Life’s Sweet Ordinary — through my lens

Negative space, when referring to art and photography, is generally defined as, “the space around the subject of an image.” That means the ‘empty’ space around your main subject. It’s a shame it’s referred to as “negative” since it is a very important component of the whole image. The negative space actually enhances or makes the image successful.

Those of you who have read my most recent posts, are aware that I’ve taken a solid step back from too much time on the Internet while stepping back into spending time with real life. It has been like that spruce cone in this image, being allowed to ‘be’ in the real world allowing my best parts to emerge by the negative space surrounding me (which enhances its main subject: me). I’m not referring to the physical me, but the inner me.

I’ve truly worked hard to move forward, develop, and be creative. I’ve taken photos of ornaments, forks, glasses, plates, snow and more snow, horses, dogs, birds, twigs, bark, fences, barbed wire, toes, flowers, dandelions, food, corners of my home, and so on. I’ve created where I sit, where I am stuck, yet have seen so much through my lens, developing and growing as I went along.

If you’re feeling stuck, lacking creativity or inspiration, dig deeper. Perhaps you need to move away from the computer and the Internet or perhaps you need to find one or two very selective spots on the Internet. Seeking out the right kind of negative space to enhance us (the main subject) is up to us as individuals. Where we focus is just as important as it is in photography. Finding and using the right kind of negative space to surround us also is as important as it is in photography.

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we took so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened up for us.” ~ Helen Keller

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Visit Diane’s regular online home at Diane Schuller Photography and her photo journal.

As promised, here’s one more image from my recent trip to Edmonton. It’s a shot of the sunrise and the other buildings reflected in the glass of the building across the street from the hotel where I stayed. Isn’t it beautiful?

Sunrise Reflections :: Copyright © Diane Schuller

I have good news. With my recent decision to spend less time on the Internet and with a renewed interest in the life that surrounds me, I’m experiencing my own sunrise of sorts. I’ve finally begun to revisit my fiction writing. It feels so good. It’s like a golden light filling that corner of my creative self. Really all I’ve done is give myself less time as a mouse-potato resulting in more time out experiencing the outdoors and real life. I highly recommend it.

I don’t plan on cutting out any of my other creative pursuits, particularly the photography. I’m just so pleased that my fiction has risen up to see the light of my days.

Remember I had mentioned at the beginning of the year I don’t do resolutions but definitely set goals? This year in my personal goals, I’ve been doing something very different: each month I have set out to learn or experience one new thing. Well I’m pleased to share that not only has that been an easy one to accomplish but (so far) I’ve been tackling more than one new thing in January and February. Unless I get sidetracked (which is entirely possible), the next post will demonstrate the results of another of my new self-taught lessons from February. (Oh yes, and I have a give-a-way coming up very soon … it’s really a pay-it-forward.)

What new thing have you taught yourself recently? Or, what new thing have you experienced recently?

When it comes to photography, Shutter Sisters is definitely one of my inspirations. It’s also a great connection with other women who are passionate about their photography. Over the weekend, I was tickled to discover they linked to one of my images (the word “inspiring” in their first paragraph) in the post that announced the winner of the One Word Project (remember I joined in the project and chose the word “Open” as my inspirational word?).

Well Shutter Sisters is at it again. For the month of March, SS has chosen the word “Beautiful” to be the inspirational word for all members as we’re going about our daily lives, camera-in-hand. There are some great prizes offered too! Just in case you would like to participate (or be a future sponsor), I’ll link to the March One Word Project so you can check out all the details. It’s easy as clicking a shutter so I hope you’ll join in as well.

Beautiful: a husband still very much in love with and proud of his 'bride'

{This is a photo that I have done some post processing with: removing some of the brilliant colour to add a more aged effect, rather than converting to sepia for instance.}

Lomographic Holga Starter Kit

Ever since I was young, I have been intrigued by photographs. When I was a little girl, the only photos I saw were black & white and a few were sepia. Photographs held my attention perhaps because they focused on the subject and not the colours. To this day, I’m still drawn to black & white photos, sepia photos, or those lovely aged and faded ancestors.

One of the beauties of digital photography is the ability to do our own processing. I have had Photoshop for a while using it to add my copyright or to do some minor post-processing. This past year I finally purchased Lightroom 2 and have been thoroughly enjoying learning the software but the best part has been seeing what I’m capable of doing with my photographs. The software is so logical and easy to work with. It’s like going back to film and doing my own adjustments in a dark room — only easier and more fun!

The best part of all is that when I want colour, there it is.

When I want black and white, I can have that too.

Or, if I want a degree of sepia, voila!

I didn’t add a link in this post, but you’ll likely notice I’ve been doing a fair amount of black and white photos over at my Flickr site. Feel free to check them out. Now I think I’ll go pore over one of my Ansel Adams books!

“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun!” ~ Mary Lou Cook, calligrapher / author.

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. I do set goals for myself, however.

Most of the time my goal setting is related to my writing and now with my photography. Those are all good & necessary things, of course. When I was visiting a few Flickr friends the other day I was struck by one of the beautiful photos of a lovely paper Parisian peace crane. Granted, the photo of it was what struck me at first. But, like cupid’s arrow, its ‘potion’ shot deep inside me. There was a stirring within me as if that peace crane was fluttering about, nudging me to comprehend what it was telling me.

The next thing I did was to Google “peace crane” to see if there might be instructions on the Internet on how to make these lovely origami creations. Sure enough, I found oodles of instructions, many of which are also in video format. So, that leads me to what I plan to include in 2009 as a resolution of sorts.

My 2009 resolutions (a better term would be challenges or intentions) will be monthly and, although I’m sure most will be of a creative nature, they will all teach me something or move me forward in some way. January’s resolution (challenge/intention) is to teach myself to make origami peace cranes. Who knows, if I get good enough at making them, I may be able to gift them to others.

Each month in 2009 I will select something to learn or do in that month. I’ll post them here and provide photos of the results of each of my monthly resolutions (challenges/intentions). Tell me, what are you resolved to do — I mean really do — in 2009?