seeing in shapes

September 02nd, 2008

Sometimes I manage to surprise myself with how much my photographic vision (if you want to call it that) changes in short periods of time.

Two weeks ago Johanna dropped in for a relaxing week of hiking, climbing, canyoning, rafting and just general driving around Slovenia (with bits of Italy and Austria thrown into the mix) and with every photo I took I had the idea of cropping it to 16:9 ratio.

Ibex above Vrata valley, Bovški gamsovec

Cezsoca morning
ÄŒezsoča morning

Slovenian route, Mangart

I know, it is a more than obvious nod to Scott Upton @ Couloir (definitely check out his galleries!). I am constantly amazed how he sees everything in landscape 16:9. But as I don’t have his discipline to keep it horizontal all the time and I just had to swing it around to vertical a few times.

Travnik & Sheep, Mangart

Then just as she left we had another visit which involved far less walking but much more driving. We visited many of the same places, even went rafting, but this time I just didn’t see things in a rectangular shape. It was to be black and white square format. I know… obvious Michael Kenna moments ;)

Korita
Soča

Pericnik
Peričnik waterfall

Unlike Kenna though I was working with Canon A80 quite honestly isn’t the most appropriate camera for long exposure work. The water could and should be much smoother.

I did sneak in one 16:9 landscape as it just doesn’t work as a square
korita
Soča

Then I went to another concert at Trnfest

Eva Hren & Sladcore

…but rather than get the same old concert photos I soon started having fun defocusing the subjects and seeing how far I can take it while keeping the subject recognizable. Having only one, arguably inapropriate, lens available at the time I was desperate to get away from the “look” it inevitably delivers.

Eva Hren & Sladcore