Monday Morning Coffee: Row Boat Thinking

Summer is certainly over.  The temperature this morning at the Today's Image World Headquarters was in the high 20's.  Fall has arrived and winter seems not far behind.  The wood fireplace is cranked up and heating the work space.

Time to plan for the coming seasons.  Wandering around the Midwest is fine for the Fall.  Will continue to photograph in the area as long as the weather holds up.  Several new places on the travel list, as well as, returning to a few earlier locations.

When the weather changes - i.e. Winter - time for plan B.  Usually this is when reviewing, organizing and editing images takes place.  Also a good time to return to the darkroom and print images gathered over the summer months.

Winter is also a time to plan and prepare for the coming Spring and Summer.  Whether to continue the ongoing project - Midwest - or to bring it to a close.  Whether to investigate and perhaps begin new ventures. 

Most of the recent photographs have been content driven.  The subject is what is important.  How and in what manner the communities and people of the Midwest are changing or not.  Yes, there is decay but there is also growth.  This decay/growth has been the driving force behind much of the recent images.  Content driven, not materials or equipment driven.

Images can be material/equipment driven.  This could be simply whether the image is black and white or is color.  Whether the result was produced by analog or digital means.  Each  representation has its strengths and weaknesses. 

Now photography is changing - big time.  Cameras are being left behind.   Smart phones, I-pods and hipster programs are common replacements.  Photographic prints are rare. Images are viewed on an electronic platform.  Don't see this changing.  Rather believe that it will continue to expand.

Might be a time for some "Row Boat" thinking.  In a row boat you make progress by looking backward.  You don't see where you are going.  You see where you have been.

 Time for Plan B:  Stop, Step Back and Rediscover.  This could take many forms.  Change  content, materials, equipment or process.  Return to an earlier way of working and expressing.  For some this would mean - dare I write it - Old School.  Not in a romantic way, but rather in an honest, direct and clear manner. Today with yesterday.

Have several directions in mind.  Need to process and decide which path to follow.  Still tuned, more to come.