Plectranthus ‘Mona Lavender’

The soft light on a dull rainy day on these flowers Ginger picked and placed on the kitchen table caught my eye.

Taking and post-processing this image sparked a blindingly obvious realization and explained why, behind the scenes, I’ve struggled with my photography over the decades.

I don’t see compositions, I see light. What caught my eye, and what usually catches my eye, is the play of light.

I don’t see compositions, I see light. What caught my eye, and what usually catches my eye, is the play of light. The composition is of little importance to me. And that often results in a disappointing photograph. I spend my time capturing the light, not the picture. The exception to this apparent inner rule appears to be with architecture, where the composition dominates the image.

Now I’ve realized this, can I use this knowledge to improve my shots? We’ll see, probably not. I accept that I’m a documentary photographer with fine art aspirations, not a fine art photographer taking occasional snaps.

Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.