CREATIVITY IS A VERY DELICATE FLOWER... represented here by A PEONY.

They write (amongst many other things): It is the ability to "think outside the box" ! I ask: WHAT BOX???? LOL.

"The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this:
A human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive.
To him... a touch is a blow,
a sound is a noise,
a misfortune is a tragedy,
a joy is an ecstasy,
a friend is a lover,
a lover is a god,
and failure is death."
Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create -- so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, his very breath is cut off from him. He must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency he is not really alive unless he is creating."
— Pearl S. Buck writer of the book " PEONY"


I must admit that as a 'creative',
1, being a night-person, my 'best' ideas mostly come after midnight!
2, it is an urge, not a choice... and
3.... as soon as you have 'problems', however small, with client, family, health... the first thing to GO is: my creativity! So please, tee hee, do not upset me, he?

Characteristics of the creative personality:
Creative individuals have a great deal of energy, but they are also often quiet and at rest.
Creative individuals tend to be smart, yet also naive at the same time.
Creative individuals have a combination of playfulness and discipline, or responsibility and irresponsibility.
Creative individuals alternate between imagination and fantasy at one end, and rooted sense of reality at the other.
Creative people seem to harbor opposite tendencies on the continuum between extroversion and introversion.
Creative individuals are also remarkable humble and proud at the same time.
Creative individuals to a certain extent escape rigid gender role stereotyping and have a tendency toward androgyny.
Generally, creative people are thought to be rebellious and independent.
Most creative persons are very passionate about their work, yet they can be extremely objective about it as well.
The openness and sensitivity of creative individuals often exposes them to suffering pain yet also a great deal of enjoyment.

Found HERE:  California State University, Northridge, From Creativity - Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
I recognize myself COMPLETELY in this!

Giving my flowers SOUL?  My Soul Flowers on youtube and   Studio Flowers 2011
Why not take a few minutes, click on the links, sit back and relax, enjoy the beauty, you'll feel replenished?
THANX for ALL your comments and visits, so appreciated.
Have a wonderful day, filled with love and beauty, M, (*_*)

For more of my other work or if you want to PURCHASE, visit here: www.indigo2photography.co.uk
IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved

SECRET CODE... and the (new/old) RULES of PHOTOGRAPHY?

SECRET CODE...

The title came simultaneously as I saw it, just an unpretentious image of something that made me laugh ... 

A bit of humour? Somebody called it 'chaotic minimalism'... is there such a thing? 

(for larger size click on the image!)
One of the first images I took, on the first morning in Fuerteventura, outside the hotel, that's how it came out of the camera and I love it, hope you do too.
Photography has a 'CODE', it is fluid, like all good things, stagnating is not good, new gadgets mean new styles, new media means new rules or should I say 'adapted'?
Here is something I think EVERY photographer enthusiast or pro, semi-pro, whatever... SHOULD read!!! ENJOY!!!
The few rules of composition are acceptable only as reference points, which may have many valid exceptions. Sometimes breaking the rules is a means to obtain a good photo. Of course, this is true if and only if the photographer is aware of what he’s doing.
So, here is how Feininger, in his book, dismantles many academic rules:
1. The golden section (and, I add, the rule of thirds, ie. to place the subject at 1/3 from one edge of the photo), while ensuring peace and harmony, can be boring.
2. The “S”-shape curve is one of the most repeated patterns in photography
3. The theory of “guidelines”, which lead the viewer’s eye to the main subject, is false, as demonstrated by scientific studies. The eye quickly detects the most interesting part of the picture. And then, not necessarily the main subject of the photographer coincides with the center of attention of the observer.
4. Threads of compositions based on triangles, diagonals and other refined geometric figures exists only in the minds of photographers who have invented them. The academic observer who is free from preconceptions, does not care about such rules.
5. The horizon line should never split the photo in two equal parts, to avoid a monotone (boring) images. But if the photographer wanted to express the sensations of boredom?
6. Movement and action should always proceed from left to right, according to the normal sense of the reading. False: Jews and Arabs read from the right to the left!
7. The space in front of the subject should be greater than the space behind him. It is not always true: for example, a running person, placed towards the edge of the picture in the direction of its motion, gives an impression of arrival, and this is important when you are photographing sporting events (such as running races in athletics).
8. In the portrait, when the subject looks at the camera, you should leave more space in the direction of his eyes. False. Violating this rule can give a state of tension to the photo.
9. The bright parts of a photo catch the eye more than dark. False, a dark form with well-defined boundaries, in a large and clear area, immediately attracts the eye.
10. Repetition and spatial periodicity of similar elements can produce interesting patterns. False. There is no reason why a grid or a series of many identical and uninteresting objects is better than one object worthy of interest.
On the other hand, as Feininger said in its book, there are at least three rules in which he has never found an exception:
1. The small white areas of the subject or of the background situated near the edges of the photo gives the impression of a print “gnawed by rats”. These areas should be burned (blackened) in the darkroom (or cropped)
2. Curves and round forms should never touch the edges of the photo, but should be cut with courage, leaving out of the picture a not negligible part of the curve
3. The straight lines should not end in a corner of the photo, but should terminate at a certain distance from it.
Hope your day is filled with smiles and thanx,M, (*_*)
For more of my other work or if you want to purchase, visit here: www.indigo2photography.co.uk
IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved

ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY UPLOAD-SITES...

ANY photo upload site is a place where you open yourself AND your images to outside 'factors'!
Someone complained that they were 'gaming places'!
And indeed, ALL of them are gaming places.
Like in any game, there are specific rules which you accept when you sign up, and either you play the game ... OR you don't... there IS NO MIDDLE-GROUND!!!
PLUS: YOU are on your OWN!!! Site owners, I am sure like many politicians, started out with good and idealistic intentions... then... the success and money started to come in... that is it... no more help or care... why should they? Forgotten are the people who actually 'made' their site (career?) successful, that is the way it IS TODAY in this world we created!
The sooner one accepts that, the sooner the stress will go.
There are people on the sites without any photographic incentive, interest or motivation, all they want to do is cause problems, they are the bullies and saddos... they are the ones afraid of you and your talent, it shows them up. Did they remain stuck in childhood or very bad puberty?
The Site-owners are NOT prepared to do anything about this 'problem', they must be overwhelmed by emails, don't bother to answer, creating even more grief and miscontentment, members try all kinds of tactics to stop it, to no avail and they often are the ones who get banned?
Most of the sites have a life-cycle, I see them come, I see them go, I have yet to see the 'PERFECT' one.
All I know, is... if I conducted my business in this way and mistreated my clients as such, not listening to anything they have to say, categorically sticking to my opinion... I would NOT LAST VERY LONG, certainly in this economic climate!

I am on sites, as I said before, to build up a portfolio, and some have served me well. I USE them to expand and broaden my social media profile (wow, another MUST today!!!), next thing you know, I'll be doing nothing else... no more photography lol.
I made a choice though, I do not have time for twitter or Facebook, what little time I have is for my (free) photography, my lovely husband, my faraway family AND the friends.
I made some fantastic friends over the last 8 years on these sites, quite a few I have met, some I am going to meet very soon... so, yes, I am happy!
All the rest is just useless annoyance and I am not going to get my knickers into a twist for THAT anymore, I'm way past that!


I just shrug and continue with the GOOD!!!
Maturity and wisdom (like good wine, cheese...) comes with age..., my dear friends, it is not that I don't understand your frustration, however, you are fighting a losing battle I'm afraid, do NOT give them the satisfaction of not uploading your images... that is what they want ultimately, take out the best photographers and they become the top Rooster! Once that happens, start looking for another, newer site, caus this one is dying...
Enjoy your photography! M, (*_*)

A WEEK IN THE LIFE OF A PHOTOGRAPHER, IN SPAIN. DAY 5.

WHERE DO I BEGIN...

NIMBLE FINGERS

CATFISH?

DEVIL CATFISH?

THE APOSTLE

MORE CATFISH

YASSIN

OCTUPUS

JAWS

OCTOPUS BEFORE

OCTOPUS AFTER

THE GREAT ESCAPE

NET FLOATS

PACKED CATCH

Day 5.

Like I said, wherever we travel, we love the sea, the working harbours, so much the same (hard work!) and yet all different...
We decided to explore the Fuengirola fishing area that day.
Often you will see the older fishermen, they cannot stay away and often it is sons and family who continue the traditions, they tend and mend the nettings.
Their eyes are keen on spotting a hole and their hands are nimble!
Also, like everywhere, they are camera shy. I always try and engage in conversation with them, letting my camera in my bag or have it casually hanging on my hand...
Walking on, we saw this gent, gathering small fish from the nets drying on the quayside, there was a resident cat and he was giving them little fishes!
Later, turned out there was another cat, both very shy, and yet, everybody tried to feed them!
Boats came in and out, all were helping each other. Some young guys were curious and wanted to know and see what we were doing... following us around...
Yassin was into his bubble-gum!

Fishing folk each have a right to their 'portion' to take home, so before the cleaning started, that's probably what was mostly left.

We have to understand, sad and distressing as it may be to us, fishermen and farmers... people who have to earn a living of animals... they have a different view on 'life' to us!

As we walked out, in the fishing mine/market, I took some photos of the ready catch to be sent to???????????????

We spent a good afternoon and were determined to come back another day, this was what we liked!

Thanx, M, (*_*)

IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved