Imagist Blog

We can photograph, draw, paint, sculpt or write a poem about any subject. In my experience subjects inspire poets and artists in various and often weird ways; a shaft of light; a metaphor popping into the mind; a turn of phrase; a rhyme; and many other incomprehensible signals may indicate that the muse has tapped us on the shoulder; or slapped our face.

Sometimes we give ourselves an assignment like photograph a flower for publication each and every week. While I always invite the muse; she may or may not show up on any given assignment.

Generally if I focus attention on a subject I can connect with and learn something beautiful from it. Technical difficulties may enter the picture: wind, less than ideal light, too little light, et al. Then, even if I think I “got something,” I may open the files and find — Nope. Nothing there. Just another picture of a flower. No feelings transmitted. Nothing particularly interesting to see. No gorgeous lines. No rhythm. No surprising texture, color, or light.

This week’s flowers seemed more elusive than usual. Every day for a week I walked past this blooming situation and “felt” drawn to its possibilities. Yet when I finally settled in to explore the subject it eluded me – they blew around – stuff seemed always in the way – either in the foreground or the background – I simply could not find “what I felt while looking without the camera” within the rectangle of the camera’s view finder. Or maybe I did. Though it took all these variations because the subject just kept talking and talking; whenever it wasn’t blowing away from my focus; or hiding in the dark of cloud cover.

Sometimes we need more
than a single verse
to express the feel
of summer/fall
the trance formation
the soft crisp in it all.

(click photograph for larger view)

Leica R8/DMR, 60 mm Macro Elmarit