Striving To Be Artistically Liberated.

Repose #1.jpg

“How long are you willing to wait before you dig deep into what’s creatively fulfilling ?”

As a photographer you need to study to instinctively understand, comprehend and execute the techniques of photography. But, the pictorial artists needs to evolve these rules, to be able to release themselves of the limiting confines of ridged techniques in order to be creatively free but with a sound foundation.

This sense of freedom to perform at an artistically free level is resting within most of us. It will only come forward if we truly want it. As human beings we habitually place limits on that freedom and restrain ourselves creatively falling back to what is safe for us and acceptable by our peers.

How then are we going to overcome a lifetime of limitations to suddenly become a wiser, stronger, more confident and ultimately a free thinking artists? Well, it’s not going to be sudden or easy. It’s going to be an evolutionary process that evolves through patience, learning, focus, determination and an understanding want of that liberation.

As you start this journey you may feel like you’re backing up, worrying if it is going to be acceptable, but accepting who you are, working through the learning curve you will find a persona or inner you coming together. For me this is when the hardware and software actually mean less and a tropic cascade of image evolution becomes your reality. You will find you are driven and genuinely motivated to fulfill this style that reflects you, one that is comfortable, intuitive but understood. You must trust it when it happens, let it flow through you and learn to get other peoples impressions out of the way so it can shine clearly.

Moving forward on your vision, your development of capture and processing techniques will become much stronger and more clear, actually feeling simple. With a strong mind set, you will no longer fear technical limitations and the ever changing treadmill of software regiments. Your experiences and knowledge will confirm your ability to perform at levels that will set you apart and free.

Given that reality, it’s now within your ability to minimize the effect of limitations and to allow yourself to evolve. Doing so, you must work on developing your own mind-set and psyche to perform. But, most importantly, you must develop and recognize what is your vision and define it within your given style. Believing in your own techniques releases the confidence to move past previous limitations, to continue explore any new found potentials.

Lastly dwelling on nagging critiques will fade away and be forgotten. What were once challenging obstacles will soon become a natural sustainable pace. Fears of acceptance will be replaced by an excited anticipation of exhibiting your latest exploration regardless of any consequence. Impending projects will no longer be a source of dread, but, become opportunities to rewrite your personal creative exploits.

Feel the joy and learn to fly.
Only then will you have the true freedom to create.

Happy Thanks Giving

_DS19939

Over the past 10 years I was fortunate to have worked and met with an amazing number of photographers from Manitoba, across Canada (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Inuvik), the USA (California, Oregon, Colorado, Minnesota, Florida, South Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Arkansas, North Dakota), Great Britain (Scotland, Whales), Australia, France, South Africa and even Iceland. It was a joy to have met so many of you who had one common joy and spoke in a common language, that being photography. I’ve seen a vast array of different styles or genres from street, macro, micro, abstract, astrological, portrait, wedding, journalistic, event, travel, entomology, wildlife and of course scenic the most popular of them all. Thank you to everyone of you for sharing your wonder images and amazing stories.

CSCS Imaging-303

Of course to have interacted with so many different camera clubs and associations has been an outstanding experience. To see at the grass roots level all the enthusiasts that really form the foundation of this art and industry. Each and every club has members who help and share their knowledge from beginner to the highest level of international award winners all of whom champion their clubs and communities.

I would be amiss if I didn’t also give thanks to the many journalists that I’ve spoken with from newspapers columnists, magazine publishers and television hosts. The community of gallery owners, curators and publishers who all shared their expertise openly and willingly my heartfelt thanks and gratitude.

To have had the opportunity to meet and talk with each one of you, to share your input and enthusiasm for the art of photography was a true blessing for me. I know I can’t give back nearly as much as I received but I can certainly pay homage and say thank you for all you’ve done to grow the art of photography.

Happy Thanks Giving Everyone…

Joe Kerr

Ian Tamblyn Concert Wpg., Feb 24 2012

Happy Thanksgiving

Stop and take a moment, it’s worth it….

On the autumnal equinox that just passed, day and night are of equal length and it marks the arrival of the season of fall, traditionally seen as a period of changes leading to the darkness of winter. Far too often, we fear the dark and adore only the light. To some autumn is actually the beginning of the annual cycle. Poets and writers reflect on this time of year with prose of literary splendour and at times despair. This is all a matter of how each individual perceives this beautiful time of year.

As we watch leaves fluttering to the ground in the fall, we are reminded that nature’s cycles are mirrored in our lives.

Autumn is a time for letting go and releasing things that have been a burden.
Autumn reminds us of the impermanence of all living things.

We have experienced the budding of life in spring and the flowerings and profusions of summer. Now the leaves fall and bare branches remind us of the fleeting nature of all things. I suggest as we contemplate fall’s changes, we grow more appreciative of all the beauty that surround us, and autumn is beautiful.

Enjoy this season and celebrate its treasures by spending time walking in a meadow, climbing a hill side or sit beside a majestic tree feeling the warmth of the sun on a coolish afternoon…. and just…. breath….

Happy Thanksgiving…

Natural Moments

Thoughts on our relationship with wildlife.

Time is beginning to run out for me and my generation,
fall is coming and another year is coming to an end and what have we accomplished.

Nature is everywhere if your aware.

For me, my personal connection to the natural world has been through the lens of my camera, yet, I believe its our challenge to learn to live with nature and wildlife, to learn that we need to pass down our concerns for conservation.I feel its important to develop that person relationship with the land and its myriad of inhabitants, plants, animals, soils and water. Its only by learning to love the wild that we will want to save it.

I’m feeling more optimistic as each generation is becoming more aware, our children are beginning to understand developing that stronger personal responsibility for the natural world.

We need to make some room in our lives for the wildlife that we live with, if we could begin to share space and share the landscape, then, I feel we have greater hope for the future and that of the wildlife we live with.

In my relationship I share and try to understand nature through my photography, I feel I’ve gained and benefited the most, what is nature getting back from me, what can I give back, we get so much and we give so little back and we unfortunately take too much for granted.

I’ve come to realize that the survival of wildlife on our planet is not only going to be found in the parks and protected lands, its got to be found in the real world, where people and wildlife have to share the landscape. The fact that today we can still find wildlife, in spite of our impact on our land still gives me hope for the future.

Thank you to Jeff Turner who’s documentary on the finding the grizzly was the inspiration behind this natural moment.

Insights to Joe Kerr and his photography.

Thank you for stopping by my name is Joe Kerr or Joker as most of my friends and family call me. I’ve been involved in photography for most of my short life of 62 years. Its just in the past decade that my photography transitioned from a hobby to a full time preoccupation.  I’m not going to post here my VC you can check my Link-in page for that.

This site was initiated to share some of my experiences that I’m so privileged to see on an daily bases at Pixels here in Winnipeg. The photographers and people that I’ve meet on a day to day and the stories I’ve heard are astounding. Some of their images have been equally inspiring. I’ll also plan to share some of my insights into processing and printing which has consumed most of my life over the past 10 years.

I hope you’ll find this insightful, fun and maybe even learn something along the way.

Thanks for stopping by, lets begin…

Joker

A study of compositions.