The Art of Observation

This year’s creativity project is based around a single motif, a motif can be any shape, colour, symbol that you like. It becomes the constant focus in your pictures, e.g.

squares, stripes, a letter,
circles, a number, triangles,
yellow, corners, red, arrows

So, taking photos of a single motif, not very creative or difficult I hear you say but you might guess, it’s not that straightforward. Initially you need to select the motif you want to focus on, there will be plenty of opportunity to change if you run into trouble but try to stick to your first choice.

Using your photographic eye, take as many pictures of your “motif” as you can, the more the merrier. In the city, out shopping, in your house or garden, you will find your subject all around you, it is interesting to find the “motif” in the more unexpected places.

Where the job gets a little harder! The end goal is to produce a grid of pictures, all representing your single motif, the best ones, the ones that work together, the ones that look good in a layout. Once you start it can be quite interesting to see how many times you see the “motif” and how creative you become in seeing it. Think of the channel 4 adverts before a film where the stick man walks and then turns into the number 4 when his legs get to the right angle.

The final grid needs to be a minimum of 4 pictures (2x2) and can go up to any number that you can create in a grid, so (3x3) works for 9 pictures, (4x4) for 16 etc, the end result does look better with more pictures so think big. Try for 25 in a 5x5 grid. Ideally create a square grid but as I get older, I obviously get softer, so it’s possible an oblong grid may work, it is your choice.

There will be an opportunity to talk about your choice and progress made before Christmas and we can see what the other members think.

If you need help with creating the grid, or your choice of motif, then please ask.

Russ Fowler

 

Here is one I did on “Corners” the minimum number, created using 4 pictures all taken at home, indoors. The corner of a table, sunlight on a windowsill, corner of a picture frame, shadow on the carpet.

You can choose any Motif for this, some will be hard, others a bit easier.

Squares, but it could be “Squares in Coventry”, which would make it a bit harder to do.

Circles

As usual, try to have fun with it.