Inspiration: Stuff in my Pockets

I lose things constantly. Ask anyone that has known me for awhile or has lived with me, I'm terrible at remembering where I've put things. I don't mean little things like lip balm or coins, I mean my wallet, my phone. I'm really not sure how I manage to convince people that I'm somewhat of an adult. But I've been much better lately about keeping track of these very important items, and if I can't find it in a purse, there's a pretty good chance that it's in my jacket pockets.

I was playing around with the copy stand in the studio the other day and wasn't sure what I wanted to photograph for test shots. I literally reached into my pockets and pulled out whatever I had in there. Here you go:

My black cap; my keys; my keys and cell phone; and my headphones.

Inspiration: Annie Leibovitz

Annie Leibovitz's famous portrait of Keith Richards (1977)

Legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz took photos of some of the most iconic people and moments of our time. From rockstars to movie stars to the brightest thinkers of the 20th Century to Heads of State, she has been behind the lens and instructing some of the most powerful people in the world to tilt their chin and look into the camera. Can you imagine telling the Queen of England you need her to step to the right, stop smirking, or relax her shoulders? I don't even like correcting the Starbucks baristas when they get my name wrong on the cup.

I read her autobiography, "At Work", a few years ago while searching for more inspiration. It was impossible not to know who she was if you had ever used your eyes to look at a cover of Vanity Fair, Vogue, Rolling Stone, and other major publications; but I didn't know much about her as a person or how she got started. Pulling back the curtain on your heroes is a coin toss: you can be disappointed to find that she is nothing like what you thought or hoped, or you can be delighted to discover that her story is far more accessible and familiar than you realized. Luckily, I had the latter experience.

Queen Elizabeth II by Annie Leibovitz (2007)

At Work does a great job of reviewing key moments in her portfolio and highlighting pieces chronologically so that the reader can see how her work and style evolved over time. Leibovitz supplements the images with anecdotes and explanations of not only how she decided to compose an image but where she was personally as a photographer. When someone is considered a Master in the present, it is easy to forget that at one time they, too, were a Rookie. She talks about the lessons she learned on the job, the ability to accept constructive criticism while rejecting empty criticism, and how she learned to balance her technical skills with her creative impulses. She discusses all of the insecurities and shortcomings she had early on, but she follows up each failure with what she took away and continues to keep as a part of her education as a professional.

I think my favorite anecdote was about a photo she took of Marvin Gaye that was set to run in a newspaper in Japan. She was so excited to be able to work with him, and she had an idea to frame the shot with a beautiful orange/purple sunset behind him. She was pleased with how her initial shots turned out and sent them off to be published. She was horrified to find that the type of ink and printing style the newspaper used was different than the process in the United States, and it created a terrible effect on the photo, blurring out details in Marvin Gaye's face and strange color bleeding around him. She finishes the story by offering advice about being conscious that there is more that goes into a finished product than just you, your camera, and the subject. There is an amount of planning and homework that is required to have the greatest chance of success. It was one of those lessons that was so incredibly obvious but still made me go, "Wow, I never thought of it that way." There can be so much glorification of skill and natural ability in the art world that we forget the role preparation and professionalism plays.

Logically, we all know that the best and brightest in their field were not born that way (with a few exceptions, of course. Damn you, Mozart!). Perhaps they had a talent or ability more in-tune than the average population. but it struck me that for Leibovitz, she was aware that she had plenty to learn and continues to learn on the job. The Masters acknowledge that their talent alone does not get them where they are or want to be, and that at some point, they too were fumbling around with proper exposures and utilization of natural light.

It seems so trite and simplistic that I'm so enthusiastic about the "they're just like us" argument when it comes to Leibovitz, but I can't deny that she gives me hope that I can learn and grow despite/because of the many failures I will assuredly experience on the road to achieving success as a photographer.

Inspiration: Key Moments for This Amateur

"Alicante" by Henri Cartier-Bresson, taken in 1933.

When I first decided to take photography more seriously, I went to a local Barnes & Noble and picked up four books:

"Total Digital Photography" by Chris George
"Light Science & Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting" by Steven Biver, Paul Fuqua, and Fil Hunter
"Icons of Photography: The 20th Century" by Peter Stepan
"Photos that Changed the World" by Peter Stepan

The first two books were intended to help me understand my camera, the science behind how images are captured and recorded, and become familiar with terminology. Before I read these books, I had no idea what aperture or depth of field meant. I was clueless about what all the different sized lenses implied or in what situations each would be best used. I groaned outloud when I saw the diagrams for proper lighting. Angles? Distances? Speed of light? Refraction? It was all Greek to me; and some of it actually was in Greek (damn you, mathematical equations and sigma symbols!).

It can be overwhelming picking up a camera, seeing all the different settings, not knowing your camera's full potential. If you know me personally, you know that I can't stand not having at least a grasp of what I'm doing. Even little bits of knowledge about the different modes you can shoot in helped me feel less lost.

The second set of books I purchased were for inspiration. I had an appreciation for art in general, but I was even less knowledgable about the history of images, style, composition, etc. than I was about the technical aspects. I'm a big political and social history fan, and those two books give me a nice, linear understanding of how modern photography has evolved and grown over the last 100 years. It was really eye-opening understanding the importance of the first few images that were meant to appear candid but were actually staged (the equipment at the time just would not allow for the same type of quick shots we take for granted today). Prestel Publishing does a fantastic job with these compilation books, picking and curating key pieces throughout history. It was wonderful seeing what elements different photographers throughout time decided to play with and eventually become masters of.

By far, my biggest inspiration is Henri Cartier-Bresson. He is probably one of the most well-known, well-regarded photographers of the modern age. He is considered the father of street style photography and photojournalism. His images are timeless and classic, both familiar but uniquely his. The photo above, "Alicante", was in the Icons of Photography collection, and it was immediately a favorite of mine. That single image taught me that my subjects didn't need dramatic lighting, dramatic poses, layers of makeup, or a traditional model's appearance in order to be beautiful, moving, and interesting. Cartier-Bresson's work is about the moment, the coming together of the subjects existence and the click of your camera. He explained it best:

"To take photographs means to recognize--simultaneously and within a fraction of a second--both the fact itself and the rigorous organization of visually perceived forms that give it meaning. It is putting one's head, one's eye, and one's heart on the same axis."

There you have it. I'm just one of the many fans of Cartier-Bresson, and I'm also a fan of others. But he will always be the one I point to when people ask me how and why I developed my style.