Shades of Orange

We got snow and ice here in Indiana yesterday. As a matter of fact, the roads were so icy that someone slid their car into our mailbox. So, today is looking rather black, white, and grey outside. A challenging day to do the color assignment from Chapter 5 of The Practice of Contemplative Photography (paid link), by Andy Karr and Michael Wood. This is the first assignment presented in the book, so the authors say a few words about preparation first. You must be ready to capture that flash of perception when it appears.

* Make sure that your camera’s battery is charged, the lens and viewfinder are clean, and the memory card is ready

* Prepare your mind by unplugging from the Internet and your phone. You want to be free from preoccupation, so a period of meditation might be necessary.

* Pick a location that is not known to be particularly beautiful, special, or photogenic, i.e. not parks, gardens, natural settings. Instead, look for visual variety, i.e. industrial areas, pedestrian malls, your house or neighborhood.

Color is the first assignment because, as the authors say, “it is the most powerful and basic element of the world of form. It is easy to recognize and it sparks strong flashes of perception.” One thing to be aware of is that color can spark emotions and meaning. We are not trying to notice objects known as “colorful” – that is labeling. Instead, look deeper and really see colour.

What not to do

* Don’t shoot black, white, grey, or beige.

* Don’t shoot graffiti or graphic design. No words, letters, or numbers.

* Don’t shoot flowers or any other nature.

* Don’t include anything extra. Get in close and just shoot the colour.

What to do 

* When stopped by a flash of color, just stop.

* Spend half a minute looking further – what stopped you? Frame only that.

* Look through the viewfinder and ask yourself if what you see is what stopped you.

* Shoot.

* Always remember that there are infinite perceptions. If you can’t shoot what you saw, just start over.

The image above is an orange, glass bowl that sits on a table next to my front window. I often notice it because the light hits it in different ways throughout the day. Today was no exception. I was stopped by the light and the shapes it made. As I looked closer, I saw all the many shades of orange present around and within these shapes of light.

The possibilities really are endless.