Be Inspired, Not a Ripoff Artist - Day 31 & Exercise 5

Well, here it is...the last day of the Inner Artist series.
I hope you have enjoyed it and maybe even learned a thing or two!

.....

Art is almost always inspired by something. Often that something is someone else's work. And that's ok!
But make it your own, inject your own style and ideas, and let it run.


No One Likes a Copycat
Remember when you were a kid and your sibling, or maybe that annoying kid at school, copied everything you said or did...sometimes literally and verbatim?
I don't know anyone who enjoyed being copied as a kid and I'm quite certain it holds true through adulthood, if not more so. I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir here, but I'm going to say it anyway:
You wouldn't plagiarize a novel and pass it off as your own, so don't copy another artist's work and pass it off as your own either.



Inspiration {Not Imitation} is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
First, let's define inspiration versus imitation. Dictionary.com defines these two words as:

in·spi·ra·tion

 [in-spuh-rey-shuhn]

noun - a result of inspired activity.

im·i·ta·tion

 [im-i-tey-shuhn]

noun - a counterfeit; copy.

Here's an example to help illustrate this point:
Marla of Blue Skies Photography has some beautiful farm shots. I especially love her combine blur shot.

{photo used with permission}

How stunningly wonderful is that?!
As it happened, I was literally in a wheat field with a combine a few days after seeing her lovely images.

With her image as my inspiration, here's what I shot:

This shot was one of my first that day. I knew it was almost identical to Marla's {in composition, anyway} when I was shooting and that was the point. I needed to get her idea through my system so I could tweak and develop it into something of my own.

And here's the image I liked best; that was truly in my own style.




Great Minds Think Alike
I think it's important to also point out that it is possible for someone to simply happen to come up with the same idea as you, independent of your work. Coincidences do happen after all.


For Example:
Karli of The Bonnie 5 and I seem to share a small portion of the same brain. We have taken eerily similar shots just days, sometimes hours, apart without seeing the other's work.
It's seriously weird.
The weirdest was when we both burnt lunch and then photographed the smoke from said meal time disasters.
What are the odds of that?!



***


Exercise #5
This is kind of like a before and after style exercise. I want you to find a work of art, recipe, photograph - anything that inspires you. Then, taking everything we've talked about this month, I want you to make your own thing using the inspiration piece as a jumping off point, much like I have done with Marla's combine shot.

Here are your instructions:
1. Share your inspiration piece - it's best to ask permission prior to using another's image or at the very least give credit and a link back.
2. Then, in the same post, share your finished product and how you have transformed that original idea into your own style.

When linking up, please use YOUR IMAGE as your thumbnail.
If you have any questions about this exercise, please feel free to ask!

The linky will be up for 2 weeks so take your time!

Artistic Editing - How to Know When You're Done - Day 30

Way back in mid-August I asked the following question on my Facebook page:
"What do you struggle with when it comes to being artistic?"

There were several great responses and today we're going to talk about Shondra's question:
"How do you know when to stop editing an image? When is the image complete?"

My answer?
When you love it, it's complete.

I know.
It's a very vague answer, but the time you spend on an image or the amount of editing you do to it will differ from shot to shot.

Let me give you some examples.

I spent a decent amount of time on this image...
 



But I did more to this image...




The thing that changed between my two edits was my knowledge of PSE 8, which allowed me to do more with the second image in a shorter amount of time.


Lets look at another example.

This shot is pretty close to SOOC (straight out of camera).
I just boosted contrast and color saturation.



There will be times when you capture an image almost exactly how you want it to look.
And there will be other times when you could work on an image for hours.

If you're struggling with getting a shot just how you want it, here are some things you can do to help you along the way:

1. Save your work in .psd format and come back to it another time. I've often found this helps when I'm stuck. When I've had time away from my image I can come back with a fresh perspective.

2. Ask for opinions! Ask your spouse, kids {who will always tell you how it is! :)}, or blog friends for input on an image.

3. Download some new free textures, actions, or overlays.
(A quick search on flickr or even Google images for any of those things will get you many results! Just be sure to check the copyright terms before using...flickr has small circular copyright icons in the lower right sidebar of all images, which will give you more info.)

Hi, ISO - Day 29

We all know that one very important rule of thumb to making great photos is to have a low ISO.
But since this final section of the series is all about breaking the rules, lets talk about high ISO instead!

From an artistic perspective, a high ISO will give you that grainy, old style film texture {aka: noise} that can add age or interest to an image.

Let's take a peek at what that looks like...
These images were all taken with an ISO of 3200
{FYI: I recently upgraded my camera to the Nikon D7000 from the D3000...the D3000 would have significantly more noise at this level.}

Off With Their Heads! - Day 28

Who says you have to have a face in a portrait?!

Pish posh and nonsense.

Headless portraits can lend incredible interest to the frame.

It creates a sense of curiosity. 

And while that may have killed the cat, us humans seem to thrive on it.

Some of my favorite shots of our kids are headless:

I rest my case.

Focus is Overrated - Day 27

When I was taking photo classes in college, tack sharp focus was preached.

And then when I got back into photography after the birth of my children, tack sharp focus was still a central topic.

I have terrible sight even with contacts. And if that weren't bad enough, the more still I need to be, the shakier my hands seem to become! Not a good combination for that tack sharp focus, eh?
{and I refuse to be tied down to a tripod}

So instead of driving myself crazy trying to always get that perfect in-focus shot, I did a 180 from the masses and started purposely shooting out of focus.
{the out of focus happens in camera, not post processing.}

The result has been some very artistic shots.

Out of focus shots do a great job of evoking memories within the viewer.

What memories or feeling do you get from this shot?

How about this one?

What smells or temperatures do you feel when you look at this?

Over (or Under) Expose with Purpose...or on Accident - Day 26

You can't be a photographer - amateur or otherwise - without hearing about exposure:
proper exposure, overexposure, underexposure. All the "how-to" books and classes will agree that 'proper' exposure is key to a well formed photograph.

I say bologna...boloney...baloney
...however you'd like to spell it.



Overexposure
Overexposure can give a whimsical and even clean feel to a photo.

This is a sooc shot. I accidentally intentionally overexposed it. And I am soooo happy I did!
I love that stark and clean retro diner feel to it.



Thanks to that overexposed shot, my end result was a series of 50's retro inspired prints:
   




Underexposure
 On the opposite spectrum, underexposure lends itself very well to a mysterious feel and can effectively bring the viewers' focus to a specific area.

The following shot was taken at dusk and was nowhere near this dark, but with underexposure those blacks are deep and help to create that mysterious, almost eerie feel.
This particular shot makes me have that "light at the end of the tunnel" feeling, and not surprisingly, reminds me of Christ's Light in our dark, dark world.

Take Me There - Day 25

One of the basic lessons I learned in art school was that you want the viewer's eyes to move around the painting/photograph/etc.

A good {and easy} way to do this is with the use of lines.

"The Scream" by Edvard Munch is an excellent example of this!
Can you see how your eyes are carried around the painting?

 

Do you see it now?

Although more difficult, this same principle can be applied to photography.

Set Up the Scene - Day 24 & Exercise 4

Some scenes are fabulous as they are and getting a wonderful shot is simply a matter of being in the right place.
Other scenes need to be created. And that is where a lot of us get stumped.

I personally use things from around the house.

Such as my kids and my shoes.



Other scenes require some crafting first.
For this shot I made quick little Valentine's, taped up a length of yarn on the wall, then added the clothespins.

And some scenes are a matter of combining your idea with what is already there.
This one was taken while the kids and I were fishing. The bench and nature was already there, I just had to add the fishing pole and bucket.

EXERCISE #4
For today's exercise I want you to grab some props and set a scene.
This can be all your own creation or you can combine something that's already there with things that have been added for the purpose of a composed shot.

In your post please tell us about your idea, what props you used and where you found them, and of course include the final image which can be sooc or edited.


{The linky for this exercise will remain open through November 7th.}

Involve Your Viewers - Day 23

Most times we as artists - whether photographer, painter or otherwise - create for ourselves.
There are times, however, when you should think about your viewers.

What emotions do you want them to feel when they look at your work?
{On Day 11 we talked about how something as simple as color, or absence of, can elicit different emotions.}
Do you want the story within your work to be open to interpretation, allowing the viewer to become a part of your work?

Take, for example, the painting "Nighthawks" by Edward Hopper.
He leaves much up to the imagination of the viewer: Who are the couple sitting at the counter? Where are they going or where have they been? They seem to be conversing with the man behind the counter: what are they talking about? Who is the man alone? What time is it?



We can learn from Hopper's painting that subjects within a work of art are much more interesting when they bring an air of mystery to the table. When we can view them in action, but their actions are somewhat ambiguous.


What kind of questions do you have when you look at this photo? What story can you make from it?

What's So Wrong with Ordinary? - Day 22

Today's post really ties in with Monday's topic and exercise of Shoot What's in Front of You.
Because when something is in front of you every day, it becomes very ordinary!

A lot of us, myself included, take for granted the beauty in the ordinary.


Like the dashboard of your car that you see every. single. day.



Or the whimsy in your child's play.



Or a leaf laying on the street outside of your house.

Beautiful things surround us each day.
Sometimes we just have to open our eyes to see it.

Get Creative with Your Kids - Day 21

Today is focused on moms/dads and their kids.
I realize that many of you do not have children of your own or little ones at home, but you can still grab a niece/nephew, grandchild, your neighbor's kid...just don't steal one. ;)
{come to think of it....husbands would work great, too}

Before I had kids life as a stay at home mom sounded like a joyride.
I had images of me in my comfy pajamas, sitting on the patio each morning, sipping gourmet coffee and reading my favorite magazine...all while the kid(s) slept in.
{...I can hear the chuckling!}

Then I had a baby.
And then two years later, I had a second.

Exit: Dreams of leisurely mornings and free time.
Enter: Real. Life. Motherhood.

It's a busy thing filled with dirty diapers, homework, laundry, cooking and cleaning.
And if moms are good at anything, it's multitasking!
So why not combine your own creativity time with your child's?

Here are a few idea to get you started:

*Go on a Photo Walk - this is better suited for older children and for those of you who have two cameras. {or a child who is responsible enough to wield your precious dslr!} Go for a walk around the block and see what you both come up with!

*Paint a Still Life - create a still life scene using various items from around the house. {let your kids pick some things, too!} Then grab some paint and a canvas, some drawing paper, or even use cardboard from your recycle bin. Each of you interpret and paint the scene, then compare and contrast your creations!

*Make Thank You Cards - sit down at the table with your kids, some regular copy paper {or cardstock if you have it on hand}, some decorative scissors or punches, ribbon, glue, stickers....whatever you have. Then make a bunch of thank you notes or Christmas cards!


What kinds of crafty/creative things do you already do with your kids?



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The Book Worm is Calling - Day 20

Sometimes the best thing you can do to improve your skills is to read and learn prior to actually engaging in your medium.

Today I've compiled a few fantastic websites/books to get you started!

Digital Photography School
{website}

Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera
{book by Bryan Peterson}

creativeLIVE
This site is awesome! They host multi-day workshops on photography related topics and you can watch the live feed for free...or purchase the workshops to watch later. I watched the Jasmine Star workshop and it totally blew my mind....I learned so much!!
This weekend there's a workshop titled "Exploring the Light" with Rick Sammon and, as you may have surmised, it's all about lighting.
I'm already registered and if you're going to be around this weekend I highly recommend you sign up too!

What great resources do you love?



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Be a Digital Pack Rat - Day 19

Today's lesson is a very simple one:
Save all your images.
ALL images.
Even the really bad ones.

I can not tell you how many times I have gone back through year-old files and found usable images that at the time I thought were only worthy of the trash can.

As my skills progress, I find I'm better able to edit and manipulate images.
Sometimes I can save the entire image, other times I use a portion of it or as an overlay, and in many cases those old images serve as great creative-springboards!

ETA: A lot of you have mentioned that you just don't have the space to save all those image files. And I totally get that! My computer's hard drive was at max capacity about a year ago. So I took the plunge and bought the Western Digital WD Elements 1 TB External Hard Drive. That's a terabyte! 1,024 gigabytes. It cost me $70 and I am so glad I got it! Now I can shoot in RAW + jpg mode and not worry about the file sizes.

Being Creative When You're Short on Time - Day 18

Today marks the beginning of our talks about time management and being artistic.

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven..."

Ecclesiastes 3:1

And that includes being artistic! 

But what do you do when you don't have regular "me" time?
How on earth can you be creative when you only have five free minutes per day?


Here are a few ideas:

1. Get Yourself a Pinterest Account.
I love this site and the idea behind it!! In five minutes you can find handfuls of inspiration and organize those ideas easily!

2. Carry an idea/inspiration journal. 
I'm talking about what people did before Pinterest: paper and a pen. Get yourself one of those super small {and subsequently very cute} 3x5 notebooks. Put it in your purse, the diaper bag, your desk drawer at work, etc. Then when you have an idea pop into your head, jot it down.

3. Get Up Early or Stay Up Late.
Sometimes something's gotta give. And sometimes that something is sleep.
Making time either before the kids/hubs/wife are awake or after they're asleep is often a great way to get your creative time each day without sacrificing family time.

4. Re-Prioritize Your To-Do List.
I am personally of the mindset that certain things on my to-do list - such as dishes, laundry and dusting - will absolutely wait for me to get to them. {if only my kids were as patient as the dirty laundry in the hamper. *sigh*} The world will not stop and lives will not be {drastically} changed if said chores are put off until another day. My creative time is as important to my own mental health as nutritious dinners are for my children's physical health.
If Mama's not happy, nobody's happy.


Another related topic I received a lot of comments on was:
"I have so many things I want/need to do creatively that I jump around between them all and in the end nothing has been accomplished. How can I overcome this?" 


I'm no genius when it comes to time management {just ask my husband} but what I've been finding works well for me is to do the following:
1. Write down what I need to get done.
2. Then organize my list according to when I need to get those things done.

I use three main categories and have made a very simple list download if you care to use it, too:




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