Tag: Leonard J. Buck Garden

Paint by number

Necessity IS the Mother of Invention (Dan Jurak's Alberta Landscape Photo Blog)

As children we have all done the paint by numbers sets, at least those of us who are older. I’m not sure that they still sell them any longer.

Paint the coloured areas with the appropriate paint. Stay within the lines. Voila. Instant painting.

That would seem to be a test of following rules rather than using any kind of creativity and the last time I looked, photography was a creative art.

Inadvertently I was being taught that art was about following rules and that I was not good at it.

Necessity IS the Mother of Invention (Dan Jurak's Alberta Landscape Photo Blog)

As children we have all done the paint by numbers sets, at least those of us who are older. I’m not sure that they still sell them any longer.

Paint the coloured areas with the appropriate paint. Stay within the lines. Voila. Instant painting.

That would seem to be a test of following rules rather than using any kind of creativity and the last time I looked, photography was a creative art.

I am old enough to remember the paint by numbers books. I disliked them. I struggled to keep the colours within the lines or use the right colours to match the numbers and was often admonished for not "following the rules". Inadvertently I was being taught that art was about following rules and that I was not good at it.

It wasn't until my early college years while attending Drew University1, that I dared to try my hand at creating art. I took a summer photography course. The instructor was "artsy" and pushed us to explore light and composition with my Pentax P3. I still have the camera.

I learned how to develop film and make prints, mostly black and white. By the time I had finished my engineering degree and graduate school I had forgotten the craft.

  1. Drew University is a liberals arts school in Madison, New Jersey where I majored in Physics and minored in Mathematics (of course!). ↩

Shooting with the Tribe

After the last few months of winter, I am happy the weather has turned warmer and brighter. The landscape has also turned more colourful with fresh shades of green. I am taking the opportunity, despite severe allergies, to be outside. With my camera. The family and I have been on two hiking trips and by myself, I have wandered off into the woods with my tripod and Nikon. But, for me, being outside and about with fellow photographers, talking shop, exchanging tips and learning from each other; nothing beats that. This is my tribe.

This morning I spend two hours walking through the beautiful grounds of the Leonard J. Buck Gardens in Far Hills. I car-pooled with Anjana and John. And of course, Terry showed up. I can't wait for the next one.

I decided to get down low for this. I shot mostly with my Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 but captured a few things with my Nikkor 85mm f/1.8. The rest of the photo set is on my Flickr.