Jan Phillips (1)

“Is the book any good” my brother asked as he passed the window seat I was curled up in. “It’s so-so” I replied. Though I was nearing the end of the first chapter I could not tell where the author was taking me. A minute later I had finished the chapter and my opinion was looking up. By the end of the second chapter I was hooked for good.
The chapters themselves are very anecdotal and philosophical but the part that grabbed me was the set of clear actionable questions that she asks show more at the end of each chapter.

Here is an example from the second chapter. It would help for you to have read the chapter but you will get the idea.

“Imagine that you have one roll of film with which to convey your response to an event in your life. Choose an event that carries some emotional weight. Be present to all the emotions it conjures up and decide which emotions you’d like to release or transform. How would you represent these emotions in your images? What time of day would be most suitable? What colors come to mind? What objects? What forces of nature? What elements? Now, if you wish, take your camera, and shoot the roll of film.”

Here is another example. This time from chapter three.

“Pick a subject that has some symbolic value, such as an old oak tree, a bridge, a mountain path. Shoot it at different times of day and at different apertures, if your camera allows this. Study the images carefully for your own responses to the changes you’ve made in exposure, details in focus, and other differences. Notice whether an underexposed image evokes a different feeling than an overexposed image. Notice whether the image is more powerful with more or less of the scene in focus. Carry this awareness with you as you shoot.”

As you can see she is not telling you the technicals of how photographs affect you emotionally but forcing you to look at yourself and see how you are affected.
There is a time for each type of teaching but this is working well for me right now. show less

The best I've read about the process since julia Cameroon. Thanks to this lovely work I am once again creating from the heart!