ReaLife

About two years ago, a certain passion awoke inside of me. I suddenly had a real desire to capture life. I have always been extremely tuned into my surroundings; some might call it being hypersensitive. Nothing in my environment goes unnoticed. My mind is always on the prowl, soaking up new information and reading hidden motives, perceiving facial expressions, reacting to emotions, finding connections, seeking perspective, watching actions. All of this combined creates a certain environment, conveys a certain message, establishes a certain situation. To me, not capturing these instances in life means missing out. And I do not like to miss out.

My motto goes, there is always something to capture. And this image capture always portrays meaning. It is a message locked away in time, always there for future viewers. It is one of the best visual elements that we have in order to get snaps of reality. I like the idea of capturing "real." Posed has its place, but candid life is what we live and know most of the time.

Pictures speak. They say something. As a photographer, you inherently take a shot with your own interpretation in mind. It means something to self. Yet you have to be okay with the fact that your viewers may not always clearly see your vision for the image; your audience comes with hundreds of more translations. And that's ok. Ever sat through an Art History class? A photography critique? Then you know what I am saying.

I relish in the idea of communication through imagery, especially when that is paired with an audio experience. Musical sound, and even often the use of silence, adds a dramatic emotional factor that can change the entire meaning of your visual. Sound plays on emotion and sets a rhythm, a movement, and a mood.

The other day I was in downtown Peoria for lunch, and as luck would have it, I remembered to grab my camera. So I walked around and took some shots. The flooding along the river alarmed me; I guess I did not know how bad it was. The entire area down by Old Chicago and the parking garage is completely flooded. Anyway, I took several candid shots, and will share 3 with you for your own interpretation. Let me know what these images are saying to you.

NOTE: Kristi and I are changing our business from Two Peas in a Palette to Imagine Artists. Disregard the "Imagine" watermark as you view these images. I'll keep you posted on when our new blog and website will appear.




Love you all!

T