Creativity vs. Skill

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As I continue my photographic journey I am realizing that a good picture has more to do with creativity than skill.  Skills can be learned, but imaginative expression cannot.  Having shifted my focus recently from my paint table to my camera, I am viewing the world a lot differently.  I am not looking to simply copy what other photographers are doing.  These days with the advent of virtually full-proof cameras, anyone can take a picture of a pretty flower and have it look really good.  I am looking for things that are slightly different.  Perfect flowers can be boring and I am anything but that.  I seek out the slightly edgy or spent.  I want flowers missing from the spray.  I look for torn edges and unpopular subject matter.  Sure, I will capture a perfectly beautiful rose when it happen to be in my visual path, but I am not looking for them.  

This piece titled “Lavender Dance” was a single shoot with missing flowers in a patch of perfectly lovely lavender sprigs.  I liked that nature had taken some of it’s beauty, yet left some for me to capture still….

My skill will improve over time and I hope my imagination will too!

Getting WET…

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As a painter, I am no stranger to getting wet.  For years I’ve had acrylic splattered, dripped, sprayed and poured onto me.  And sometimes I just stick my hands right into it.  I am finding that photography is also keeping me damp.  I live in Florida where it is humid and hot most of the year.  Right now it is quite chilly at 35 degrees, but last week at Selby Gardens there was one place that was warm and quite drippy.  They have a huge greenhouse there with the most beautiful and exotic plants you can image.  My group of friends were awestruck as we walked around the lush interior.  While we separated ourselves I found this small glassed off area that was all green inside except for one lone orchid.  The condensation formed on the glass in front of it and it reminded me of a rainy day in the tropics….