Midnight in Paris – To color, or not to color

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.” – Scott Adams

I began working on this image late last night. Of course, as you can see, it morphed into another version after a little creative time in my little world. I’ve eluded to this process a few times here on the blog. For me, there is no right or wrong way…..there is only the path you choose. For some, the self imposed creative challange is capturing the image in camera with little or limited post processing. Natural light…..reflected light….strobe light, it really is all about the light. Very cool. I like that, and definately appreciate it.

My own personal journey with the camera is a bit different. The moment of capture, for the most part, is usually about gathering the foundation for an image that is to be created later. The bracket exposures for my HDR creations that I capture while wandering about a city like Paris here become the basis for what may of may not ever see the process through. The second half, the creative journey into the digital darkroom, is of course my chance to paint….paint with light. Perhaps with light that was hidden deep within the image or even light that I decided to create and add with the digital brush. To me, there are indeed no boundaries.

The inspiration to dive into the “Parisian” file for these images was sparked by a movie I saw recently. Midnight in Paris is a new film by Woody Allen about a writer in Paris, that travels back into time. The frustrated screenplay writer with a litterary passion for the works of the 1920’s era, finds himself in his own little world. His late night walks into the City of Light is where he finds his creative authentic self….as well as a few great authors and artists. When he returns to the “real world”, he is completely misunderstood by his fiance and her parents who are on there own shallow search for meaning as they for instance, discuss the value of overpaying for a wooden lawn chair to the the tune of about $ 23,000 I believe it was (give or take a few thousand). As his character unfolds in the film, its quite obvious that his journey into his creative inner self will take him far away from the people he has surrounded himself with up to that moment in his life. Very easy to relate to. Owen Wilson is at his best in this film in my opinion…..brilliantly directed by Woody Allen of course. I highly recommend it to all my creative friends out there on your own personal journey of exploration. If you look close, you just might see a little bit of yourself in that caracter. 🙂

So what are you now Mike, a movie critique? Stick with the pics al right?

Anyway, enjoy….and let me know what you think!

Oh, one more thing….

I came across this video the other day that I thought was kinda cool. Lotsa great ideas for working with those dreaded blocks in your field of creativity. Great fuel for the mind.

Again, enjoy 🙂