I was experimenting with my photography this morning. Georgia O’Keeffe has inspired me with the idea that my images should reflect what I see, not what I expect to see, what others see, or what I am told to see. A New York art gallery owner sent me a long list of ideas and rules for taking photos of flowers if I want to be successful; all of them are entirely different from my ideas.
I don’t intend to follow any of them; blessedly, I am not looking to be an O’Keeffe (fortunately) or anyone but me.
Reading O’Keeffe about individuality, I understood there is no wrong or right way to take a picture or make a painting. There are many ways to look at it. She never bought into that. Creativity is every person’s way of capturing what they feel and see. Flower photography has become emotional to me. This morning, I read this from one of O’Keeffe’s many interviews:
“To create one’s world takes courage. I have things in my head that are not like what anyone taught me — shapes and ideas so near to me, so natural to my way of being and thinking. I can’t live where I want to, I can’t go where I want to go, I can’t do what I want to, or even say what I want to.” – But, she added, she can paint what she sees even if she can’t say what it is she wants to do.
In my life as a writer, blogger, or photographer, I have never told anyone else what they should write, blog, or photograph. The idea sickens me, yet people do it to me and others constantly. Reading O’Keeffe reminds me that this common wisdom chokes creativity, not improves it. I can’t imagine doing it to anyone else.
Of all her flower art that touches me, the most interesting is when she changes the color of flowers and sees them as sculptures. I took one of my favorite flower photos (above) and moved it onto Light Room. I changed it to black and white and then decided to darken the background, all on a whim.
I was excited to do this and see the result. This is what I see—no one taught me like O’Keeffe. I am not like anything anyone taught me, so I am trying to be natural in my thinking. People disagree with me constantly, as if there is only one way to deal with the world and see it.
Light Room gives me a paintbrush for my photo painting work.
People can be creative at any age. I have only one piece of advice for them. Be yourself. Anyone who tells you what to be (unless you ask them) is your friend.
I love this new photograph; it opens up another path for me and my photography. I hope you enjoy it.
