The Art of Photographing People

Even though this is the travel leg of my blog, and has always been more about my artistic perception of the world around me, I have found myself pondering the question lately - is photographing people part of fine art photography? And I think the answer is yes. I used to walk by a wall and a really cool door, stop, turn around, and take the picture. Good stuff. Now I do the same and wish I had someone in the doorway to add character to the image. To add depth to the scene. To add emotion to the moment. People are becoming my art. And I am so totally cool with that.

The Fruition of Creative Collaboration

in follow up to my blog about framing http://jacquelynnbuck.blogspot.com/2009/05/art-of-photogtaphy.html this is the fruition of my artistic leanings of late. This image, Beneath the Smoke, is framed & ready for The View @ Rosewood Gallery (opens June 28th 2-4PM). My thanks to Dave Crowell at Custom Frame Services whose creativity and sage advice narrowed down the frame choices so I could choose this one - the best (and of course most expensive...what can I say, I was raised to have good taste!) frame. So like the chicken and egg question - does the frame finish the photo or does the photo compliment the frame? I insist it's both - a creative collaboration, artist to artist. And yes, it's for sale! : )

Dayton Night Sky

Something about the rain adds an extra-special look to these night shots of downtown Dayton. I would consider this a successful photo shoot despite the weather!

Somewhere in-between - Charleston, SC

Ahhh, Charleston. What a city. What a day. I cannot argue with the feeling that visiting South Carolina feels like coming home - like snuggling into your favorite chair with a cup of coffee and a good book. At once familiar, yet still, as the pages turn, unexpected and surprising. For that reason I love the South. For the memories it brings up. For the new adventures it promises. And for that sticky, hot, humid air, its tendrils creeping upon you, adding volume to your hair and creating sweat trickles in the most bizarre places. Come on - you know exactly what I mean if you've been anywhere south of the Mason Dixon Line in the summer! True story.

My day trip to Charleston last week was exactly what I needed. And I marveled at the fact that one can be so caught in between in a city like this. In between southern charm and back alley sludge. In between fine dining and chains that charge way too much for way too little. In between classic and kitschy. And my own personal dilemma - feeling caught between being a tourist and being a local. Because let's be real - I've been to Charleston so many times that I know where to park for free for the day, where to find the hidden roof top restaurants, where to go to catch the basket weavers weaving baskets not in the market, where to find the best ice cream (I know it's pure opinion), which shops have been there for years, which restaurants live up to the critic's acclaim (and which do not) and which streets to walk down for just the right view of anything. But I don't know it all. I've never lived in Charleston. I've never laid claim to being a true Southerner - merely a transplant. A frequent visitor. A photographer with camera in hand who somehow happens to catch something new every time I visit. Perhaps it's a dilemma not worth solving. I'll just continue to visit as often as I can, try to blend in, disappear, and add that ever so slight drawl to my words.




Rainbow Row



Horse and Carriages everywhere



Doors and windows on the Battery - my personal favorite!




In the market.




Southern Charm













This guy was great - he asked me to take his picture. If you're local, give him a call!



the churches





magnolias - so sweet!



Along the battery





on the dock




streets and alleys oh my



pink bike



people and pets




lunch!









self portrait!





Icons of the South!





Sullivan's Island

Coast to Coast

In looking back over my travels for the past month it occurred to me that there are always patterns - patterns that are both interesting and worth noting. One of these patterns is my penchant for photographing common objects in ways that tell a story about the place where they are located at the time of the photo. I have long been a fan of the "Flat Stanley" approach where one takes a household object on a trip and photographs it on the journey. I have seen this done with chairs, sofas, unusual objects. I did this in Las Vegas with a Starbucks cup (and I will share that in a later blog). And I just recently did it with my CVS purchased flip flops - which ironically have traveled coast to coast in under one month...so I show them to you here in my arrangement I fondly call "from Southern California to South Carolina"

Cross Promotion & Photographing Spring Flowers

Clint Thomsen, a freelance reporter for a small independent paper in Tooele, Utah, recently sought my permission to excerpt from my blog about the life cycle of a leaf which I wrote in 2007.

He also asked my expertise on photographing flowers for his June article in the Tooele Transcript-Bulletin. Here's a link to the article which he later posted on his blog.

How it happened:

The internet. Need I say more? He Googled "life cycle of a leaf" and found me. My blog entry is apparently what comes up in the top five responses with these search parameters. Who knew? The weird thing is he's the second person to contact me about that blog post. The last one was an educator in England who wanted to use my low res images and my full post as part of a science curriculum he was teaching for his students. I think the world is a small, small place. And it's pretty cool!

FYI - here are all the tips I gave him:

Five Tips for Photographing Flowers (really any time of year!) from Photography by Jacquelynn Buck

1) Chase the Light. The best times of day for photographing flowers are the most inconvenient but the most wonderful. Sunrise, which definitely comes early. Sunset, which comes late. Trust me, going out during those times of day will make a world of difference.

2) Try a New Angle. We’re often tempted to take pictures of flowers (or anything) head on. Sometimes just finding a new angle can work wonders. Take the photo looking straight down the flower. Get low and take the photo from the stem looking up towards the sky. Maybe try silhouetting the flower against a setting sun, or a blue sky. Try something new. You’ll be amazed!

3) Go Macro. Most point and shoot cameras have a macro setting (usually a picture of a flower indicate the setting). If you change your camera to that setting it gives you the ability to get close to the flower. Of course expensive cameras also have special Macro lenses you can use the same effect. But the point is, get close. Get really close. And see what you see.

4) Crop. Consider taking a photo of just a part of the flower – not the whole thing. Focus on the stem. Or the leaf. Or part of a petal. Go for it. Try and be abstract.

5) Go Back. Again. Just because you’ve been to a place before doesn’t mean you have taken photos there are to take at that place. The difference a day can make is astounding. The sky change. The light can change. The photo will change. Try going back to a place more than once in a week at different times of day and see if you can get some totally different images.

South Carolina Peaches

Some southerners would debate with vehemence which state deserves to lay true claim to the peach - and do so with as much passion as they would when debating who won the Civil war (yes, I believe there are some who still debate that). Many people associate the origin of the peach with Georgia (the peach state). But believe it or not, Georgia ranks third in production of peaches, behind California (first) and South Carolina (second) for this country. Amazingly, there are many resources for the SC Peach - there's even a South Carolina Peach Council, a South Carolina Peach Festival and yes, a roadsied America wonder, the giant peach water tower in the town of Gaffney, SC.

And the reality, as I can attest to it, tastes so sweet.

The peach as I've been experiencing it this weekend holds up to its name in color - the flesh rosy and the juice, well, juicy. And it smells almost as good as it tastes. Almost. And since it is the SC state fruit, and it's important to live local whenever one visits a place, I felt the need to support the economy with the purchase of a $5 bag of home grown, fresh from the farm, sold on the street peaches. And though I'd love to take them home with me, I don't think they'd fare well on the plane. So I'll enjoy them while I'm here, share them with my friends, and think of them when I'm gone.

Main Street USA

I spent some time walking around downtown Columbia today - mostly on Main Street. Cities across the country are trying to revitalize downtown areas and Columbia is no exception. It's challenging, however, whether you live in the South, the North or the Mid-East, to make something that is a thriving 9-5 Monday to Friday place into something attractive for families, children and young, hip residents as well. Cities try with small festivals, new eateries, new businesses and great deals. But in the end parking is always a problem, crime sometimes is as well, and cities struggle to find ways to bring everyone to downtown areas. But regardless of the struggle, the main streets across the country are buzzing during the week, hearts of energy and have the potential for great photo opportunities if you like interesting blends of new and old architecture, people and a little bit of urban decay. Which by the way, I totally do.

When Columbia Smiles

I lived in Columbia, SC for three and a half years and worked remotely out of the offices of the University of South Carolina for five years after that. And though in May the grant I worked on ended and my ties were officially cut to this city, it's still a part of me. More because of the people then the place. But also because of the culture, which is warm and welcoming and still feels a lot like coming home. I have spent more of my adult life here (ie in the South) than in the place where I was born. I cannot say whether it has helped to form the person I am, but certainly the people I have met along the way have done so. And whenever I connect again to those people, I am reminded of how lucky I am to have the chance to live my life in different cities and states and to meet people who are amazing who I might otherwise not have met.

One of the most noteworthy things about coming back to the South, especially to Columbia, is that people smile. For no reason at all. Strangers on the street. People riding in cars. People in restaurants. They smile even if they don't know you. Speak to you even though you're not a part of their world. And generally spread good will and cheer with nothing more than a turning up of the corners of the mouth. I notice it every time I visit. And I really appreciate this outward sign of connection - in an age where we are so in tune to our own lives & problems, worlds apart from each other, reaching out more electronically than in person. So when Columbia smiles, I smile back. And welcome it.

Below are some images of the Five Points area - a hip part of the downtown not far from the University. A hang out for the college kids, for working professionals, and a great place for little shops and eateries. I took my camera for a walk and just captured some of the more interesting things I saw. And despite the gray of the day, it was definitely worth it.






























I lived in that tower my first year of grad school as a health and wellness RA.



















this is my friend Rebecca's daughter Hanna and the cat Pumpkin. I am staying with them in Columbia.

My 1000 fans

This is another post with no pictures. Because I have something to say. I am reading this amazing book right now called The Fast Track Photographer by Dane Sanders and though I bought it in February at the WPPI Conference and am quite clearly slowly reading it, I am digesting it at the pace that works for me. And I am learning a ton along the way. The most recent a-ha moment I had was when he wrote about finding your 1000 fans. To paraphrase (rather poorly) his concept, which is generalizable I think to any field where you're a hired professional (insert word here) is that there are 1000 people out there who are your biggest fans. They will pay you what you ask to do what you do best and they will love you for it. They will buy all your products, use all your services, recommend you above all others. Of course the product has to be a good one (so says I) but the concept is that somewhere in this wide world where we connect so completely to people in places we maybe have never ever been via the Internet and other mediums of communication, there are 1000 people out there who will love, if they don't already, what I do.

And because I am really just getting started, I think I have maybe 25. But that's pretty good. Pretty good that I have any. And they do exist. These people in my life are not all relatives (though some are) and not all old friends (though some are). They are simply fans of me. Of my work. Of my art. Of what I am trying to do. Maybe they read my blog. Maybe they comment. Maybe we're on Facebook together. Maybe they spend hours on my website just looking. And maybe they've never spent any money with me. And maybe they will. Or maybe they never will. But they are my fans. And I know they're out there because I've talked to them....heard from them....received praise and comments from them. From Charleston SC, lots from Dayton OH, a few Raleigh NC and Goldsboro NC, a few from Washington DC, hometown PA, parts of the UK, Utah, Florida, California - it goes on. Some I connected with in logical places. Some I connected with simply because the Internet acts as a conduit. But I am grateful for all of them.

Thank you Dane, for your words of wisdom. And thank you 25 fans! Tell a friend! : )