Graduation post: #FYV2018

2000 photos, 1 broken camera, 3 brushes with cops, 1 unpleasant argument, and countless smiles and encounters with strangers later … it’s time to graduate!

It doesn’t seem possible to have learned so much in such a little time, but clearly, there is such a huge difference in how I shoot and more importantly, how I see the world.

Just the other day we went out on a day trip to a gorgeous little Spanish town. Great weather, lots of energy. And instead of focussing on Architecture and Travel shots like I always do, I found myself shooting street. Instinctively looking for reflections and shadows, changing perspectives, searching faces for expressions that would delight or dismay.

Finding Your Vision – The mentorship has been exactly that and so much more. We were given tools, techniques and most of all we were asked all the right questions to go out and find our stories, our juxtapositions, the laugh out loud moments or instances that move one with compassion.

FYV2018, the mentors, moderators and participants have made me take some huge strides in these 8 weeks, and not everything has been about using my camera. Through the weeks I realised that this mentorship changed our approach to photography. Questioning our prejudices, limits and presumptions. Daring us to try something new, something different (always within legal bounds). It didn’t give us a set of rules to follow or standards to achieve, what it did give us is freedom to discover by asking the right questions, by subjecting our prejudices to introspection, by feedback that was gentle yet firm.

I had several half-baked notions of street:

It was just a photo journalistic record of life.

It was black and white and tack sharp shots.

It was coffee table books.

But then I realised, the only limits to what one can create are right there in one’s mind. So why limit oneself? Thanks to FYV 2018, street is no longer any of those jaundiced opinions to me. It’s shapes and sizes and colours and patterns. It’s the nuances of everyday frozen on a canvas inviting the viewer to use their imagination to come up with a interpretation.

After 8 weeks I realise I still don’t have the courage to get up close and shoot people. I’m a nervous wreck. I freeze when my subject makes eye contact, or miss the moment unfolding in front of me, cause I’m just worried about what the person being shot may think. One might call that a complete fail, but to me identifying points of improvement is Step 1 to bettering myself.

What I’ve learned:

Photography is not just about knowing your camera and how to compose. It’s finding the pulse, anticipating the moment, seeing beyond the obvious.

Editing is not just techniques, but approaches. I now edit even my macro shots differently.

Instead of running back into my shell, I pick myself up and roll with the punches. The experiences and stories shared here, the encouragement and support from the group, remind me to think ahead, think of the next photo. Most photographers have had such experiences, there is never an excuse not to get back to shooting.

FYV is a photography mentorship, but to me it’s been more of a spiritual journey. Recognising my prejudices, actively working towards breaking them down, finding out that I’m “unboxable”, opening myself up to new experiences, using my camera differently and having a great time all the way.

My heartfelt gratitude to teresa pilcher for conducting this amazing, eye-opening mentorship. Thank you Alex Lapidus and G+ Mentorship Program for Photographers Robin Griggs Wood for the opportunity to grow. The moderators who supported, nudged and gently led us on the path to being better storytellers. I’ve never met a group of people as encouraging and interested in the growth of people and art as the group of photographers on G+ especially those involved in the mentorships. You guys make me believe there is hope for the world!

Finding your Vision…. When I first read that title I thought .. wow… grandiose claim. Now that we are done, I’m glad it was this group of people that I decided to go on this journey of self discovery with. I feel like a lego toy that has been disassembled and reassembled in a manner not prescribed by the design team. Some bits and pieces are still falling into place, but at least I know my heart and head are moving towards the same goal!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/DVUMiDSmiLJbDbiq5