Lilacs In Spring
Taking pictures of flowers is unfair.
I won’t say it’s easy. That will only frustrate those who go out into their backyards each day trying to capture this natural beauty only to feel slighted by their camera equipment. I’ve been there. I say it is unfair because flowers are always pretty. Taking a nice photo of something that is consistently photogenic makes anyone look like a great photographer. To add to it, flowers also don’t move aside from a potential breeze. For the most part, they sit, look pretty, and beg to be given attention. Sounds a bit like my cat.
Going for a walk, especially now during the highlights of spring, you will encounter flowers everywhere. Some are weeds growing out of small cracks in concrete, some require incredible amounts of attention only to be inconvenienced by a slight change in weather pattern. Upwards of 50 degree temperature swings is quintessential New York State. Don’t worry, let me cozy you up under a nice warm blanket tonight so you don’t get too cold and die. Why do plants grow where they can’t live?
Flowers are pretty.
I’m fairly sure this didn’t need to be established, but a subtle reminder is needed to get back on track. Flowers have been capturing my attention a lot lately. Though they welcome me with their floral scents designed to block my nasal passageways, I feel welcomed to linger all the same. It is a delicate balance of attempting to experience these colorful and pungent arrangements in all their glory only to sneeze and, oops, there goes another petal.
Lilacs are especially prevalent in this area. They grow into these massive bushes that dwarf some trees. They don’t complain about the weather of early May like others do *cough … magnolias … cough* and there is a surprising amount of variety. Varying in colors, leaf shape, petal size, even scents, the aura of lilacs paint the beginning of summer in Western, NY.
Highland Park.
In Rochester lies a park which hosts hundreds of lilacs. Proudly displaying the variety listed above, each is labeled with its specific name that is typically Latin sounding … or looking? I don’t read or speak Latin so it’s all Greek to me. In either case it would take a PHD in botany to understand it. Needless to say, in an attempt to be more informed on the topic I did a quick search online of how the naming of plants works. After scrolling for a few minutes reading about botanical nomenclature and plant taxonomy I began to understand just how far out of my depth I was. I’ve concluded that I should stick to what I know, photography.
The issue for me is the same every spring. The flowers themselves are pretty, however, how do you take a nice picture of a flower? Point and click, right? It should be that simple. I have trouble just taking a picture of a flower, though when I do no one complains. I have expectations surrounding my photography. Some of which is likely healthy, while the rest is restrictive, demeaning, and discouraging.
I prefer to see the image represented in a certain way. I prefer minimalist style photos, I desire strong composition, lighting needs to be dynamic or else I threaten the image to be turned into black and white. Don’t like the color or lighting in an image? Just make it black and white and increase your contrast. Boom, professional landscape photographer.
Focus.
I believe that flowers are prettiest when they are isolated. Many flowers are nice when they are arranged in an interesting manner and can make for a decent picture. But to capture the beauty found in these allergy inducers requires a close up of the individual. Best way to accomplish that is through the use of a larger aperture and longer focal length. You, of course, already knew that and will inevitably find ways of capturing their beauty in your own way. My goal is always to isolate the subject. I want the flower, nothing else.
But how do I make this photo … nice? I spend far too much time thinking about how to get a picture of something that, in its own right, is appealing. It’s like, how do you present a chocolate sundae to make it taste better? You don't, you throw it in a styrofoam cup and take my money. The flower is beautiful and compositionally simple. So, why is it so hard for me to capture one I like?
I’m picky.
I’m particular about my photography. I’ll take hundreds of photos and pull 1-5 that I can stand behind and admit that I like. My going ratio is about 10% of the total shots I take being labeled as “acceptable”. Of 80 pictures taken, 8 are processed to my liking. Of that acceptable 10%, there is likely a select few that I deem “good”.
Every once in a blue moon there is one photo that makes it into my favorites list. It hits all the notes my tastebuds desire (including an oaky afterbirth) from an image and it may even have a nice story behind it. Currently in the last 5 years of shooting there are about 5 that would make it into this category. Averaging 1 a year? Not too shabby.
The issue.
I have lots of issues, but only enough time to pinpoint one. I have very high expectations. While good in some respects, the dark side of this perfection mentality is when it turns something that is fun and enjoyable into stressful and full of discouragement. Not from external sources, mind you. It is generated by the space between my ears nitpicking at all my efforts to produce something nice. Even as I write these sentences, I have the generated negativity of, “Well if you have such high expectations, why are your photos so mediocre?”
Not very uplifting. So, in an effort to combat these thoughts I display my images online (not on social media because it's social media) and attempt to write coherent posts about my adventures and thoughts. I should enjoy these things. I do enjoy these things. Just not when I allow my thoughts to steamroll over my artistic expression.
Long story shortened into a sentence. Flowers are pretty and I enjoy taking photos. Here are a few from a recent excursion. Unfortunately none of these made it into the coveted “not too shabby” list. All made it into the acceptable category, minus one. One I deemed that one as good. Can you spot it?