Feelings

Granite Mountain Hotshots Procession, July 7, 2013

That’s the photograph that most gets me thinking about emotion in my work.  Today is the 12^th anniversary of the day I stood roadside in the desert in July, waiting for this caravan.  It was a long, hot wait, intended to capture an image, but also to pay tribute to the 19 young men who perished trying to save our town a week before.  These were emotional days.  We knew our house was still standing but also knew that many friends were not so lucky. We would not be let back into town until the next day but were already starting to organize recovery efforts. This image brings me back to that roadside perch with all the associated emotion.

Cowboy intensity, Springerville AZ

That’s an extreme example of emotional content.  Others are more subtle, but feelings are much easier to engender with images which include a human element.  We can’t resist the direct gaze of another person, and our brains are adept at parsing the subtleties of facial expression.

Brown Bear intensity, Katmai National Park AK

Eyes are also compelling in other animals.  There’s potential for emotion in wildlife photography, too.

After prayer, Casablanca Morocco

Body language, even when there’s no visible face, can also trigger feelings.

Eagle hunter with her partner, Altai Mongolia

I enjoy photographing people, especially when I travel.  There’s a heightened sense of connection when I do, even if there’s a language barrier. 

My real passion, as regular readers will know, is landscape.  Here’s where conveying sentiment becomes a little more challenging, and messages a little subtler.

Grand Canyon AZ

Color is a useful tool toward conveying these messages. Oranges, for example, are friendly and cheerful.

Kaibab National Forest AZ

Greens feel peaceful and healthy.

Death Valley National Park CA

Line and Gesture are other subtle examples.  What do you feel in this image?

San Simeon CA

Soft focus and intentional camera movement convey gentleness and quiet.

San Clemente, CA

I’ve been teased for years for using sun stars as a compositional tool, but they also speak of optimism and add a spiritual element.

Kaibab National Forest AZ

One of the tricky aspects of trying to convey feelings to art’s audiences is that my complex network of emotions around an image might not be conveyed at all, and certainly not the same way to any two viewers.  I’ll remember the feel of the wind, smell of fallen aspen leaves, and sound of elk bugling in the distance.  You might just see pretty trees, or maybe the image reminds you of camping with your grandfather.

Conveying emotion is a big part of the purpose of art. 

Thanks for stopping by to see what you might feel.