Graduation Post – Blurs and Unsharp Photography: Guided Play 2017

Thanks to this mentorship I now have new arsenal to make the most mundane scene come to life.

Being acquainted with the blurry work of several bigwigs of G+, I didn’t hesitate to grab at a chance to get into the Blurs and Unsharps 2017 Mentorship led by Alex Lapidus. Of course I believed I was just going to learn to use my camera differently. Unbeknownst to me, I had just signed up to change my life and vision completely.

Coming from a world where super sharp is prized, I was not sure how well I’d take to this new way of seeing things. I had my answer in the very first week. From taking just 150 photos during the first 6 months of the year, the mentorship had me glued to my viewfinder almost 24×7. And each experiment had me hooked even further.

During the mentorship I walked the same streets that I did a hundred times before and suddenly everything came to life. There was no subject too poor to shoot. No vision impossible to bring to life. I was like a kid in a candy store… and better still, I had an unlimited budget.

And inspiration, Ah! That elusive little pixie that makes life so beautiful, she wandered in our midst in gleeful abandon settling on our shoulder while we snuggled up to scroll through the various versions of vision churned out by members from around the globe.

From rotate & zoom blurs, panning, multiple exposure, reflection, shooting through objects, pinhole camera experiments, phone apps, software filters and various other techniques we learnt and polished – blur and unsharp gave me my photography something I’ve been long seeking – expression: be it depicting energy, floral photography, self-portraits or street. I still haven’t reached the limit of what blur can add to my photography, but I feel like Alice sliding down the rabbit hole, each nook and cranny a world of wonder and exciting discoveries.

I look around and I see how the world has embraced blur – from advertisements to movie posters to journalistic articles, and I can’t stop a whoop of delight knowing that this mentorship has given the confidence to go out and make such images. I no longer scratch my head in wonder at a poster, I can puzzle out the pieces of the composition and yeah, quite cocky of me, but sometimes I can suggest improvements 😛

Over the 8 weeks and beyond, there was much to be gleaned from the posts of the mentors, moderators and students. Each post working to spark ideas for a new story to be told and pictured. The technical information is an absolute gold mine, but to me the genuine interest in our growth displayed by Alex Lapidus, Heiko Mahr and the other moderators was the icing on the cake. The camaraderie, dedication and the willingness to inspire, learn and teach has made this the most enriching learning experience I’ve had as an adult. Thank you so much G+ Mentorship Program for Photographers, for fostering this environment of giving and bettering ourselves and our talents.

So if you are thinking of joining a mentorship, but aren’t sure what it has for you, here’s a list you can run through: New techniques, New skills, New opportunities to experiment, a whole new Vision of the world, heck, keys to a secret new world! There are other pluses too: Great new support group and if you are lucky enough, invitations to hang with some of the coolest photographers you’ll even know!

Thanks again Alex for your time, energy, patience, talent and above all, your gift of giving. Your Karma is worth an eternity of sheer bliss.

My heartfelt gratitude to all the moderators and participants for their encouragement and support.

And G+ Mentorship Program for Photographers, a tip of the hat for this amazing initiative!

Besitos,

L