True College Inspiration

In a week from now I will be finished my time at Algonquin College, in the photography program. This makes me sit down and think back to not only what my work was like when I first started but also to who I was when I first started. There have been such significant changes in myself and my work that I could only thank a few special people for that, my professors.

 These people have not only been there to teach me more about photography than I even though existed but also challenged me, comforted, nurtured, were the best critics, offered advice, were tough as nails, pushed my creativity to the max, and helped me and my work to change for the best. I have come over these two years to better understand what I want out of life, and more importantly what I want out of my photography. The progression is pretty obvious now when I look back on my old photographs.

©Kayla Wentzell 2011

© Kayla Wentzell 2012

It is with happy tears that I will be leaving Algonquin, and these amazing teachers behind. They are truely inspirational. If you want to see more of what they create and promote in many students check out the algonquin photography blog.

http://algonquinphotography.blogspot.ca/

Photographers inspiring photographers

One of the things that has been a huge inspiration to me is looking at other peoples work. Other photographers lighting, models, concepts etc all help to make your mind think of the kinds of things you want to show with your own work. Recently I've been following this blog
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sealegssnapshots/

Her work is both interesting, and original. It is a kind of photography that I really enjoy looking at, and helps me to think of thing about my work that I like and dislike. As well as the similarities between our work, as far as portraits, and editing.
These are some of my favorite of her images.

I find I learn the most about my own work when I'm trying other things that I've seen people do. It helps me to see what isn't my style, and things that I actually really like and enjoy shooting. Throughout the last two years, I have also found that letting others look at your work, and help you see whats best can be hugely inspirational and helpful, to seeing your own talent!

Inspirational Films

Recently we worked on our movie poster assignment. This got me to thinking about how much films have inspired me. From the cinematography to the soundtracks, and the intrigue of the stories they present. I'm very much a fan of watching the extra discs that contain commentaries, and how the movies are made. It gives me exciting insight to the making of a film, which I find very similar to the creation of an image. All the hard work, formulating ideas, and turning them into reality.

These are some of my favorite films, that for me have some very beautiful imagery, as well as wonderfully inspiring music, and captivating stories.
Stories are one of the ways that I get ideas for my images. I try to relate a realistic event.
Watching these films fills me with an inspiration to write down my ideas. The music from these films as well helps me to understand the type of mood that I want people to feel when they are looking at my photographs.

This link will take you too a site where you can watch behind the scenes footage from lots of movies! Hope it is as inspiring to you as it is to me!
http://www.movieweb.com/videos/movies/behind-the-scenes

People, Places, Reality

This weekend I felt incredibly inspired, just by being out in the world. I went to the opening of winterlude, and watched fireworks. I went skating all day on the canal, where I skated amongst hundreds of people, as the sun came down making the most beautiful light for portraits. Armed with only my iphone for a camera, I took few photos, but being in situations like that I feel inspired to just take pictures, to stop time.

There were so many families, and children with big smiles on their faces. There were fire dancers, when the sun went down, where I just wished I had my camera. The thing that I loved most about the whole experience was that, I could be there and experience it for myself but at the same time be inspired to go do photographs of things like this. I didn't regret not having my camera because the inspiration was enough.

I believe that the reason that watching all these people around me was so inspiring was because I was there experiencing it my self. I had an amazing day, with my wonderful boyfriend Tom. 

Tom and I on the Rideau Canal

He is also so inspiring to me, so supportive of my photography. The atmosphere on the canal with Tom, was magical.

So if you are in need of some realism, a smile, a beauiful place to photograph, or some inspiration, take a skate.

http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/places-to-visit/rideau-canal-skateway

Mind to Hand Inspiration

One of the things that inspired me more than anything well before I even started talking pictures was drawing. Taking things that I saw and trying to recreate them my drawing them, which for me is the exact same thing I do now with photographs. I was never the most amazing artist, and feel I can much better relate what I see through photographs but when you draw all the time you get better and better. These are some of my favorite drawings.

The things I really loved to draw were people, hands, and other body parts. I draw in a semi realistic style. Now when I go back to look at my drawings, I feel inspired to create photographs from them. Also to sit down and draw again. I also find other people's drawings very inspiring, because I am in awe of how talented some people are with just there hands, a pencil and a piece of paper. I'm always especially impressed by other peoples abilities to recreate hair.

I found this link on how to draw hair in pencil, because it is the one thing in drawing I find very challenging. http://www.elfwood.com/farp/theart/maeryhair/maeryhair.html. They make it look much easier than it actually is.

Inspiration Taken To A New Level - Human Library

Today I'm going to post about one of the things that has been the biggest inspiration to me and that is books and how they have changed and grown to inspire me and others.

The invention of writing was a magnificent thing that started ways of communication and learning. Since then it has expanded not only to a vast learning base but into a means of looking into other peoples imaginations. Some of my biggest ideas and inspirations come from images carefully laid out in detail in stories, or through a quote perfected in a book.

Books

Now we can even  receive our inspiration on the go. This is my sony ereader. When I first got it I was a little hesitant because there is something wonderful about holding a book in your hand, and leafing through the pages. Soon I discovered that whatever form my stories are in there is still something magical that can pull you into a story and let your mind make up what it looks like.

Sony Ereader

Being a photographer, makes me a very visual person, so taking in new information through words in books is like exercise for my imagination. People, places, and buildings so wonderfully described for me to see them in my mind.

I find that the best way to help me explore my ideas is to have more information. Knowledge about different things all over the world that I can turn into pictures.

Today my boyfriend sent me this link.
http://humanlibrary.org/what-is-the-living-library.html

This takes intaking information from books to something more interactive and personal.
The human library is, "In its initial form a mobile library set up as a space for dialogue and interaction. Visitors to a Human Library are given the opportunity to speak informally with “people on loan”; this latter group being extremely varied in age, sex and cultural background."


This mixes books the main inspiration of this post along with the next best way to find inspiration, which is people, different people from all over the world.

There are going to be 6 events in Ottawa on the 28th of January so I think if I'm in need of some inspiration I might stop by.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_writing

Starting to Blog

Today I'm starting my blog.
I think my theme for my blog will be inspiration.

So I figured I would start with a story about something that inspired me. It was summer and I was walking onto the back deck of my parents home and I saw the apple blossoms on the apple tree in the back yard. I had the feeling that I couldn't not take pictures of them. So I ran into the house to get my camera and about 20 minutes later I got this. After 2 days all of the blossoms were gone.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple