Zen

Excuses

I am too busy grading papers to have fun.

I am tired and need to sleep.

I have two dogs and can’t be gone for long.

Gas is $3.40 a gallon!

I need a better camera.

The government is closed for business. 

The forecast says snow....

Before the Sun - North Shore of Lake Superior

What is is your excuse?

October is whine time. My month to cry about inclement weather and find a reason to play it safe. This October is no exception, but like every one before and those that lie ahead, I always manage to suppress the self doubt and find the time to shoot.

Reflection on Gooseberry River - Gooseberry Falls State Park, MN

I’ve finally come to the realization that the October excuses are more fabrication than reality. This amazing time of year should inspire creativity rather than suppress it. Could my paralysis be a fear of failure... a failure to maximize the opportunity... a failure to take an artistic risk?

Roots - Gooseberry Falls State Park, MN

These doubts never keep me home. While long weeks and rainy weekends might be a good excuse, the urge to create is greater than the desire for comfort. In the last two weeks I’ve been out in the rain, up at 4:00 a.m. and driven hundreds of miles in search of fall. My list of excuses is a mile wide, but the time to experience life is finite.  

Sunrise at Tamarack - Tamarack Nature Center, White Bear Lake

©2000-2013 BTLeventhal.com / Bruce & Tamy Leventhal. All rights reserved. No image on this site may be used without permission.

 

In Search of Simplicity

It’s a funny thing how a style or pattern seems to creep into the subconscious of our art. I’m not certain if these things happen because of life’s circumstances, or in spite of world around us. Regardless of the cause, it appears that my photographs now seem to emphasize the simple over the complex.

Leaf and Rock - Interstate State Park, WI 

These days, I find that I am overwhelmed by the endless inputs that bombard my inner peace. I abhor warehouse-styled stores, walk away from lines and seek the solitude of a quiet nook. Could it be that my art is the antonym for my life? Purposeful or not, I am now drawn to the simple patterns that I see through my lens each day.

 Corkscrew - Pine Point County Park, MN

Photographically, my current work tends to emphasize the emptiness in a space rather than the complexity of a place. Strong compositional elements are supported by rich colors that lack much in the way of detail. While the subject may have been captured in sharp focus, the surroundings fall off into a soft glow. To produce these simple compositions, I will shoot at a wider aperture or position the background at a great distance from the subject. The end result is a shallow depth that draws attention to fewer points within the frame. For landscapes I will work with neutral density filters to force long exposures on windy days or around flowing water. The choice to filter a scene is more than a special effect; it is an attempt to focus on a singularity rather than world that supports it. This photography, its simplicity, is an antidote for a hurried life that leaves little time to cultivate an inner peace. 

©2000-2013 BTLeventhal.com / Bruce & Tamy Leventhal. All rights reserved. No image on this site may be used without permission.