The Things We Don't See

Beached

When I made the above photograph, I thought I was making something rather cool.  Plenty of textures in the wood grain, sand, and even a separation in the surrounding dunes.  All that changed the moment I showed it to Rebecca, my wife.  Her immediate response forever emblazoned a horrible truth in my interpretation of this once cool image.  When this particular photograph came up for approval or disapproval, she sat silent for a moment.  What came out of her mouth, ruined this photograph forever.

She turned to me and said:  "Do you want me to be honest?  It looks like a dolphin skull laying face down in the sand."  She quickly pointed out the eye near the top, as well as, the jawline and bottle nose pushed into the sand.  "Don't be mad, it's just what I see."

And now, all I will ever see when I look at this photograph, is the sadness of a dead dolphin, laying on a shoreline, beached.  I'm glad she pointed out the foible of my work, but for one brief moment, I really wanted to see that cool textured piece of drift wood once more.  I just don't think it will ever happen. 

Fitting In

The final selections are being made and organized.  Things have been moving slow this week, due in part to an injury, but rest assured the project is still moving forward.  I might be a week behind, but I'll make sure to work harder once I'm healed.  

Speaking of working hard, as I look over the selected photographs from the last 8 months, I realized just how much I pushed myself, how many days I could have slept in, done any number of other things on my long list, but instead, I chose to improve myself and this project.

It's been such an extended, drawn out process to select the photographs that fit each adventure and story.  It's a difficult thing to look at something you're emotionally attached to, only to move it to the recycle bin.  It's a necessary step, not only for the project, but for my own personal growth as well.

For example, take a look at this photograph:

Fitting In

At first glance, it may seem normal.  A single leaf, caught by the blowing sands.  How many photographs of a single leaf in the sand have you seen?  I can think of dozens, and not the photographs I made in the past.  That's not the only reason this photograph ended up here on the blog and not in the book.  It didn't fit.  

What does that mean, it doesn't fit?  It means there are numerous elements that were present at the time I decided to press the shutter.  Unfortunately, something happened along the way and this photograph lost the original feelings I had.  The more I view it, the more I realize, I didn't manage to capture the essence of the moment.  

Now, I know I've been showing the mistakes for the first few posts, but there's a reason for that.  If I only showed the book images, there would be no reason to write the book.  I want to make this project the best that I can.  That's why, I decided early on, that I will not include examples of good and bad photographs for discussion.  I'm showing the best photographs and the stories that go along with them in the book, which means, there's no room for the mistakes.  That's not to say they're not important, or part of the story, but let's face the facts:  would you buy a book that's full of mistakes and great work?  Or, would you rather have the best I can provide?  Since the choice is mine to make, I choose to show the best of my adventures.  

I will eventually start to show runner up photographs and some of the reasons they missed the mark, but photographs for the book will remain unseen until the project is finished.  I'm mean that way.  Bare with me and know the best is yet to come.
  

Becoming INVISIBLE

I'm so excited to announce INVISIBLE - An Infrared Journey.  I've been pushing myself to the point of punishment some days to make sure this dream would become a reality for me. INVISIBLE will be my first book.  Yes, you read that last sentence correct, my first book.  I've been wanting to create a book for years, but I lacked the right project.  I finally found my true calling.  I found the one thing I am passionate enough about to push myself to the limits of my ability and beyond.  

The easy part of the project is finished.  I have made all the photographs I planned for the book.  But, there's more.  I still have to select the best photographs, finish the stories and design the layout.  For me, the journey is only beginning.  This is the part where I make the commitment.  This is the part that will define my personal success.  I'm a project starter, but I often loose my focus along the way.  This time is different.  My focus is sharper.  I'm making goals, reaching them and going farther than I ever imagined.  

There have been days when I wanted to sleep in, not hike any further, not change a lens and challenge myself, but one day several months ago, something inside me changed.  Instead of saying no to an opportunity, I said yes.  That yes is the voice in my head, telling me to push a little harder.  To take one more step.  Then, one more.  And when I think I have nothing left, I make one more step, one more photograph.  Some of the best work of this project has come from those extra steps, the refusal to quit.  It's that voice in my head that keeps me waking early to write, plan and get moving, so I can make better photographs.

For the first time in my life as a photographer, I know how I want to photograph the world.  I've been making photographs for years, but I've never had the pure elation I get from photographing in infrared.  That doesn't mean I will stop photographing subjects in color.  No, I'll still challenge myself to try new ways, new angles, and new processes, but at the end of the day, my heart will remain in the invisible realm.  

I've taken the first few steps, but there are so many more to be made.  I've made my choice to keep moving forward, now it's your turn.  You make the decision to follow along. If you've come this far, what's one more step?  The journey starts now.  It's up to you to follow along, or to decline the offer.

Nemo

The name of the above photograph is taken from Nemo, the dreamer. This project started out with a dream.  A desire to make photographs in infrared.  When the dream became a reality, I could have stopped.  I could have become complacent, making safe photographs.  That almost happened, but then something clicked, I realized I would never be satisfied until I pushed myself beyond the comfort of safety.  More than anything, that's what INVISIBLE is for me.  It's pushing past the known.  It's about moving into an unseen future.  

I'm including this photograph from the project because it's a mistake.  I made a lot of mistakes.  I missed a lot of photographs I wanted to make.  I failed more than I succeeded some days, but I didn't quit.  Instead, I worked harder.  I made more plans.  I studied more. I practiced.  And in the end, I still missed the occasional photograph.

There is so much left to do.  I've witnessed the many paths I could follow, but I've decided to make my own.  Follow along if you will.