The concept of perspective is fundamental to photography. All visual arts, really. When I shoot broad landscapes, my perspective is often right at eye level, five and half feet off the ground. But when the subject is closer, or if the setting simply demands it, I must be willing and able to challenge myself to look at it another way - to change my perspective. This may mean getting low to the ground, zooming in on the subject, or changing lenses. It can mean adjusting the exposure, or playing with the light and shadows. Doing so can change the entire feel of the photograph. Why? Because seeing something from a different perspective than that which is expected, challenges the very notion of what we have learned and inherently come to know as true.
As I continue to practice, learn, and grow in the craft, this is the challenge I have for myself - to find the unique perspective; to see what no one else is seeing. Sure, I’m drawn to the waterfalls, sunsets, and mountain views that bring out everyone else’s cameras, and that’s ok, but in those moments I often ask myself, “what are you not seeing?,” or “how can I make this look different?.” I want to create photographs that people look at, then look at again, and harder - photographs that people feel connected to or respond to; that takes them into being present in that moment.
Several months ago, I had the pleasure of attending a workshop with famed photographer Art Wolfe, where his lesson and challenge to the group was to “find the beauty in the decay.” We did a field shoot in a nearby junkyard with hundreds of old, dilapidated cars, containers, boats, and more, strewn about a vast property. Everywhere is rusted metal, shattered glass, and peeling paint. The randomness and decay of the setting all register as “ugly” on first look, a place to be passed over and shrugged off. Not a place where one may find beauty, But, by challenging that first impression, and by changing the perspective, I found that I was no longer looking at a sea of junk, but I was seeing sunrises, forests, coral reefs, and faces. I was finding shapes, patterns and colors so aesthetically pleasing to the eye. This junkyard was a treasure trove of art if you were willing to see it differently and challenge your own perspective.
And therein was, and is, the lesson.
The Photos
Below are the photos from that field shoot with descriptions of how perspective played a role in the final image.
Horse - This photograph reminds me of ancient cave paintings. In actuality, it is a random pattern of rust on a car door. The original colors didn’t work for the piece, but once converted to black and white, the horse stood out without question.
Visitor - The original shot of Visitor was that of an entire rusting hubcap. The face revealed itself to me in processing, so I cropped, rotated, and brought out colors in the image to uncover the personality and deep stare of the Visitor.
Coral Reef - A blue car sitting in the damp shade of the Pacific NW grows lichens on its side. But getting in close and saturating the colors reveals what appears to be a vibrant coral reef.
Fire - At first, I just liked the blue and orange colors of the paint and rust. But I had trouble seeing anything meaningful. I turned the image upside down and the blue flames and crackling orange embers came blazing through the rust and paint.
Snowfall in Forest - Similarly, I was attracted to the dark and light vertical patters created by the flaking paint. Some intentional cropping helped me to see there was a snowy forest there.
Red Green Blue - When first arriving at this junkyard, the very first thing that caught my eye was a green car and red car parked side by side. The colors were vibrant in the bright afternoon sun. I knew I wanted to photograph them, but wasn’t sure what the shot was. I went back to them multiple times during the afternoon, circling them, getting up close, crouching low. I finally found the shot a little later in the afternoon when the sun was at a lower angle. Getting close, and down to hood level, I removed the context of the cars and made the shot about the colors and the lines.
Orange and Blue - The orange in this photo is the car door (which was actually more red). The blue was a gray-ish pallet leaning against it. Again, cropping and rotating the photo, plus adjusting the colors (from red and gray, to orange and blue), made for a pleasing pattern.
Sunrise Over Snowcaps - This photo represents a small slice of the original, which was a busy mess. I studied it hard, looking for the right perspective. I flipped it; rotated it; cropped it. And then, like magic, it appeared. The colors reminded me of the sky at dawn, illuminating the snow atop mountain peaks.
In Orbit - Like the sunrise photo, this took a while to see. The actual image is peeling lettering on the side of a cargo container. Through the processing of the image, it began to remind me of images of the Earth from orbit - the rim of the horizon, the glow of the atmosphere against the blackness of space beyond.