Arts and Crafts

[O/confusion]

Hi, All--

It's clear from many postings that in addition to being photographers, a number of you folk out there are musicians, and designers of various stripes; I'd be interested to see just how many members are, or have been--in any capacity, not necessarily professional--similarly involved in arts or craft-based activities when not behind their cameras (note: accountancy doesn't count! :D ).

How many musicians, designers, writers, dancers, actors, sculptors, painters, woodworkers, etc., are among us? To what degree do you feel these activities inform your photography, in terms of shaping a personal aesthetic, or your choice of subject matter?

Anyone care to fess up?

regards,
Terry

[Jemmind]

I played the oboe in highschool, did drawings/sketching as a hobby; I also crochet and do scrapbooking.
I think creative types do tend to do other creative endevors.
Julie

[FlyingPete]

I painted for a while, water colours mainly. I was looking for a good night class for drawing or painting for a while to help me 'see' better with the aim to assist my composure of my photographs.

I was also a Graphic Artist for a couple of years, and focused on that field whilst at school.

The only way this shows it self in my day job now, is I apparantly have the nicest looking white board drawings in the company!

[jfrancho]

I've been playing musical instruments for 25 years. I've been making music for about ten.

[sixshot]

I was a damn good etch-a-sketcher when I was 8.

[Noni]

I write. I've published several articles, and I am currently working on a book. Both my parents are actors, and so I dabbled in that growing up. I am not terribly good at making music, but I'm pretty good at making noise after many years of playing various instruments.

How does that impact my photography? In writing, as well as photography, there is a communication which occurs between me as the author and an unseen, unheard audience. It's one of the hardest challenges I can think of - to effectively communicate something with someone I most likely will never see, and from whom there is no feedback. Shouting into the void, and listening for echos is what I do when I write.

I am fascinated by emotion. How does a person express their inside self via an emotional display? And can I recreate that emotion in the viewer? Can I share with them my inside observations - the precision of a bee on a flower; the isolation a landscape or the night sky can impart; the majesty of animals, of trees, of buildings? Am I able to stir in the viewer something akin to what I see when I look through my lens, and trip the button? Can the photo instigate a thought, a creative process, a sense of "wow" or humor?

The creative process between the two is somewhat the same, I think; there are technicalities which should be observed but on occasion broken for effect. And once the technicalities are second nature, the art - the weaving of words, the telling of a tale, the catching a shot - comes to the front. There is a sense of "otherness" that I get when I write something I know will reach someone, somewhere. It is close to what happens when I look through the lens; I am seeing "other" than some folks, and if I can isolate and catch that fleeting second, I can show them my inside eye.

Why I want to do that is a whole 'nother story. One I haven't a clue about, either.

Best-
Noni

[Skip Souza]

I used to paint until California forced all the stores to lock all the spray cans in wire cages. ;-)

[sixshot]

Aside from the etch-a-sketch, on a more serious note, I have written a few articles. One piece I enjoyed doing was about travelling and living abroad. Last month the editor of a local expat magazine asked me if I'd want to write for them. Nothing too great, but must start somewhere.

[Wazza]

I've always been arty, but never put it to good use. Did graphics in school, and won awards for top of class in graphic design, and also wood design technology - (basically designing stuff, and then manufacturing it!)

Anyway, that was in my youth (well really up to 4 years when I left school)

Still, I've recently painted a canvas. Just something abstract, and have many ideas, and maybe doing a multi art/photographic design. I'll have to bring out the self taught photoshop manual. Actually I don't know anything apart from resizing, unsharp mask, and levels. Now for the creative uses...

I bet you'll find a lot of left handers as well like myself.

[froman98]

I am/used-to-be a musician. I've been playing guitar for about 8 years already. I used to be in a 'vegas-style lounge' band that played top 40 songs and some country and would play at casino's in Northern Nevada. That was probably the most money I would ever make doing something I enjoy that much. :) I also did some freelance design (letterheads/stationary, business cards, flyers/mailers, print ads, etc) for a few years. I still play guitar (not nearly as I would like) and I still design a bit, but most of everything I do will ever leave my privacy. :)

[Maureen Souza]

I paint, draw, cut wood, scrapbook, handmake Christmas ornaments, bake, cook, sew and garden.....goodness gracious......if I wasn't so busy I could almost impress myself. :) I once had an art teacher in 7th grade who told me I didn't have an artistic bone in my body. I think I've spent the rest of my life trying to prove her wrong.:p :p

[dewmuw]

I have a 5 year old and a 2 year old so I am:

musician
singer
actor
comedian
juggler
clown
wrestler
painter
cook
joke teller
mud pie maker
sand castle builder
story teller
monster fighter
and so on!

And love every minute of it!!

[PacAce]

Well, I do know I have arty genes in me locked away someplace but I can't figure out how to get at them. My brother is an artist and animator. My sister is a writer. Me, for the life of me, can't draw worth a darn and it takes me forever and a day to put my thoughts into words on paper. I did take violin lessons all throughout grade school and if I had really been into it, I could very well be a virtuoso by now. But I hated taking violin lessons because, back then, I thought violins were for "sissies". (Hard to believe I used to be that shallow, eh? :confused: :rolleyes: )

I guess I'm just a techy at heart and I've now resigned myself to the fact that I'll never be a musician, artist, dancer (I have two left feet), etc. so instead of even trying, I'll just sit back and enjoy watching and/or listening to other people being those. :D

[Skip Souza]

I paint, draw, cut wood, scrapbook, handmake Christmas ornaments, bake, cook, sew and garden.....goodness gracious......if I wasn't so busy I could almost impress myself. :) I once had an art teacher in 7th grade who told me I didn't have an artistic bone in my body. I think I've spent the rest of my life trying to prove her wrong.:p :p
Does she ever, and she does it well!
If there was heavy lifting or gadget fixing needed I may have been involved. When it comes to artistic indeavors at our house she is definetly management and I am labor.:lol: :rolleyes: :lol:

[CyberPet]

I'm doing Graphic Design as a hobby and a living. But I still cant draw a straight line with a pen even if I have painters in the family (my father is a painter and an uncle).

My favorite hobby right now is to do handmade cards for friends and family. It seems to pay off, just got an order to make a few different cards for a girl that wants hand made ones to give to her friends an family. And I have a bunch of wedding invitations I'm going to make for another friend (getting married in february next year, so I'm in no rush). I build a few web pages now and then too.

http://the-halls.se/cards/small/DSCN5840.jpg

I mostly use rubberstamps, but this card I used iris folding, it's a fun technique!

[Claire]

Hejsan CyperPet! You found the place. ;)

I've always done sketching and drawing. Always in B&W. Also into computer graphics, that's probably why digital photography works with me. What else? I played the piano since I was six, then the guitar for a few years, but I suck at the guitar.

I do some cross stitching occasionally, which, according to my dad, makes me look like an old woman. lol I also write articles and short stories. And I've done some very crap acting for my video production course. I preferred being behind the camera and in the editing booth...

[CyberPet]

Yeah, you disgraceful person... I found it... and I was supposed to go to bed, wasn't I? *humph*

Btw, you link to Scott Kelby's site on your website, did you know it was me who translated his Photoshop CS and Photoshop Elements 3 books for digital photographers? So I'm almost semi famous now *falls down laughing*

I forgot to mention that as one of my "arts" to make Scott's texts readable in Swedish. I also freelance for the Swedish MacWorld magazine, writing about Photoshop and digital photography (pick up issue #4, I take up 10% of the issue and wrote a review on the Canon EOS 350D *proud* – I wasn't very impartial though :D )

[gmaize]

I am an architect....with no formal eduactional training. Learned by the seat of my pants....and making many mistake over the last 20 or so years. I've been an amatuer photographer for just as long. Being a "technical" architect (as opposed to a "design" architect"), I focus on the execution of the design. My photography benefits (or suffers) from this critical eye towards the details. I also believe my sense of image composition form, texture, balance, lighting, shadows, etc.) stems directly from my architectural training. With any luck I'll be doing both will past retirement.

Maureen, you reminded me in your post of a similar story of a high school teacher of mine that told me I should quit architecture because my drafting and lettering was so poor. 25 years later I'm still at it and not doing to bad either.

--gmaize

[Maureen Souza]

Maureen, you reminded me in your post of a similar story of a high school teacher of mine that told me I should quit architecture because my drafting and lettering was so poor. 25 years later I'm still at it and not doing to bad either.
--gmaize

Kind of gets your goat, doesn't it??????? Good for you, another success story:D :D :D

[Claire]

Yeah, you disgraceful person... I found it... and I was supposed to go to bed, wasn't I? *humph*

Btw, you link to Scott Kelby's site on your website, did you know it was me who translated his Photoshop CS and Photoshop Elements 3 books for digital photographers? So I'm almost semi famous now *falls down laughing*

I forgot to mention that as one of my "arts" to make Scott's texts readable in Swedish. I also freelance for the Swedish MacWorld magazine, writing about Photoshop and digital photography (pick up issue #4, I take up 10% of the issue and wrote a review on the Canon EOS 350D *proud* – I wasn't very impartial though :D )

You translated his books? Oh wow, that's so cool! (Hm, and that sounded sooo American! LOL) I got the English version as a gift from Allt om Digitalfoto for a letter I wrote to the magazine. The best Photoshop book I've ever read. And I got it for free! :D
Will check out MacWorld when in the store some day. Hm, so wanna hook me up for some freelance writing. Journalism jobs aren't easy to find in Sweden! Bah. That's why I'm stuck teaching 13-15 y/o's. :rolleyes:

[CyberPet]

Claire, yeah I know.... I slipped into the freelance writing on a banana skin (sorry people, a typical swedish saying when you're in the right place at the right time). Same with the book translations (for Pagina), I just happen to be the person that they needed at the time. Can't say it's well paid, but it's fun to get your stuff published. Most fun part is that in MacWorld they call me "Bildexperten". Now that's hillarious. I am not an expert in any way. But I seem to have a talent to teach less knowledgeable people what I know. :)