is creative time
“Play time” is incredibly important to this business owner. I can get completely swept up obsessed with the back of house systems and workings of my business. I like to run a tight ship with a consistent message and if something doesn’t sound or feel right, I’ll dwell on it until it does and fix it. To get out of my head, experimenting with new things is key.
It’s why I spend time “playing” with lensbaby lenses – my brain literally takes a sigh of relief when I look through the view finder.
So, in one afternoon in a very pretty front yard, I was fortunate enough to try a few things with a willing subject. This first one is image stacking. I’ve recently heard about the work of Pep Ventosa and it’s breath-taking! With absolutely no research apart from a brief conversation with a friend of mine, I decided to have a crack at it. Are they a success? Well, yes and no (but mostly yes). My subject loves them, so that trumps all in my book. Did I learn a lot? Yes! Would I shoot differently next time? Yes! Did I have fun? Yes! Did I achieve the look I was after? No. Will I try again? Hell yes! I think aligning the subject better is a good first step. What I’m enjoying is the crispness of the final piece and the discomfort I feel looking at it. It’s like the point of it is just out reach. I’m really looking forward to exploring this more.
The second experiment was intentional camera movement. It’s ok, not my thing. I don’t think I’ll go out of my way to play with it again.
And the last, of course, was a little Obscura play at f161. I am really enjoying the simplicity of this lens. (I just need a really long hat that won’t draw as much attention as a focus cloth because I still can’t see a god damned thing through the viewfinder!)
If play is the work of the child, I hope I stay childish until I’m 100.
love, amanda
Hi there! I'm Amanda Waschevski
I AM A HEADSHOT AND PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER BASED IN IPSWICH, QLD. I teach people how to look comfortable in front of a camera.
