Saturday, 7:17 PM – I’m lying on a picnic table at my church, staring up into a darkening sky, waiting for the outdoor concert to begin. Far overhead a couple of birds sail through the sky making occasional dives and loops. The flight pattern, the wide white bars on their wings, and the time of day are the keys to their identity: Common Nighthawk. They are far too high, and the light far too low, for a good photograph. But why not document the meeting? (I can’t explain it, but my spirit is always lifted spotting some bird, sunset, critter or even just a cloud formation.) The resulting photograph is nothing worth posting: poor light, no detail, lots of "noise"... it won’t win any awards or even qualify as interesting. Unless… I’ve recently listened to a few classes by John Muir Laws on nature journaling and sketching. In one course he talks about turning a sketch that isn’t turning out well into a diagram. “Writing all over your drawing is the easiest means of ‘journal first aid’. Any time you don’t like the way a drawing is going, make it a diagram. Add a few lines, notes and things. The density of information makes it interesting again, both to you and anyone else who looks at it.” I suppose it could work with a photograph as well. I tried it with my 'substandard' Nighthawk photograph and Laws is right: the diagrams, along with writing a journal entry, give the photo more depth and some context. Now it is now more interesting and memorable… at least to me, if nobody else. Athens, Georgia
1 Comment
Sarah Jane
9/28/2016 08:29:43 am
You are so right! The comments and background information on an image pumps up the interest factor. John Muir Laws has influenced me, too. I love his use of boxes to organize visual data. Even your notes of 'picnic table,' and 'church' gives your photo more staying power. No longer a generic photo, this is a moment in time. Lovely!
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