purse-web-0431, originally uploaded by craig.proulx.
Lately I have found myself creating more images on the fly. I lot of my stuff usually requires the need to setup lights, experiment with camera angles, and occasionally compositing images together. Because, I have been so busy lately with family things, I have been more opt to take along my compact camera. I think I have finally crossed the threshold where I am comfortable not lugging around a 400 pound camera and lens!
There are so many photo opps everywhere! In church, at restaurants. Even everyday things you take with you such as this purse! In fact, we where on our way to a restaurant for lunch, when we stopped to get gas. My lovely girlfriend’s purse was sitting on the floor. I picked it up and angled it by the car window so that some light poured on it. A very simple shot. I fired off a bunch of frames, trying different angles and compositions I liked. I might not have taken 20 minutes to setup for this, like I would in my studio, but it works. Whether or not I use it for anything dosen’t matter. The point is it sparked some creativity when my mind would normally be in lala land thinking of something else. In fact that day which was a weekend I walked away with close to 10 images that I am indeed going to use in my portfolio. They were all taken with a compact camera! I have to thank people like David Hobby and Chase Jarvis for doing things like daily I Phone photos for really inpiring me and showing what can be done with everyday activities!
The next photo was taken while at work at a university. The guy with me thought I was nuts! The very first time I had used this bathroom, I knew I had an image. I could see it, but just had to refine it and figure out how to manipulate it in camera and in post to get what I was seeing. When I was done, I can’t even begin to describe to you how nice it felt to have been productive in an environment which wasn’t a glamourous one! The lesson here: Always bring your compact and take it out when you normally wouldn’t! It might surprise you!
VC Images and Performing Arts 