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Chris Fedderson — MacroFine Musings ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I have recently started experimenting with setting up Contemporary Still Lifes — not bowls of fruit or vases of flowers; my Still Lifes have taken on a New Life. These studio set-ups, or dioramas, combine various elements, not usually associated with each other, into a single story-telling image. And this is not easy! I’m in the habit of letting Nature do my set-ups, then all I need to do is snap a photo! ;-) That was obviously a bit — a lot(!) — of an over-simplification. Just as with my outdoor-based photography, where all the rules of composition, visual flow, coordination of colors and elements, background considerations, scale, story-telling, etc., come into play, all these rules also apply to these studio set-ups and need to be followed … or intentionally broken. And all this just to set up the scene.  Join me for a cool, refreshing glass of Hibiscus Wheat Beer! Next, the usual second set of rules also needs to be attended to and employed. These are all the technical considerations that contribute to photographic quality: lighting, focus, depth of field, exposure, shadows, highlights, point of view, etc. This ain’t your Gramma’s bowl of fruit! This is even better! In working with these studio set-ups, I can engineer whatever story I want, using whatever elements and appliances I want without regard to preconceived associations or meanings. I can combine elements Nature would never see to put together. I can put orchids in a bird’s nest. I can pair up a hibiscus flower with malted barley, hops, and wheat stalks to depict a refreshing summer brew. I can shoot summer flowers through a sheet of ice if I want to!  A Bowl of Salsa? . . . Or Mexican Rice? You decide! You say you’re not up to the challenge of all this imagination, invention, and visualization? Hogwash! You did just this every time you played with your dollhouse or action figures or built a sand castle or snowman. You put together various elements into a single scene to tell the story you were playing in your Mind’s Eye.
So now, channel your inner-adventurer. Let your imagine go free. Get together your “things”, your visual elements, and tell us a story! Thank You for visiting, — Chris P.s. What story do you “see” that you want to tell? I know you can’t attach an image here, but give us a synopsis so we can share in your story. I invite you to come see a few stories I’ll be telling at my upcoming solo exhibit. My work will be on display from November 9th through December 4th at Arches Gallery in building 9 at the Workhouse Art Center in Lorton.
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Chris Fedderson — MacroFine Musings ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What do you want to be when you grow up? Remember when you were a child… you could be a doctor in the morning and an astronaut in the afternoon and everything else in-between? How could you think like that? Why would you think like that? Why was your brain so scattered? Now, I don’t even play a child psychologist on TV… but I believe your mind was not at all scattered. Rather, it was putting into perspective and order all the new and bewildering things you were discovering every minute you were awake. You were also gaining an interesting side-effect benefit… you were discovering what sorts of things appealed to you; which you found interesting and enjoyable; which you excelled at and which not. You were laying the ground work to answer the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”. And so it goes, too, with photographic vision and focus. In deciding to be a photographer, you have answered only part of the question. You will still need to define, and refine, what your unique expression, voice, vision, focus, message, style, etc., will be. And what better way to do that than to be a landscape photographer in the morning and a portrait photographer in the afternoon and everything else in-between?  Does Your Mind's Eye See The Entire Pond And Stuff . . .  . . . Or Does It Home In On The Hibiscus? But, won’t that just scatter my attention? Un-focus my focus? Spread me too thin? Oh, noo-oo-oo-oo…
As I wrote in an earlier post (Dec 8, 2015): “… try shooting architecture, portraits, animals, plants, textures, mechanical, food, bugs, stars, fireworks, motion, sports, landscapes, pets, close-up, far-away, cityscapes, countrysides, still life, studio set-ups, storms, clouds… and yes, even Selfies; there is something to be learned from every shot taken. Soon [you] will start to discover a photographic preference developing and will start to hone the skills to excel at that chosen genre.” By trying a lot of widely divergent genre, you will refine and pinpoint where your Mind’s Eye goes, which mental lens you tend to use to view and interpret the world, and the unique style you’ll develop to convey your vision and message. So, get out there. Shoot everything. Shoot color. Shoot black and white. Shoot sepia. Play with the art filters in your camera. Or open up Photoshop. Shoot realism. Shoot abstract. Shoot up / shoot down. Do the Hokey Pokey and turn yourself around. OK. That last one was just for fun. Point is… how will you know if you don’t try it? Happy Shooting. Happy Discovering. Happy Coming-Into-Your-Own. Thank You for visiting, — Chris P.s. What do you think will be — or what is — your favorite genre? How did you come to decide this? What sorts of things influenced — or are influencing — your developing style? Do you prefer: realism or abstraction; documentation or fantasy; grand view or minutia? Did you find any hurtles to overcome during your discovery process? Were you surprised by what you discovered about your preferences? I bet we all have some great stories… let’s share ‘em! Kathy Lawler — Guest Blogger ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Get ready to get Hoppy. The Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton is featuring its first annual BrewFest on August 13, 2016 from 10am-6pm. There will be beers to sample from 30 different breweries and many of these will be local breweries.  View of the Workhouse's First Annual BrewFest! The Workhouse is also bringing in food trucks, a great musical lineup featuring local bands, activities, demonstrations, and more. There is even a Root Beer Garden for the kids!
For a list of participating Breweries, check out the Workhouse site. You can buy your tickets online too. But wait, there’s more . . . Since this is also The Workhouse's Second Saturday, the Artists’ Studios and Galleries will also be open for you to tour and to purchase art as well — all the way to 9pm! If you haven’t been to the Workhouse, now is you chance to combine a great event with lots of great art. The Workhouse has ceramics, painting, photography, glass (blown and fused), stained glass work, jewelry, fiber, and more. The exhibit in the main building during the month of August will be the first Fiber National 2016 and will be on display in Building 16. This is a juried exhibition “showcasing traditional, contemporary, and experimental fiber art” from across the Untied States. While you’re enjoying BrewFest, be sure to check out Chris’ photography in Building 9. This month he features the theme “Dew Kissed” (including the namesake image Dew Kissed). This collection is a delightful group of refreshing images made to help the viewer feel cooler — even in the August heat. There are even dew kissed works in the Small Works section of the gallery. Hoppy August days! Thank You for visiting, — Kathy P.s. Hope to see you there! |
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About Chris
I am a Virginia-based photographer and gather my images while hiking in parks and natural areas here at home and in the locations I travel to. I also love to visit arboretums and botanic gardens to find unusual and exotic subjects. Archives
March 2017
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