Although I'm trying a variety of different techniques and styles in my work, nothing seems to be "sticking." No big "aha" moments.
Yes, there are some nice painterly-looking flower images being created. And I'm doing some black and white. But I keep coming back to what I loved in the first place: letters, numbers, and general photomontagerie. (Speaking of numbers, you out there, Bugsy?)
Back in March of 2010 I went on a little drive around Forest Grove and Carnation, Oregon. No expectations. Just exploring. I found quite a lot to photograph -- old buildings, farms, rust, signs, etc. It was a fruitful trip.
I stopped at a building that had been painted at least three times -- turquoise, reddish-brown, and white. And there were big letters on it. Bonus!
I concentrated on the "W," combined the resulting photo with another photo I'd taken of corrugated metal and rust, tweaked the image a bit more, and came up with this very cool (to me) "Corrugated W."
No, this isn't a big breakthrough. No "aha" moment here. But I take such joy in creating something that I think is rather different and interesting, that there's a quiet satisfaction when seeing the result.
In a world that is frenzied, hurried, and superficial, a simple "W" takes me back to where I began, reminding me what initially drew me to photography (exploration, noticing little details), and that it's all still there for the finding if I just slow down and look.
©Carol Leigh
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