Kat Eye Studio

Archives for September 2010

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The Beginnings of Something Beautiful

I was so, so lucky to have a new friend, fellow muse Suki, come and meet me in Paris for an afternoon. She took the train over from Germany and we met as the overcast skies cleared up to sunshine, for a wonderful walk around the city.

This was Suki’s first time in Paris, and since it was only my second time, neither of us knew the city well so we just walked and talked and photographed our way randomly around the sights along the River Seine for a few hours. I don’t think it mattered to either of us where we were, it was just so wonderful to find a kindred spirit, in person. To find someone else who understood and could talk about our passion for photography, for capturing the perfect moment, for hours. We talked equipment and theory and, most of all, what called to our souls. What subjects and light and ideas that made our hearts sing. What dreams we have. And while we talked, we walked and photographed what caught our eye. We traded lenses, to try out something new.

We could have talked for days, I think. I was so sad when it was time for Suki to head back to the train, one afternoon together was definitely not enough. I am so glad that she came to Paris to meet me, to have a chance to have a few hours where we weren’t interrupted by the reality of work and school and other commitments, we could just talk and dream and be who we are – artists with cameras, a passion in our soul to capture the beauty of the world around us.

The images in this post are ones I took during my time with Suki. Pop on over to Suki’s blog where she wrote about our meeting, and see her photos too. It is such a wonderful example of how we all have a unique vision of the world to share. We were side by side the whole time but saw and captured dramatically different things. She has an amazing gift, she sees the essence of beauty in everything. I like the “me” I see through her eyes. I am envious when I look at her images, they are so beautiful. But then, I look at mine and see that they just have a completely different point of view. Not better or worse, just different.

The next time you think to compare your work to someone else’s, just remember this little story of me and Suki. Two people, sharing a passion for an art form, but from a different perspective. We all have a unique vision to share with the world, whether it is photography or painting or writing or whatever your work is. The creative universe is big enough for all of us to join in.

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Today I’m on Mortal Muses, talking about the end of summer. Come by to see how the end of summer is marked in our little town of Vedano al Lambro, Italy.

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Night School

Last weekend in Paris was about gaining new experiences, seeing what I could learn by travelling on my own. Sunday night I spent time with photographer Molly S.J. Lowe, on an evening photo tour organized through Photo Tours in Paris. Molly is a freelance and fashion photographer, an American transplanted to Paris. It was fascinating to hear about what she does as a professional photographer, and to hear another ex-patriate point of view. Take a look at her beautiful black and white photography at the link above.

Molly was an exacting teacher, wanting me to get the shot right in the camera, rather than relying on post-processing in the computer. Once she learned I knew what aperture and shutter speed were, we focused on the details of composition. I learned more about shooting in manual and choosing the right settings for the look of the photo at night. I learned to look closely at the edges of the frame to see what was going on. I learned that my camera viewfinder is not very accurate as compared to what will end up in the picture – and it’s not even symmetric – so getting the shot right in the camera for framing takes some trial and error! I learned that it is difficult to use manual focus at night, but sometimes you have to. I learned the ins and outs of using the tripod to get a good shot. She made me pay attention to the little details, the things that make a difference, and take a photograph from ho-hum to great.

We spent three hours together shooting around the Louvre and Place de la Concorde. Amazingly, in that time I have very few really good shots, and that is just fine with me. We stayed with each shot for as long as it took to get it right, focusing on learning those little details first hand, which is what I needed. And while I have several beautiful shots, there are only a couple that I feel a connection to and want to share here. These are the ones where Molly said, “OK, set up here and let’s see what you come up with…” rather than directing me on setting up the shot. These are the ones, like the fountain above, where I saw the image I wanted and she just helped me make it better and get it right. These are my view. That realization – that beyond having a technically beautiful image, it needs to also be my image – is as important to me as the lessons on the technical details.

Today’s photo of La Fontaine des Mers in Place de la Concorde is straight out of the camera, no editing. I find myself itching to crop it a little bit but in honor of my lessons from Molly I am leaving it as it is, because that’s what I captured in the moment. A moment I want to remember and learn from, my night photo tour in Paris.

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Abstraction

In my time here in Italy, as I’ve explored art history and art museums so much, I’ve learned to really notice what art calls to me in some way. I’ve discovered it changes over time, as I change and grow. On this trip to Paris I found myself drawn again and again to abstract art. Art that explores color, form and composition separate from representation of real life. Especially bright, luminous colors. Vassily Kandinsky, Paul Rothko, Sonia Delaunay and Robert Delaunay (pictured here, in the Musee National d’Arte Moderne) were the artists whose works captured me repeatedly.

What does this mean for my art, my view of the world? What does the appeal of color and form and abstraction tell me? I don’t know now, but I do know it will show up in some way. All of these explorations become fodder for my own creative endeavors, and the art that calls to me gives me the hint of the direction I will be heading. It should be interesting to see where I go next.

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Just Me and Monet

Imagine visiting Musee L’Orangerie in Paris, and seeing these larger than life canvases of Monet’s water lilies. Then imagine, for a moment the ebb and flow of people visiting leaves the room empty. Nothing but the natural light filtering down, and the brushtrokes created by a master of light and color all around. Beauty and peace. That happened to me more than once on Sunday morning, as I visited this wonderful place. Just me and Monet.

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Cupcakes with a Cherry on Top

Did you know, that frosting doesn’t exist in Italy? At least not the yummy butter cream frosting we make in the US using lots of confectioner’s sugar. In most stores you only find small little packets of confectioner’s sugar, like the size of taco seasoning packets, for sprinkling a little bit on top of your sweets. So we were happy to find cupcakes with yummy frosting in England. We stopped into this tea room in the afternoon for a spot of tea and a sweet. Mmmmmm….

And today I have another “sweet” to share with you. Earlier this week my friend Karen gave me a Cherry on Top blog award. How sweet of her! I loved being honored in that way on her blog, and I want to continue the good vibes by fulfilling the requirements of the award myself.

First, thanks go to Karen! Stop by her blog and say hi. She is a wonderful photographer and a talented papercrafter. She is one of my longer-term online friends, we’ve been sharing our love of photography together since taking an ecourse in 2007.

Second, I am supposed to list three things I love about myself. Why is this so hard to do? Let’s see, I love my positive outlook on life, that I make the most of opportunities that come my way, and that I am a good learner. That last one has served me well over and over again in life.

Finally, pass the award along to bloggers you love. This is the very best part, because I’ve been wanting to share with you some of the amazing inspiration I see every day here in the blogosphere, and this has given me the motivation. I can’t list them all, but here are a few that have enjoyed reading on a regular basis.

Gina of Here and Now. I found Gina through the Creative Every Day challenge (which deserves a nod of its own) and have enjoyed getting to know her through her blog of photos and travels. It is her admitted love of chairs, and the fact that I enjoyed seeing her periodic chair pictures, that made me realize that others may not get bored if I post more than one window picture or doorstep picture. In fact, they may even like it. It doesn’t all have to be about variety, it’s ok to have a “theme” that you are inspired to capture and share. That realization has been part of my creative journey and finding my eye photographically. Thanks for that Gina!

Patty of Nomadic Notebook. I connected to Patty earlier this year through the Flying Lessons e-course, and I love the images and words she posts on her blog. Her words always remind me to live consciously, in the present, and her passion to help others connect with their true selves really resonates with me! I am inspired by what she is doing.

Veronika of Notes to Self. I think I’ve run into Veronika online in various venues, but I remember specifically finding Veronika’s blog because she was commenting on my Croatia photos. Croatia is her home country, and I wanted to see who this was commenting. I was captured by her illustration style and have fallen in love with the words that she adds to them. They add a twist on the image that never fails to captivate me!

While I normally don’t participate in chain letter-like emails or notes on Facebook, and this blog award is similar, I couldn’t pass up the reminder to say “thanks” to a few of the people who have inspired me with their art or their words.

I hope you all enjoy your cupcakes today, with a cherry on top.

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If Not Now, When?

I love this field of flowers under the trees in Parco di Monza by our home here in Italy. They are long gone now, they are only around for a brief time in the spring. As fall approachs and these trees are about to change their color and lose their leaves, and the bed of flowers has become mown grass. I met my intention to photograph them this year, since I missed them the first spring we arrived in Italy. Who knows what next spring will bring, my last spring here. Maybe there will be freak weather that prevents them from blooming, and this will have been my only opportunity. I’m glad I caught them while I had the chance.
Capturing these flowers is part of what I am calling a “no regrets” year. With limited time left on my work assignment in Italy, we return to the US next July, I have made a personal resolution that I will go home with no regrets. I don’t want to sit down, years from now and say, “I wish I had done… whatever… while we were in Italy.” Sure, there will always be ideas I have later, places I will see in pictures later and wish I had visited while I was here, but this “no regrets” year is about what I know now. If there is something I want to do now, I am doing it. If there is someplace I want to go while I’m here in Europe, I am going. If there is someone I need to meet (all these wonderful online friends!), I’m going to make every possible effort to meet them in person.
So this weekend, part of my “no regrets” year, I have a special trip planned. Just me, my camera and Paris art museums. I’ve been wanting to go there and just revel in the amazing art that is available, all in one city. To just have a little bit of time, where I plot my course for a day or two, recharge and refill the creative well on my own. Along with that blissful plan, I’m doing a nighttime photo tour with a professional photographer – absolute, and total, heaven.

I know that the pace of travel and activity and spending (!) I currently have is not sustainable long term. In a way, that’s the beauty of this situation too, it isn’t long term. There is a definite end, so I don’t have to keep anything in reserve. I also know that even with this intention I have for the year, I will not be able to go everywhere, do everything, meet everyone on my list. But I’ll be so, so much closer to it, and I’ll have no regrets.

I have actually been blessed by having this limited time, in a positive way. To have my eyes opened without having something like a life-threatening illness for me or a loved one. It is easy to see, how in the course of our ever day life, how we put things off. We say… We’ll go visit that place next month, and it turns into next year. Let’s get together for coffee sometime, and weeks go by. I should really look into that organization, and before you know it the event you were interested in is over. Life picks us up, swirls us around in the every day, and we lose our hold on the tether of our intentions. Before we know it, we’re swept along and away from what we had planned.
Think about this in your every day life. Is there one small thing you want to do, one place to visit close by that you’ve been putting off, one friend you want to meet for coffee but haven’t found the time? Do it. Have your own “no regrets” day or week, living in the moment as if you have limited time. Because the reality is, we do have limited time. It’s just not always so obvious, as it is to me right now.
And who knows, you might just find that you have spring flowers to enjoy, come fall. 

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