I love journaling about photography, I picked up a portable thermal printer that makes small prints on adhesive paper which is perfect for making prints you can peel and stick into a journal. I sometimes notice I have made a photo in the spirit of another photographers photo so I'll print mine and their and talk to myself about them. Maybe a movie, a book, a poem, a daily event caused me to think of something that relates overall to my creative process. I'll write about my dreams, take snapshots on my phone and include them in daily entries and so on. So much bleeds into a photograph and so much doesn't as well and I think journaling is a great way to see and understand where some pictures comes from and where some are just instinctual responses to our environments. I am curious if there are any entries in your journal about why you chose the square format for those project?
Oh, I have one of those thermal printers too and love it! I love the idea to pair those photos and reflect on them. I print my favorite photos (if I took any) and stick them into my journal (the one I use for all kinds things).
Journaling is so powerful in so many ways. Thank you for sharing your experiences and the ways you use yours with me!
About the square format - I thought about doing that project with my medium format camera (6x6) first, but then found out it was broken. I always loved the square format and thought it would be a challenge. I hope, I won't regret it at some point though!
I doubt you will, I find square format great for introspection in many ways as it eliminates a lot of external noise from a frame due to its form. I love 6×6, but I left my camera back in Canada for now, (but it is good to know if I ever pick it up again Kentmere is a medium format option now). That said though, with my full frame I can compose in square along with my one inch sensor camera which makes the experience a whole better than doing the crop in post, but it doesn't beat looking down through a TLR.
I agree, mine would have been a TLR as well. Now I use my little Ricoh GR IIIx. It has a square and b&w option which makes composition easy. That camera has been a huge motivator for me to do this project, because it is lightweight and fits into pretty much every pocket, so I can take with me regardless the weather or my mood. I just always can have it on me without wondering if I really want carry it around with me.
It is a great idea to use a portable thermal prints as a quick way to add images to your journal. I am just concerned that they will fade over time. Do you copy or photo the best ones?
I am not concerned about them fading. These are not the highest quality to begin with, but for sticking them into the journal they are good enough for me. And because they are not exposed to light in my journal I would think they won't fade too fast...
"While writing down this internal argument, it became clear to me that these ‘excuses’ why I couldn’t take any photos, were just one reason for my inability to photograph."
Love this. So interesting how getting things out frees us, in some way, to see them differently. I find this is so often true—and once I say a thing out loud or write it down, it loses a lot of power.
Thank you, Zachary! Exactly. Sometimes these excuses -when you take a closer look- are nothing more than hot air. Writing or talking about it is so incredible powerful! Good to hear it resonated with you!
I also like to write ideas in a journal. Though I'm actually a digital guy, I notice that writing down project ideas in a notebook makes me think deeper on those ideas. It's also a nice reference to just randomly browse through. When I am working on a project I use to print out my photos small and stick them to a wall in my home office, swapping and rearranging them constantly. New ideas are formed in my head by seeing how the photos interact.
Yes! Totally. It is not the same experience writing it on your laptop. There are even studies that show, writing by hand is more stimulating for your brain and the experience is a much richer one.
And also yes to printing out the photos for a project to have them all side by side and let them interact with each other. I love that part of sequencing, when you move them around and look how they work together!
Beautiful imagery. I'm seeking to be better at connecting the dots in my photography. Your park project has echoes of psychogeography - place a glass on a map and document the peculiarities of that place in full. Beautiful and creative. Cameron's TAW was a real lifebelt for me during a creative drought. Having said that, I had my darkest night of the soul when I reached a particular chapter that made me question my place in life and if I was on the right path. Incredibly moving (and breaking book) when the programme is followed with an open heart <3
"Your park project has echoes of psychogeography - place a glass on a map and document the peculiarities of that place in full." - I gotta right that down. wonderfully said. Thank you, Nat!
So interesting to hear the different ways Cameron's TAW helped people. I think, there are some excellent exercises in there, which really got me thinking. But I had such a hard time overcome the spirituality of that book. I tried, but it wasn't just for me. But good to hear it helped you!
I love how you were able to use journalling as a tool to start photographing even when you weren't feeling inspired. I think it would be really interesting to read over one's photographic journal later on, and see what patterns and lessons emerge.
This resonated with me as well as the full piece...I just read in a business magazine, how important journaling is when you are starting or own your own business...it seems it’s not only deep thinking for artists and intellectuals but also necessary for business people...I always had a hard time with journaling since I was a teenager and my BFF came on vacation with me and my family and she journaled every day about the vacation and I couldn’t, I still can’t but I’m mentally working on it...so thanks for showing me the path...
You are very welcome. I started small and there are days, I still struggle to write anything at all. But that is okay too. There are a million ways to journal. And all are right. Check out https://journalingforgrowth.substack.com - she has some great journaling prompts every week. Maybe this will help you to get started. Or look into Julia Cameron's "The Artist Way" - maybe it will make you pick up a journal, too!
And thank you for sharing that bit about the read in the business magazine! That is so interesting!
Though I have not yet read it, I have seen Cameron's book come up in a lot of my circles over the years. Sounds like connecting to journaling was a great take away even if the rest didn't resonate for you. I find this as well with dreams and any kind of life experience journaling where writing something down is like a totally obvious revelation that I had not considered -- but put in a simple way to get my attention. I like how you heeded your words and took action from them.
what you wrote there is the essence of documentary (i would say photography but also valid for any type of documentary). yes, not all the days are the same, each one of them have diferent results (zero is a result). what i learned over the years is that a documentary is like a painting - it is never finished. if you want to present it next week as a zine it will be only what you have done to it up to next week, it can be continued after. all the best with it and please don't blame the dog. instead, add the dog in the photos (just a suggestion) and in this way you won't see it as a distraction 😊
Oh no! I would never blame my dog. ♥️ It was an observation. If he is not feeling well, I am not feeling well. That is how I knew, I wasn‘t centered. There is no one to blame: not my dog, not me and Nature neither.
And I totally agree - art is never finished, because we are never „finished“. But that is what it all makes it so interesting! Thank you for your comment and for reading!
What an insightful post. I’m just finding it now. The process doesn’t always seem a privilege, but the inspiration! That’s real value. Thanks for this critical analysis. Love the gradient change on your pics too. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for your kind words, Timothy! Discovering his Daybooks was a real treasure and a big inspiration. So good to hear my essay resonated with you!
These photographs are so poetic and lovely! Thank you for sharing this reality that comes with creativity. Also, I really connected with this part: "I remembered, that I had been distracted by my dog. He had been a bit nervous on the last few walks and this impacted my own state of mind. The result of it was, that I had been lacking the ease and mindfulness I needed to photograph." We must remind ourselves that we are not always going to be a "photographic" mindset. And as with any other creative endeavors, our headspace is just as important (if not more) as the environment we are in.
Thank you! I agree, we are not always in this mindset for photography and that is totally okay. Sometimes I don‘t pick up my camera for weeks. But in this situation it was good to reflect on what‘s going on, before I wake up my inner demons who would love to have a party of my „inability“ not to photograph!
What a wonderful idea! Thank you very much for the exposure to Edward Weston. I'm eager to explore his work and borrow the journaling idea for a little creativity in my own writing. Thank you, also, for sharing you struggles with your project idea and a few examples of the wins in your struggle. They look fantastic! I'm eager to follow along and see how the project progresses.
Your photographs are wonderfully atmospheric. Thank you for sharing your journaling and how it helped you. Have you read 'On Looking' by Alexandra Horowitz? She takes walks with different experts, who all inspire her to look at her world differently. She is walking in a city but it would apply even more to your walks in the park.
I love journaling about photography, I picked up a portable thermal printer that makes small prints on adhesive paper which is perfect for making prints you can peel and stick into a journal. I sometimes notice I have made a photo in the spirit of another photographers photo so I'll print mine and their and talk to myself about them. Maybe a movie, a book, a poem, a daily event caused me to think of something that relates overall to my creative process. I'll write about my dreams, take snapshots on my phone and include them in daily entries and so on. So much bleeds into a photograph and so much doesn't as well and I think journaling is a great way to see and understand where some pictures comes from and where some are just instinctual responses to our environments. I am curious if there are any entries in your journal about why you chose the square format for those project?
Oh, I have one of those thermal printers too and love it! I love the idea to pair those photos and reflect on them. I print my favorite photos (if I took any) and stick them into my journal (the one I use for all kinds things).
Journaling is so powerful in so many ways. Thank you for sharing your experiences and the ways you use yours with me!
About the square format - I thought about doing that project with my medium format camera (6x6) first, but then found out it was broken. I always loved the square format and thought it would be a challenge. I hope, I won't regret it at some point though!
I doubt you will, I find square format great for introspection in many ways as it eliminates a lot of external noise from a frame due to its form. I love 6×6, but I left my camera back in Canada for now, (but it is good to know if I ever pick it up again Kentmere is a medium format option now). That said though, with my full frame I can compose in square along with my one inch sensor camera which makes the experience a whole better than doing the crop in post, but it doesn't beat looking down through a TLR.
I agree, mine would have been a TLR as well. Now I use my little Ricoh GR IIIx. It has a square and b&w option which makes composition easy. That camera has been a huge motivator for me to do this project, because it is lightweight and fits into pretty much every pocket, so I can take with me regardless the weather or my mood. I just always can have it on me without wondering if I really want carry it around with me.
That's what my Sony rx100iii is for me, a pocketable camera with a great lens and different croppings which is awesome.
It is a great idea to use a portable thermal prints as a quick way to add images to your journal. I am just concerned that they will fade over time. Do you copy or photo the best ones?
I am not concerned about them fading. These are not the highest quality to begin with, but for sticking them into the journal they are good enough for me. And because they are not exposed to light in my journal I would think they won't fade too fast...
Yes, they will probably last a long time. Also try to keep the journal in a cool place.
"While writing down this internal argument, it became clear to me that these ‘excuses’ why I couldn’t take any photos, were just one reason for my inability to photograph."
Love this. So interesting how getting things out frees us, in some way, to see them differently. I find this is so often true—and once I say a thing out loud or write it down, it loses a lot of power.
Lovely read.
Thank you, Zachary! Exactly. Sometimes these excuses -when you take a closer look- are nothing more than hot air. Writing or talking about it is so incredible powerful! Good to hear it resonated with you!
I also like to write ideas in a journal. Though I'm actually a digital guy, I notice that writing down project ideas in a notebook makes me think deeper on those ideas. It's also a nice reference to just randomly browse through. When I am working on a project I use to print out my photos small and stick them to a wall in my home office, swapping and rearranging them constantly. New ideas are formed in my head by seeing how the photos interact.
Yes! Totally. It is not the same experience writing it on your laptop. There are even studies that show, writing by hand is more stimulating for your brain and the experience is a much richer one.
And also yes to printing out the photos for a project to have them all side by side and let them interact with each other. I love that part of sequencing, when you move them around and look how they work together!
Thank you for sharing this with me, Marcel!
Beautiful imagery. I'm seeking to be better at connecting the dots in my photography. Your park project has echoes of psychogeography - place a glass on a map and document the peculiarities of that place in full. Beautiful and creative. Cameron's TAW was a real lifebelt for me during a creative drought. Having said that, I had my darkest night of the soul when I reached a particular chapter that made me question my place in life and if I was on the right path. Incredibly moving (and breaking book) when the programme is followed with an open heart <3
"Your park project has echoes of psychogeography - place a glass on a map and document the peculiarities of that place in full." - I gotta right that down. wonderfully said. Thank you, Nat!
So interesting to hear the different ways Cameron's TAW helped people. I think, there are some excellent exercises in there, which really got me thinking. But I had such a hard time overcome the spirituality of that book. I tried, but it wasn't just for me. But good to hear it helped you!
I love how you were able to use journalling as a tool to start photographing even when you weren't feeling inspired. I think it would be really interesting to read over one's photographic journal later on, and see what patterns and lessons emerge.
Absolutely! The writing part is a great way to learn and reading it will in a few years surely will have some sort of impact as well!
This resonated with me as well as the full piece...I just read in a business magazine, how important journaling is when you are starting or own your own business...it seems it’s not only deep thinking for artists and intellectuals but also necessary for business people...I always had a hard time with journaling since I was a teenager and my BFF came on vacation with me and my family and she journaled every day about the vacation and I couldn’t, I still can’t but I’m mentally working on it...so thanks for showing me the path...
You are very welcome. I started small and there are days, I still struggle to write anything at all. But that is okay too. There are a million ways to journal. And all are right. Check out https://journalingforgrowth.substack.com - she has some great journaling prompts every week. Maybe this will help you to get started. Or look into Julia Cameron's "The Artist Way" - maybe it will make you pick up a journal, too!
And thank you for sharing that bit about the read in the business magazine! That is so interesting!
Yes the last issue of “Success” Magazine...
Though I have not yet read it, I have seen Cameron's book come up in a lot of my circles over the years. Sounds like connecting to journaling was a great take away even if the rest didn't resonate for you. I find this as well with dreams and any kind of life experience journaling where writing something down is like a totally obvious revelation that I had not considered -- but put in a simple way to get my attention. I like how you heeded your words and took action from them.
Thank you, Aminus! You described the power and magic of journaling so well! I am really thankful Cameron’s book lead me to it!
what you wrote there is the essence of documentary (i would say photography but also valid for any type of documentary). yes, not all the days are the same, each one of them have diferent results (zero is a result). what i learned over the years is that a documentary is like a painting - it is never finished. if you want to present it next week as a zine it will be only what you have done to it up to next week, it can be continued after. all the best with it and please don't blame the dog. instead, add the dog in the photos (just a suggestion) and in this way you won't see it as a distraction 😊
Oh no! I would never blame my dog. ♥️ It was an observation. If he is not feeling well, I am not feeling well. That is how I knew, I wasn‘t centered. There is no one to blame: not my dog, not me and Nature neither.
And I totally agree - art is never finished, because we are never „finished“. But that is what it all makes it so interesting! Thank you for your comment and for reading!
it's always a pleasure
What an insightful post. I’m just finding it now. The process doesn’t always seem a privilege, but the inspiration! That’s real value. Thanks for this critical analysis. Love the gradient change on your pics too. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for your kind words, Timothy! Discovering his Daybooks was a real treasure and a big inspiration. So good to hear my essay resonated with you!
These photographs are so poetic and lovely! Thank you for sharing this reality that comes with creativity. Also, I really connected with this part: "I remembered, that I had been distracted by my dog. He had been a bit nervous on the last few walks and this impacted my own state of mind. The result of it was, that I had been lacking the ease and mindfulness I needed to photograph." We must remind ourselves that we are not always going to be a "photographic" mindset. And as with any other creative endeavors, our headspace is just as important (if not more) as the environment we are in.
Thank you! I agree, we are not always in this mindset for photography and that is totally okay. Sometimes I don‘t pick up my camera for weeks. But in this situation it was good to reflect on what‘s going on, before I wake up my inner demons who would love to have a party of my „inability“ not to photograph!
I'm thinking more about journaling...
You should give it a try!
What a wonderful idea! Thank you very much for the exposure to Edward Weston. I'm eager to explore his work and borrow the journaling idea for a little creativity in my own writing. Thank you, also, for sharing you struggles with your project idea and a few examples of the wins in your struggle. They look fantastic! I'm eager to follow along and see how the project progresses.
Thank you, Patrick! It is always great to hear if I could inspire someone with my writing or technique. I am happy to have you here!
Your photographs are wonderfully atmospheric. Thank you for sharing your journaling and how it helped you. Have you read 'On Looking' by Alexandra Horowitz? She takes walks with different experts, who all inspire her to look at her world differently. She is walking in a city but it would apply even more to your walks in the park.
I have not heard about this book, but it sounds fabulous. I just added it to my list of books I need to check out! Thank you!