Inspiration, Restarts and a CHALLENGE

First the Inspiration...
I am a mom, peacemaker, wife, caterer (yes lunch packing counts!), visionary, project manager, lounge lizard, reader, advisor, teacher and photographer. Not always in that order and not always at the same time, but these various hats seem to land on my head daily. I was recently asked to contribute a blog for a great site, Invaluable.com with a mention of  http://www.invaluable.com/blog/6-contemporary-landscape-photographers-to-strengthen-any-collection/. Much like the photographers noted in that article. I'm one of those new-era landscape photographers who eschews traditional values and just focuses on capturing the moment in my own unique way". They notice my work and wanted to hear what I had to say. How awesome is that?! (And a bit terrifying, if I'm being honest)
I was flattered and then confused, what was special about my work that they wanted to be a part of it, but have decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth and saw that it's a good kick in the pants to get back to my blog (thus the RESTART!). I'm not good at maintaining my blog, primarily because I don't want to sound self-indulgent (like many blogs are), so I've decided to get back to my blog in a careful check on my "all about me quotient" and particularly not going over it. Most will be about photography and how to do it, why it's awesome and important and who's making some great art out there that you may have never heard of. So here we go...

"Dangerous Curve" by Heather Liebler, 2009

I teach a photography class. The first thing I tell them on the very first day is to Shoot with a Purpose. The second thing I tell them is to take a walk that they take everyday, around the block, at the park, at their child's school, and take an extra second or two for every step and notice the world around them. We pass by remarkable things everyday and just don't notice them. We see something and dismiss it as ordinary or ugly and move on past it. I challenge them, and now you, to notice the ordinary or "ugly" and think about why it's labeled as that in our minds. 

I often find a beauty in the "ugly". They are often unique and detailed and intriguing. To me that is beautiful. I love to photograph the ordinary object in a way that makes the viewer stop and notice the beauty and then they just MIGHT notice it more themselves.

 

See the lines and shapes of a rusty gate or a torn tin can

See the way the light falls at the specific time of day

See how the reflection mimics the colors against the grey sky

AND THEN allow yourself the ability and permission to see the world beyond yourself, beyond your immediate and wonder what's beyond it.

Photography can be an incredible tool, at least it has that power for me, to not just self-reflect but to create and evolve.  

Ordinary can be Extraordinary with the right voice. It keeps me grounded and balanced. Not everyone "gets" my photographs all of the time, but I do and that is what matters to me. I create to help myself see and feel and dream and create. I don't have to go to an exotic destination to create beautiful images that make people think and hopefully inspires them.

CHALLENGE DAY: My challenge to you is to photograph a found object in an extraordinary way. Get close to it, maybe move farther away, stand over it, lay under it. Try to find a unique view to give it a voice. Send me your images and we will post a "best of the found objects" giving you full credit to make your voice just a little louder and farther reaching.

******THANK YOU TO invaluable.com for noticing******