photos from joshua l. smith
Back in November 2023, Side Street Studio Arts hosted a photo walk; each participant was supposed to pick a “challenge” for the day, so I took every photo at 200mm. I’ve already posted several of my photos, so make sure to check those photos out too.
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What do you SEE as you walk around your daily life? A photographer friend of mine recently asked about taking photos of another artist’s work; but in reality, aren’t photographers normally taking photos of other artist’s work? Even nature photographers are taking photos of mother nature’s work, right?
A craftsman who creates an object out of paint, clay, wood, stone, or metal can claim originality, but most of us are taking photos of something we didn’t create; instead we are creating art by adding or interpreting the existing environment or material.
With that in mind, go around your home and create art by adding or interpreting your own personal environment.
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There are certain architectural elements that lend themselves to odd, abstract photographs, but in some instances, you must create the abstract image. As I walked around ECC some images just made sense – the concrete ceiling under the elevated walkway and the outdoor metal staircase. But the staircase’s metal railing and marbled look, I knew there was a photo; but as long as it was right side up, it just looked like stairs…
Recently I saw a photo of a fork.
The fork was alone on a white backdrop, illuminated by a single point of light casting a very distinct shadow.
The image stuck with me, itching my creative neurons. Then this past week, Sarah was at a conference, and I was home alone, so I grabbed random a few kitchen items, a white backdrop, and a flashlight…
Maybe it’s that my eye is drawn to the red cars, or perhaps it’s that red is a favorite color for collector cars, but I have so many photos of red cars at car shows! This classic Corvette at the monthly downtown Bartlett Car Show was is near perfect condition and absolutely gorgeous.
I’m not really a “street photographer”, but over the past two years I have been trying to expand my photography. As my friend Arnoldo and I walked through Elgin on that rainy November day, I found several scenes that were not my usual fare, but still felt photogenic to my eye.
…view older images with the thumbnails below…
One of my favorite things to do in the winter in Chicago is to visit one of the conservatories to see the plants and blossoms. The splash of color does wonders to invigorate my spirit.
But then I tend to create monochrome images out of my trips because I love the textures.
Maybe it’s just me, but seeing the Sears/Willis Tower poking out from a scene was THE Chicago moment growing up. For a few years, my family lived on the south side, and it was a contest among the siblings to see who could see the skyline, specifically the Sears Tower, first when we would drive into the city.
On a recent photo walk, I found this little “window” created by the L tracks, the incredible rusty exterior contrasting with the sky, the Willis Tower, and the Merchandise Mart. I had to hop in between traffic on 2 different occasions to get this exposure correct; the afternoon sky was quite the contrast compared with the shadowed steel. This photo is one of my Top 3 favorite recent Chicago photos.
…view older images with the thumbnails below…
