Inspired by Quietness - Water Photography

This summer season I have decided to follow the theme I started last year. I mean water and its lines and rhythms inspirations. My focus on this theme is because of being tired with more and more busy and speedy life we all seem to live. Scientists have invented computers to help people do things easier and faster. I guess they have thought their invention spare our time on doing things we must to be able do things we love.

How it is in reality we all know. Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, etc. - constant buzz, noise, talking, commenting, liking and actually do not caring at all.  That is why I seek for peace, which is a must to be creative.  Stillness inside us is a must to hear our inner voice. Observing water makes me really calm and actually very happy.

I want to share with you some images of water I did this summer, which sadly comes to the end in my country. I will be garteful for any comments you leave on my blog. Thanks in advance.

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Altered Light - Seeing a different world by John Anthony

Altered Light, book by John Anthony

The gardener stands up looks kindly upon you and says, 'Welcome. The lane outside the gate where you were standing is your Life Pathway. You have been guided to this place by the joy and heartache, fun and laughter, trials and tests experienced in your life and the many other Angel Lives you have lived. This is your Spiritual Sanctuary where you come to find out who you really are, and to meet Sacred Self.
Your Spiritual Sanctuary is protected by the Angels of Creation; it is a place of total safety, of peace love and healing. Only those who bring loving, creative energy may join you here. Visit whenever you wish and stay as long as you need. All you need to do is sit quietly where you will not be disturbed and with closed eyes ask to be here ...

John Anthony Altered Light, 2014

Strange things happen since October, those were the words that once appeared in my sleeping mind while I was dreaming about being in an incredible, underwater magic chamber. The scene like from a famous book by Jules Verne's A Journey to the Center of the Earth. And indeed, these intriguing words carry some important message I have been trying to figure out since the time I first saw them in my dream.

Several months ago, a UK writer got in touch with me asking for licencing my photography. He was looking for images that would suit for the cover of his spiritual book he was writting at the time. He come across my inner light photography website and then mailed to me. That was John Anthony and that was October 2013. Since then we have been writing several times to each other. John was so generous to send me the excerpt of his book before it was published and let me be one of the book's first readers. I am very apprecitive and feel deeply honoured with John's trust.

The book Altered Light was published at the begining of March, 2014. Although my photography has not been selected for the cover (editor's choice) John once again was very generous and send me a signed copy of his beautiful and very special book, which I have now in my hands. What strikes me most from the very first lines of the book is incredibly strong, positive energy that flows from it like a huge fountain splashing its water around. Honestly, I have never felt anything like that concerning books.

The excerpt at the beginning of this post, beautiful and bringing peace at heart, comes from John Anthony's spiritual book called Altered Light, which I have pleasure and honour to share with you.

What the author himself says about his book.

Altered Light is a story of now and of forever. What is happening to us and our world and why? Massive changes occurring on a global scale have seen our ways of living transformed in just a few decades. Is this all caused by human activity or is there a bigger picture we are not seeing? Altered Light provides answers to those questions, exploring not only historical sequence but the human choices that have shaped the world we know. At this critical time for human evolution there is a way we can all be part of the solution rather than the problem. That way is to embrace Altered Light and step up to who we really are, fulfilling our true purpose for being here. It's time to be happy again.

I have come from the ice because you are The One. I have come because it's time to embrace Altered Light, to rediscover who you really are. 

Read more about John Anthony >>>

The book is available at AlteredLight.co.uk website

or BUY the Book at Amazon.com >>>

 

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The Energy of Trees Photography Show

Opening Reception, February 12, 6:00 PM

Bydgoszcz University Library, Szymanowskiego 3, 12 February - 14 March, 2014

I have a great pleasure to inform that tomorrow there is an opening reception of my solo exhibition. The venue is new and very modern building of huge library that has been built in my hometown for our university. I highly value showing my works out of brick and mortar galleries in a spaceswhere normal life is vibrating each day. I feel that my works have become a small part of someone's life at least for the period of the show time.

I cordially invite everyone who is happen to be in my hometown and would like to participate in the show.

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The Global Foto Project at Saint Joseph's University

I have the pleasure to showcase the photographic artwork produced by the students of photographer and educator Walter Plotnick at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, PA USA.

The Global Foto Project concept, is that students explore contemporary photography of their peers, from Asia, Europe, Africa, Central and South America. Including International Jesuit Institutions of Higher Education. Students researched images that inspire them on a visual, conceptual, spiritual or thematic basis. Students then create their own images based on their findings. Not to replicate their researched images but rather to be inspired and create new images.

Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, PA USA

 Mr. Plotnick has shared the images his students created during this semester long project and I must admit that I am amazed at the maturity some of the works present.


Lets take the photo below by Michaella Pierce. It is an ordinary scene depicting spools of colour thread and some other objects associated with traditional sewing work. On the surface, we may see the objects, their colours, light, and composition, but the image tells much more. It tells a story of someone’s life, work and the objects used. The choice of dark background from where lit objects appear similar to those of an18th Century Dutch painting, creates an atmosphere of an old craftsmen at work in a garment factory. The value of this work is that it is evocative and creates a narrative that speaks to a tradition in a visually unique way and rich with colour. 

Photo by Michaella Pierce

Another work that has attracted my attention was taken by Kaitlyn Teeling. It is almost an abstract scene showing a thrown inkwell with a spill on the table, the natural flowing movement of the colours creates a sheer play of blue, green and purple with highlighted reflections. A kind of visual orchestra playing strong joyful music. This vigorous effect is highlighted by diagonal composition of the photo. Although spilling any kind of liquid on a workspace is rather associated with a kind of disaster, this work makes a very positive impression of movement, light and colour that is almost dream like.

Photo by Kaitlyn Teeling

There are many other great works by the US students I am showing you for your inspiration and pleasure. All of them present high quality in terms of technique, the choice of a theme and their interpretation.

Photo by Rachel Vernonis

Photo by Emily Smedly

Photo by Michaella Pierce

Photo by Michael Carnevale

To view previous Global Foto Projects I have posted by Mr Plotnick students, click here >>>

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Inspired by Quietness

For a person, like me, a kind of introvert loving peace and harmony, it is not easy to live nowadays, when everything seems rushing and speeding up each day. A human being can't perceive and wisely comprehend the world in which he/she lives from an Intercity Express train. But our live reminds such a speedy journey. And worse, we seem to accept it.

I often raise a question how to protect myself, my own personality,
my own style of living as other people expect we behave this or that way. Other people expect we will think and act this and that way. There are systems that make us think and act in a certain way. Don't you think that all the giant social websites, by giving us an opportunity to present and promote our own things, to get in touch with other people easily and quickly, that these websites steal most of our time and in fact made us their slaves?

Have you ever thought that you may be a slave of modern technologies?

I recently feel a growing anger for that slavery.

To protect myself and my sanity, I love to go to the places where I can hear wind and my own breathing.

Wherever the place is, the best is that where there are no people. The place, where I can sense reality, watch nature's life rhythm and nothing distracts me. I have recently been in such a place, at a lake near my hometown. The day was warm and sunny. The one of last warm summer days. I took my camera and went into the water. I observed waves and light gliding over them. I love water. I did many shots of waves and light and water movement. Not until I got back home and downloaded all the images to my computer, have I noticed how incredible water abstracts I have created. Looking at them I got impression that I hear music, for the rhythms in the compositions. So the title of the series is Water Concerto. Below, there are some works I did that day. Whenever I look at the images the feeling of tranquility I've experienced at the lake, comes back. 

I wonder if you too feel some soothing effect while watching at this works. If yes, just share your comments below. I would be grateful to learn some thoughst of yours.

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The Global Foto Project

Global Foto Project - Collage of works by students of Montgomery County Community College PA USA

For more than 16 years, I taught Art in my country, Poland. I loved the job for one main reason. I could inspire my students and help them expand their creativity. I could teach them across the boundaries of traditional art and culture and for them to develop new ways of seeing and thinking.

Unfortunately, after 1989 the communist system collapsed, the Polish authorities focused mostly on economy transition and development and not things like creativity. Art education has been mostly neglected here. I stopped teaching Art, but I have never stopped promoting creative artists and living a creative life.

With the Internet things are far easier for creative people worldwide to connect and share art and ideas. I have the great pleasure to promote other artists work. Today I want to share with you The Global Foto Project, produced by US photo-based artist and educator Walter Plotnick with his students at Montgomery County Community College PA, USA..

Mr. Plotnick instructed his students to not only study photographic masters but to explore contemporary photography of students across Asia and Europe. American students explored the artwork of their peers from art academies and universities both in terms of content and style. Getting an international global view of other student’s images, communities and experimental photographic process was very educational. These explorations have inspired the images below by Mr. Plotnick’s students. What strikes me most about the images is the variety of themes students tackle and the styles their work present. They seem to be the works of mature artists. .

Foto 1, Bunley Lim

I particularly like the work by Lim Bunley (Fot. 1). The bird-like shadows in the background that differ from actual birds inspired still life composition bring us into another reality. They signify two worlds, material in one and imaginary in the other.

Similarly, dual meaning has the work by Rosemary Haas (Fot. 2). She has chosen a difficult composition of combining black and white and light vs. shade. The suggested meaning behind the composition is great, Ms. Haas’s work shows bright and dark parts of life or nature itself by means of a simple gold fish in a glass and black and white background composition. This is the theme I have special interest in and I think it is worth exploring in more detail by Ms. Haas.

Foto 2, by Rosemary Haas

Different approach I see in Cortney Baltrush’s work (Fot. 3) depicting a metal structure immersed in the ocean waters. I don’t know what it is, but what I see in this work it is the association of water waves and wavy shape of the structure. As most of us love sea views for obvious reasons I perceive this structure that spoils the beauty of horizon as the synonym of culture destroying nature.

Foto 3, by Cortney Baltrush

Another work (Fot. 4), a still life by student Matthew Olsen depicting a kitchen interior reminds me of old Dutch masters’ paintings. The natural light used here creates that old masterpieces mood of warm and intimacy. The only thing I would suggest improving in this work is the background that could be more blurred to better focus viewers’ attention on objects in the foreground

Foto 4, by Matthew Olsen

The work by Sarah Calamia (Fot. 5); it seems to be just a play with colours, but on a deeper level the drop of colour changing its environment, in this case water in a glass, may as well signify a small, humble person who makes a huge impact on other people. Intriguing theme worth exploring on both, formal and symbolic level

Foto 5, by Sarah Calamia

Tattoo man photo by Charles Lewis (Fot. 6) is a very interesting work, both, for its diagonal, dynamic composition and the current culture trend theme. The close-up approach and the light focus on the model creates a moment of reflection and the mood of intimacy. The photo has all the quality of great photography.

Foto 6, by Charles Lewis

The last work (Fot. 7) I am going to comment on is the photo of a modern shop interior by Soyoun Kim. Although, I am not excited about modern structures generally, I really love the play of lines and colours, geometric shapes of the background compared with organic one of a moving woman. The blur of the moving person reflected in a wall behind and the colours of shop baskets are a symbol of life in this cold industrial steel and glass space.

Foto 7, by Soyoun Kim

To sum up, all the works presented here and their authors, young students at Montgomery County Community College PA, USA have a great creative potential. They have been inspired by fellow students around the world and by their instructor Walter Plotnick.

Walter Plotnick
is photo-based artist and educator. He teaches photography in the United States at Montgomery County Community College, PA. To learn more about the artist, visit his website walterplotnick.com

Montgomery County Community College PA US

Written by Danuta Antas

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The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Taking Photos Like a Pro - Recommended Photography Books

When you are an aspiring amateur photographer who wants to shoot like a pro and struggle to take better photos, you feel like you stuck and can't make progress, I strongly recommend reading the book Better Photo Basics: The Absolute Beginners Guide to Taking Photos Like a Pros by Jim Miotke, an experienced photographer, the author of the bestselling BetterPhoto guidebook series and BetterPhoto.com website founder and owner. What makes the book unique guide is its simplicity the author explains all the basic issues from camera mode shooting, learning creative techniques for choosing a right theme and composition.
I am sure that following all the guide chapters and implementing some simple solutions you may find in the book will let you make significant progress with your photographic work. 

See the book >>>BetterPhoto Basics: The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Taking Photos Like a Pro

I am curious to learn your opinion about the book after you purchase it and work with this invaluable help book.

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