Len Metcalf

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EX102 Seeing Differently

“The mundane becomes special as soon as pay attention to it.”

Susan Hiller

Gunnangurra Country, my country, it feels like I belong there, it seems to own me. Am so excited to found peace and healing from her grounding.. so thankful

How to see differently.

Find a subject that you wish to explore further. You may wish to anchor this exercise with a technique or a particular look. For example going with the abstract.

Step 1 Choose your subject

Step 2 Photograph your subject

Step 3 Sit and really look at your subject

Step 4 Photograph some more

Step 5 See if you can find very different photographs by paying attention to the subject

Step 6 try some of the suggestions I discussed in the presentation which are sumerised in the slideshow above.

Post three photographs in the forum, and describe which things you did that helped you see differently that worked for you

Tips for seeing differently

Created in Len’s Class Tuesday 16th February 2021

Photographs are everywhere

Look somewhere else. Elsewhere from our norm / comfort.

Moving around the subject to get different perspectives

Moving the subject to see different viewpoints

Looking back at where you came

Going to somewhere different to see

Looking up to see from a different angle

Looking longer. Looking with intent.

Reflecting and looking with intent before picking up the camera.

Looking for what something has to offer before making art

Look without intent - feel

Being mindful, self awareness, breathing, noticing

Playing with the idea that is in your head

Understanding, researching, thinking about the subject

“Don’t show me what it is, show me what else it is.” Minor White

Put your preconceptions aside

Tackling your mindset head on (things that you may have prejudged)

Change your angle of view to force your self out habits and your comfort zone - change your lens or zoom

Take a birds eye view, and a worms eye view and look at the world differently

Consider what other animals might see

Experiment and try different techniques to see differently

Revist

Time

Staying in one spot for extended periods time

  • Visiting a spot at different times

  • Visiting in different weather conditions

  • Visiting in different seasons

Look at your feet

Work through your disappointments and expectations

By using the essence of the photographic process to see differently (depth of field)

Embrace the happy accident

Mix it up… work in a different way than you normally would. Big picture to detail or details to big picture