A Different Ground Zero

A Different Ground Zero. Les Braves WWII D-day monument on Omaha Beach created by French sculptor Anilore Banon, Normandy, France
Les Braves WWII D-day monument on Omaha Beach, Normandy, France

TGIF. It’s easy to say after a long work week in which maybe things didn’t all go as planned, but we need to put things into perspective. Seventy-six years ago on this now quiet beach along the coast of Normandy, France a different ground zero occurred. And decisions were made that have provided us with the freedoms we continue to enjoy today.

This monument on Omaha Beach, Les Braves created by French sculptor Anilore Banon, is a tribute to the soldiers who made such great sacrifices during the Allied Invasion on D-Day to preserve our way of life. Today I’m grateful to those who have given so much to allow me the opportunity to live and work as I choose.

On Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day the National Park Service waives all entrance fees to the parks in honor of these sacrifices, but today is perhaps the best time to reflect on all that we have. So enjoy the day and exercise your freedom, through photography, sport or good company – and take a moment to remember those who helped make it all possible.

 

©Russ Bishop/All Rights Reserved

Visual Abstraction

Bare trees, Yosemite National Park, California USA (© Russ Bishop/www.russbishop.com)

Bare trees, Yosemite National Park, California USA

As landscape photographers the natural world provides us with an unlimited source of subject matter and inspiration. Much of the time we choose to let nature dictate the scene, creating “straight photography” as Ansel Adams referred to it, by selecting a lens and exposure that will faithfully record the natural beauty we see before us.

Unfortunately conditions in the wild are not always ideal and often we’re forced to adjust our approach to image making. Flat light, wind, or a recent fire can all derail our idea of the perfect landscape. But, as I’ve mentioned previously, this is where we need to think outside the box and go with the flow creatively. The pure images might have to wait for another day, but the glass is half full. A whole new world of visual storytelling is waiting to happen for those willing to give their tripod the day off and think of their camera as a brush and canvas.

The term abstraction (from the Latin abs, meaning away from and trahere, meaning to draw) is the process of taking away or removing elements from something in order to reduce it to a set of essential characteristics. Merriam Webster defines abstraction as “art unconcerned with the literal depiction of things from the visible world”. In short, we want to know that it’s a tree or a flower, but beyond that we’re free to roam aesthetically.

Abstract photography is becoming increasingly popular these days as a form of self-expression. By imparting mood and feeling, in many ways abstracts provide a stronger emotional bond between an image and its audience than a straight image. Much like seeing the world through a new lens, the idea here is to intentionally create art and not document reality. Motion blurs, pans, and zooms at a slower shutter speed are typical techniques for creating natural abstracts, but the possibilities are endless.

The next time mother nature is being uncooperative and the straight photography is leaving you uninspired, take a detour and have fun with this liberating technique. Your inner child will thank you, and all you have to remember is that there are no rules and you can’t make any mistakes.

“Don’t shoot what it looks like. Shoot what it feels like.”  -David Alan Harvey

©Russ Bishop/All Rights Reserved