The power of play

Shirley has lent me her Lensbaby and over the past two days I have been exploring and experimenting with it.   Well, to be more accurate, I have been playing with it.  It has been fun.   For me the learning curve has been rather short.  Shoot it wide open and point the lens at the spot in the photograph you want sharp.  I am not exactly sure which model Composer it is, but the mechanism isn’t a joy to use.  No wonder people prefer some of the other models they make.

It seems to suit shooting urban scenes for me. We have been chasing old sheds and abandoned dairies.  Though I have been exploring trees as well and I can understand the urge to use them with flowers.

Play is where I feel safe to take risks.  It’s a place to explore, to fail and to discover new ways of seeing.  Make mistakes that inform your practice. Ones that are educational.  Every image I take is a learning experience.  Sometimes it’s in technique or mechanical but most of the time it is compositional.  They are compositional exploring.  Trying to discover new ways of seeing.   

Besides, play is fun.   

Kinchela power polls.  Photograph and text copyright ©️ Len Metcalf 2018