You can't have any...
Nothing will make two peoples differences come to the surface faster than marriage. One difference that shines heavily in our marriage, and affects us especially in the fall, is the art show.
My bride loves arts and crafts…any and all. We agree on the art side with the exception of jewelry, holiday ornaments, anything knitted/crocheted/sewn or woven…oh yea…and this is a big one…anything that smells, especially candles and home made soaps. The last thing I want to smell on a beautiful fall day is someone’s rendition of butterscotch, especially when they totally missed the mark. When they make a natural forest (not heavy pine) or even a barn-smelling candle or soap, then maybe we can talk!
I am also very particular about crowds as well, she is not. The crowd size could never be too small, but can certainly be too large. Enjoyment is never achieved when I am shoulder to shoulder with strangers who are mob herding me toward the fake butterscotch booth. In an attempt to keep me from rolling my eyes back in my head and totally detaching into an out of body experience, Joann will sometimes go out of her way to point out the photography booths. Funny thing is that it is in the same tone and manner that she once used to distract the kids when they were toddlers before loading up a spoonful of vegetables and ramming it home! We both enjoy the nature photography booths especially when creative elements are included such as layering; textures and creative framing are applied.
I am often surprised at the high prices especially when the main object is slightly out of focus or pixelated. Being a talker myself, I always try to engage the artist (if not with a possible customer) to complement and ask him/her about the back-story of the shot. I assume they are like me and the where, when and how is equally important as the capture. Often it is not. Several over the years have turned a deaf ear the moment that I share my love for wildlife photography. They were only interested in business yet had an attitude that would provide for poor sales.
Some 5-7 years ago we were at one of the larger art shows where I spent most of the day people watching and moving from one shady spot to the next. Noticing a booth with a large owl shot out front, I wove through the crowd like a ninja between deadly laser beams, sometimes high, sometimes low and often sideways. Finally…something for me to look at! Once inside, I was surrounded by some of the greatest shots I had seen in some time, with a white haired gentleman standing in the corner. Within minutes, and around question number 23, I knew I had found a kindred spirit. For this artist, it was about the adventure and not just the product. I asked about camera settings, time of day, research methods…talking to someone that shared my passion was so refreshing!
A short time later (She may have been there longer) I noticed my bride by my side. Introductions were made and the man looked at Joann and said, “He’s got it bad!” to which she laughed out loud and said, “Oh…I know!” It was then that he shared something totally unexpected, stating; “You have a good guy here, at some point he is going to want to upgrade his camera and lenses, and you need to support that!” You could have pushed me over with a feather when Joann smiled and agreed. At the time I had a canon T3i and an 80-300mm lens, internally I laughed as I thought I had all the camera and lenses I would ever need…he understood the addiction much better than I.
While departing we shook hands and I asked one final question. It may have been a silly question to a pro, but having never taken a class in photography requires one to seek information from any possible source. I said, “What does it take to make a good photo great?” He smiled and shared “Most concentrate on the subject only, never moving their feet to better the background. When the subject and the background is great, then you have a great capture!”
I learned more in that twenty-minute exchange than I had in the previous 20 years of nature photography. Most importantly, that being addicted to something that gets you out and off the couch is ok and normal. And yes, that Joann was fine with me upgrading my equipment was a plus as well as I have reminded her of this conversation many times! I wish I had grabbed his card, as my problem with name retention grows daily. I would like to thank him again for his patience, kindness, wisdom and understanding of the internal me. Since that day when someone writes or asks questions about the where, when and how of any of my shots, I attempt to emulate him by spreading the grace that was granted me on a beautiful fall day…in an uncomfortable crowd…in air filled with the smell of bad butterscotch.
Oh yea, here is a shot of a squirrel seemingly hiding its snack from me, as if I had asked for some. I love the background more that the subject.
Taken yesterday at Patoka Lake state Park, Indiana.
You can't have any...
Nothing will make two peoples differences come to the surface faster than marriage. One difference that shines heavily in our marriage, and affects us especially in the fall, is the art show.
My bride loves arts and crafts…any and all. We agree on the art side with the exception of jewelry, holiday ornaments, anything knitted/crocheted/sewn or woven…oh yea…and this is a big one…anything that smells, especially candles and home made soaps. The last thing I want to smell on a beautiful fall day is someone’s rendition of butterscotch, especially when they totally missed the mark. When they make a natural forest (not heavy pine) or even a barn-smelling candle or soap, then maybe we can talk!
I am also very particular about crowds as well, she is not. The crowd size could never be too small, but can certainly be too large. Enjoyment is never achieved when I am shoulder to shoulder with strangers who are mob herding me toward the fake butterscotch booth. In an attempt to keep me from rolling my eyes back in my head and totally detaching into an out of body experience, Joann will sometimes go out of her way to point out the photography booths. Funny thing is that it is in the same tone and manner that she once used to distract the kids when they were toddlers before loading up a spoonful of vegetables and ramming it home! We both enjoy the nature photography booths especially when creative elements are included such as layering; textures and creative framing are applied.
I am often surprised at the high prices especially when the main object is slightly out of focus or pixelated. Being a talker myself, I always try to engage the artist (if not with a possible customer) to complement and ask him/her about the back-story of the shot. I assume they are like me and the where, when and how is equally important as the capture. Often it is not. Several over the years have turned a deaf ear the moment that I share my love for wildlife photography. They were only interested in business yet had an attitude that would provide for poor sales.
Some 5-7 years ago we were at one of the larger art shows where I spent most of the day people watching and moving from one shady spot to the next. Noticing a booth with a large owl shot out front, I wove through the crowd like a ninja between deadly laser beams, sometimes high, sometimes low and often sideways. Finally…something for me to look at! Once inside, I was surrounded by some of the greatest shots I had seen in some time, with a white haired gentleman standing in the corner. Within minutes, and around question number 23, I knew I had found a kindred spirit. For this artist, it was about the adventure and not just the product. I asked about camera settings, time of day, research methods…talking to someone that shared my passion was so refreshing!
A short time later (She may have been there longer) I noticed my bride by my side. Introductions were made and the man looked at Joann and said, “He’s got it bad!” to which she laughed out loud and said, “Oh…I know!” It was then that he shared something totally unexpected, stating; “You have a good guy here, at some point he is going to want to upgrade his camera and lenses, and you need to support that!” You could have pushed me over with a feather when Joann smiled and agreed. At the time I had a canon T3i and an 80-300mm lens, internally I laughed as I thought I had all the camera and lenses I would ever need…he understood the addiction much better than I.
While departing we shook hands and I asked one final question. It may have been a silly question to a pro, but having never taken a class in photography requires one to seek information from any possible source. I said, “What does it take to make a good photo great?” He smiled and shared “Most concentrate on the subject only, never moving their feet to better the background. When the subject and the background is great, then you have a great capture!”
I learned more in that twenty-minute exchange than I had in the previous 20 years of nature photography. Most importantly, that being addicted to something that gets you out and off the couch is ok and normal. And yes, that Joann was fine with me upgrading my equipment was a plus as well as I have reminded her of this conversation many times! I wish I had grabbed his card, as my problem with name retention grows daily. I would like to thank him again for his patience, kindness, wisdom and understanding of the internal me. Since that day when someone writes or asks questions about the where, when and how of any of my shots, I attempt to emulate him by spreading the grace that was granted me on a beautiful fall day…in an uncomfortable crowd…in air filled with the smell of bad butterscotch.
Oh yea, here is a shot of a squirrel seemingly hiding its snack from me, as if I had asked for some. I love the background more that the subject.
Taken yesterday at Patoka Lake state Park, Indiana.