Hidden Worlds: How Isolation of a Subject Can Change What We See

I continue to find subjects that are hidden in the ordinary. In the past I looked for patterns but never quite captured what I was looking for. I realize now that it's more the play of light on an object that interests me and not simply abstract patterns.

Isolation of a subject allows a viewer a glimpse into a world that is foreign, where colors become vivid and unique with a lack of context.

I'm not seeking anything artsy or abstract, it's more capturing an ordinary image and by heightening colors and not allowing the viewer the whole image, I'm able to create a photo that the viewer can make their own.

Textures and colors become more important than even composition and the overall mood is secondary to a simplicity of subject.

Instead of a dynamic shape or view inspiring the eye, the impetus for shooting is much for the intensity of light or the richness of color.

What's great about shooting this way is how on a flat sunlit day, where there are no shadows and minimal displays of light, I can find colors and unique interactions between shapes that can make a wasted day of shooting somewhat worthwhile.

The biggest problem I experience, is often the lack of the eye seeing beyond the ordinary. Often my creative eye is just not aware and the flat gray landscape remains as the viewer sees it.

A lousy day in nature shooting beats any other day I can imagine. Sometimes it's just about being outside and the possibility of finding a hidden world amidst the mundane.