality of light can be to a photograph. I recently did an engagement shoot in Marin County that reminded me just how integral good light is to good photography. My boyfriend (a photojournalist) and I decided to visit the site a couple of days prior to the shoot, in order to observe and study the light. We photographed each other in different swaths of light and shadow, at different times of day, both with flash and without. This series of experiments paid dividends when it came to the actual photography shoot. I knew in advance where and when I’d find the different qualities of light that I’d want for different images.

I should also note here that I was very fortunate to have a wonderful couple posing for me on this shoot. They were incredibly at ease with themselves, with each other, and in front of the camera, all of which made my job remarkably easy. The slide show below includes a few of my favorite images from that day.

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In flight

One of my most recent projects came to me via a friend, who was looking for images of geese in flight for a tattoo.

This project has brought me much joy. To begin with, I enjoy making photographs for friends and family; I find contentment and fulfillment in creating images for the people I know and love.

In addition, there is something meditative about photographing birds, and specifically in waiting for the moment they’re in flight. The process gives me an excuse to sit quietly in one place and simply observe, which is one of my favorite pastimes.

There is a peace that comes from surrendering to a long wait, and in this project, that wait is eventually rewarded by the burst of movement that epitomizes the motion of birds in flight. Birds like geese shift from heavy awkward beings into graceful figures the moment their feet leave the ground.

Their movement in the air is poetic; the challenge of photographing them lies in the attempt to distill that kinetic poetry into one still frame.

Watching bird-flight brought to my mind one of the most memorable books from my childhood: The Fledgling, by Jane Langton. In the book, a little girl befriends a goose, who teaches her how to fly. The book encapsulates the magic of childhood by wrapping it in the possibility of flight.

As a girl, I always secretly thought I would be able to fly; part of me still does.

If only I could meet the right goose.

Childhoods

I am very lucky to live close to two friends I’ve known since I was nine years old and first moved to Minnesota. I am even luckier in that these friends have five amazing children between them. Over the past few years, I’ve been able to get to know, watch, and photograph these kids at play. In order to kickstart this blog, I thought I’d post a series of these photographs, since making them has always been a great source of both inspiration and joy.

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Thoughts, Jots, and Shots

Welcome to my photography blog, “Thoughts, Jots, and Shots”. For years, photography has been my hobby—the hobby I would embrace when in need of inspiration.  In June of last year, I decided to make this inspiration my way of life, and I subsequently quit my job as an architect to begin.

Since that time, I have experienced an educational roller coaster, with the world, my clients, my subjects, my camera, and other photographers as my teachers. I envision this blog as a means to share the knowledge I have acquired, as well as a way to thank all of those who have been so kind and generous in educating me along the way.

Dorthea Lange’s famous statement that, “the camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera”, has been quoted often enough to perhaps seem cliché.  I would simply add, however, that the camera not only teaches us how to see, but that it also provides us with a new way to experience the world and those around us. It is my hope that this blog will convey that sense of awe and wonder that comes from re-envisioning the familiar as I continue to learn all that the camera, and its world, has to teach.