Anatomy of a Composition - Autumnal
I missed a post last Spring. While spending far more nights under the stars and days staring at data on a computer screen than I’d intended, all under the shadow of a global pandemic, fraught with the deepest tension most of us have known, it was difficult to put together thoughts, much less words that bent toward a sense of accomplishment or celebration. In the moment it was merely enough to feel gratitude for the health and safety of those I love. At the moment that seemed enough.
Hindsight reminds me of the day to day stresses we were all absorbing. Work, family and social routines were upended, with many suffering tragedy at its deepest levels. Clearly the pandemic and financial fallout were affecting different Americans, very differently. I was awash with memories and grief of my own brother's death by HIV in the early ‘90s, and which is most honestly an experience I would never wish on any living person.
As we’ve watched the world trunge on, and witnessed the falling and rising, falling and rising again rates of infection and death, it's still challenging to put a face on “creativity.” The gravity of the uncertainty, the mounting tolls on life and loved ones, each bear a grim witness to this procession. Art on one level is a technical exercise, whereby equipment, training, practice and technique can combine together to create a piece that makes the audience wonder in awe and respect, as a life-like visage escapes from the medium. Another level of art, while not completely separated from the technical component, is the level that directly conveys the feelings and emotions behind the moment. Having a strong, demonstrative emotional response, and then creating a work that reflects that emotion requires a rich, emotive environment. Without that inspiration, the technical expertise will suffice, and truly breathtaking creations can be produced.
Sitting in the trough between inspirational moments, and feeling the constraints of current events has certainly felt like a seasonal change. In this case, Autumn is the season of ending, usually in a glorious display glowing red, orange and yellow. This is the season that I tend to enjoy the most, the one in which I feel the most alive, but this year has been sidelined, and other obligations have surfaced. The cameras are gathering dust and not images, and fewer miles are being driven while the world continues to spin. In a season that represents letting go, letting go of the creative process may be the gift I have to endure to find an internal peace that isn’t available from the outside world.
I was able to make a number of trips over Cottonwood Pass this summer, and each one offered its own unique beauty; from Marsh Marigold emerging from winter snows, to Milky Way arched over the Continental Divide to a sunset highlighting the pre-hibernation colors in the alpine vegetation. But in the end, it is an end, a changing season, a time to reflect, and a time to let some things go.
Hindsight reminds me of the day to day stresses we were all absorbing. Work, family and social routines were upended, with many suffering tragedy at its deepest levels. Clearly the pandemic and financial fallout were affecting different Americans, very differently. I was awash with memories and grief of my own brothers
September, 2020 - As always, thank you for joining me on this adventure.
For more thoughts on some of these images, head over to www.wordpress.com/alma175w
Anatomy of a Composition - Autumnal - Sony a7riv - Sony FE 24-105G
ISO 100 • F/4 • 1/1600 sec. - Single image shoot at 35mm. Final edits made in Lightroom.