Today is about shape, line, and texture, and maybe complimentary colors . . . and 15 minutes in wet cement . . . . . .
It is another Cota Street find. But sometimes things are just too good to pass by. Sometimes they blatantly ask for your attention. And sometimes you have to go out of your way to find the story, or in my case, the image. But not today.
Before I post the image, though, this lead in begs of another recounted story . . . about an instructor I had during my recent studies at Brooks Institute – Tim Meyer. While I could tell you many many stories about him (and we would be here all night), the one I am sharing here today has relevance.
It seems that many of my images and daily sojourns take place in and around Cota Street in downtown Santa Barbara, as most of you are well aware by now. Hmmm . . . maybe I should have a category for Cota Street, but then almost all the posts would be lumped into that cat – okay, so not such a wise idea.
Tim Meyer, Cota Street, relevance – oh yeah! Tim once asked me if I had heard of the “15 minutes in wet cement” exercise and I had to admit I had not, knowing full well he was about to tell me. ADVICE? Never deny a master the opportunity to teach! Here is his explanation, or at least my take on his story:
15-MINUTES-IN-WET-CEMENT EXERCISE
Pick a spot, any spot in the world, and don’t move from it for 15 minutes. Now observe everything you can possibly observe from this vantage point.
Applying that to photography? Remain in that spot for a full 15 minutes, you are not allowed to move away from it. But you may sit, stand, lye down, turn around, roll over [Sit Ubu, Sit – good dog!], stand on a ladder, etc.
Your job is to observe/photograph everything from that one spot as you possibly can – remember, you cannot even take one step in another direction away from that one point.
There are two results:
1.) you get very creative! you find ways to photograph things/subjects you had not thought of before, you gain insight into this place and you shoot from a different perspective; and
2.) you see things that you have not seen before! oh, they have been there, in that spot for years, you just haven’t stopped long enough to ever notice them; now, however, they come alive and dance before your very eyes!
How does all of this apply to today’s image? Well Cota Street, where I find myself on many a day, and the multitude of images I post about the treasures I find here – there is so much to see, so much to photograph, so much to observe, so much to be a part of.
You can do it anywhere – in your kitchen, in Montana, on a cruise ship, at a wedding – your choice. Try it some time, and then let me know how it opens your eyes and what perspective and new insight it has added to your life.
As for today . . . a simple copper faced awning against a red brick wall . . . this is my treasure.
shape, line, and texture