Taking tens of thousands of photos a year, one can find themself both developing a style, as well as perhaps sticking to the same kinds of things. Reflecting on my favourite photography subjects I realized I can sometimes be too literal with my shots. “This is a hawk, that is a bug on a flower”. Viewing photos of a more artistic vein has inspired me to change things up.
This past weekend roaming around north of the city, I was attracted to the yellowing crops and how they were complimented by blue skies. I found the lines and vibrance very attractive. A few days later, I realized how similar one of my shots was to a favourite Van Gogh painting “View of Arles”. I didn’t have blue irises in my photo, but appreciated how well life was imitating art in this simple farm field.
I expect to do more abstract kinds of shooting in the future. This is yet another interesting avenue photography is taking me down. With nature (ie. bird) photography, it’s important to render subjects as they were found and to avoid distorting the truth. With less literal, more abstract subjects, one has more latitude with processing and manipulation.
I won’t abandon the things I like to shoot, but am eager to experiment with new views of the world around us.
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