Are you a photographic grazer?  You know, someone who shoots here a little and there a little, and has an album of “greatest hit” images but doesn’t have a cohesive group of images?

I understand, I used to be a “grazer” too.  I hated focusing on one subject and enjoyed looking around for something that would catch my attention. The image above, “Skeleton,” was created during my grazing period.  It’s a nice image (one of my favorites) but it has no companion pieces and it’s not a part of a collection.  It’s a stand alone image.

I grazed for several years until something happened.

I proudly assembled my “greatest hits” and sent them off to Lenswork.  While polite, Brooks Jensen’s response was basically: “Hey!  Didn’t you read the submissions guidelines?  Pick ONE image and send me 15-25 on that subject.”

Ouch.

That kick in the butt was what I needed, and I think I was ready.  I then picked “Grain Silos” to focus on, and worked on that project for several months.  Instead of getting bored like I thought I would, I became obsessed and really enjoyed myself.  This resulted in my first “portfolio” that I purposely set out to create.

I enjoyed that process so much that I went on to create other portfolios:

• Ceiling Lamps
• The Ghosts of Auschwitz and Birkenau
• Ukrainians, With Eyes Shut
• Linnie: A Portrait of Breast Cancer
• The Oregon Coast
• The Lone Man (in progress)
• Harbinger (in progress)

I’m currently starting a new project that I’m very excited about entitled “Surprise!” (don’t ask me what it’s about, I won’t tell!)

Now for those of you who also resist picking a subject and focusing on it, again I do understand.  It may be that you’re not ready yet, I think you have to satisfy that “grazing” desire by indulging in it for a while.

But it might be that you are ready, but haven’t found the right subject that really excites you.  I believe you must be completely passionate about a subject before you can have have fun with it and do a great job.  If you don’t feel that way, I’d suggest you choose another subject.

It’s very satisfying to create a “cohesive body of work,” it’s also addicting!

Cole

Dear Abby;

I’d like to get into digital photography, but I’m afraid.

Afraid because there seems to be so much to learn about Photoshop!  Profiles, curves, masks, adjustment layers, RIP’s, and etc.  I’ve been reading the manual for 4 hours a day for a month now and I still feel like I know very little.

Please help!  Signed “Reluctant in Rochester.”

~

Dear Reluctant;

I feel your pain!  Technology can be overwhelming and the size of the manuals today, Oy Vay!

But there’s good news, you don’t have to read the manual before you start using Photoshop and you certainly do not need to use all of it’s features to produce wonderful images.

My close friend and FANTASTIC photographer Cole Thompson (smile) says that he generally only uses the contrast tool, and dodging and burning.  He uses the same techniques in Photoshop that he used in the darkroom, it’s a very simple and effective approach.

In fact, a few years back Popular Photography did an article on him entitled The Photoshop Heretic.  They said of him:  “Cole Thompson breaks every rule in the book, but he makes digital black-and-white prints that will take your breath away.  Just don’t try this a at home.”  (I think they were just kidding about not trying this at home though)

An approach Cole favors is to just jump in and try something, and once you get stuck, then look up the answer.  He says that he only uses about 2% of Photoshop’s features anyway, so don’t be intimidated by all of them!

Go ahead, give it a try, it’s not as complicated as you think!

Signed, Abby Thompson

~

Click Here to Read the Photoshop Heretic