by Marty Coleman | Nov 3, 2010 | Dorothea Lange, Photography |
I don’t have a photographic memory, but I think this is day #3 of ‘Photography Week’ at the Napkin Dad Daily
One thing I have always tried to teach my students, whether formally when I was a college instructor, or informally in my photo group, is that your eye is the deciding factor in whether you are going to make great images, NOT your technical ability. You have to be able to look beyond the obvious and see what else is available.
Maybe it’s shape, texture, content, patterns, color, emotion. But what you first see is not always what is most important. Perhaps what is next to that main element is actually more important. Maybe the combination of those things will give you the image you want. Maybe the empty space in between the elements are what really tell the best story in that scene.
Taking the most obvious picture will usually yield the most obvious response. The most obvious response usually dissipates very quickly, leaving the viewer feeling a bit cheated. The image becomes like propaganda, the simplest message delivered in the simplest way possible. And unless you are trying to pound someone with a message, it also becomes the most boring way as well.
Here are some of my more interesting landscape photos.
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| Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, Texas |
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| Arrow and Indian |
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| Four Circles |
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| Four Shadows / One Wall |
Drawing and photographs by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily
Quote by Dorethea Lange, 1895-1965, American photographer
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by Marty Coleman | Nov 2, 2010 | Paul Strand, Photography |
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It’s unexpectedly day #2 of ‘Photography Week’ at The Napkin Dad Daily
I love taking portraits. But it’s very hard for me to do studio work. The lack of background, the lighting, it all lessens the ability to get to the heart of someone. I know there is a place for those types of portraits and I do them, even have a studio to do so, but I prefer natural light, natural environment portraits. I can get into who a person is much easier that way.
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| Sun |
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| Rust |
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| Open |
Drawing and Photographs by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily
Quote by Paul Strand, 1890-1976, American photographer and filmmaker.
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by Marty Coleman | Nov 1, 2010 | Cindy Sherman, Photography |
I help run a photo group here in Tulsa. We had our annual Halloween Cemetery shoot this weekend and I gave a presentation the week before about how to get the most out of this sort of shoot. Beyond the technical styles we went over the most important thing was focusing the participants on the idea of telling a story with their images.
This are a few I took during our outing.
A day late but Happy Halloween!
Drawing and Photographs by Marty Coleman
Quote by Cindy Sherman, 2954-not dead yet, American artist
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by Marty Coleman | Oct 30, 2010 | Art, Pablo Picasso |
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A vintage napkin from 2002 that I put in my daughters’ lunches to bring to school.
Saying no to your child, making them feel embarrassed by their individuality, stifling their stream of consciousness in thought and play. Those will suck the artist out of any child before you know it.
Don’t let that happen.
Help them let their creativity out, don’t stifle it.
Drawing by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily
Quote by Pable Ruiz Picasso, 1881-1973, Spanish artist. His baptismal name was Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso
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by Marty Coleman | Oct 29, 2010 | Anonymous, Stress - 2010 |
Day #5 of ‘Stress Week’ at The Napkin Dad Daily and it’s a piece of cake!
Clinical studies have shown that 9 out of 10 people who start to eat dessert are less stressed than before they started eating. I don’t know where the clinic is that did that study, probably in the home town of Betty Crocker, but who cares. Eat dessert, live longer.
By the way, it wasn’t long ago that I used this quote on a napkin. I usually don’t do that, but I was out a coffee house being photographed for a magazine article. I knew they wanted to have pics of me drawing so I brought my markers and napkins, but forgot a quote book. So, I just started with a ‘stress’ quote off the top of my head. I liked the cake I drew so I thought I would just continue on with it and make it my day #5 napkin!
Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily
Quote by who knows
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by Marty Coleman | Oct 28, 2010 | Marcus Aurelius, Stress - 2010 |
It’s stressful coming to the end of ‘Stress Week’ at The Napkin Dad Daily!
I remember arguing with my wife about something she was worried about, afraid might happen. I was trying to argue rationally, giving her all the reasons not to worry. She finally had to stop me and say, ‘MARTY, it’s not a rational FEAR, you can’t argue it away with rational arguments!’
So, if your fear, stress, worry, anger, etc. is irrational, you must be irrational in your response to it, right? Oh, heck if I know. But…
It’s only a spider.
Drawing and irrational commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily
Quote by my favorite Roman Emperor. Can you guess who that is?
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by Marty Coleman | Oct 27, 2010 | Stress - 2010, Thomas Carlyle |
The pressure is on during ‘stress week’ at The Napkin Dad Daily!
Stress is bad. Stress is pressure that has no outlet, no direction. But pressure can be a good thing. What’s good about pressure? Pressure creates motivation. Motivation creates action. Action creates growth and results. The key is to take action.
Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily
Quote by Thomas Carlyle, 1795-1881, Scottish writer
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by Marty Coleman | Oct 26, 2010 | Bertrand Russell |
I am not stressed over doing a ‘stress week’ at The Napkin Dad Daily.
If this is you, think of this. Imagine you are getting ready for a big holiday. You are stressing out because YOU are in charge of it all. EVERYTHING depends on you for the dinner, the event, the guests, the EVERYTHING. No one else can do it, will do it, could do it, knows how to do it, wants to do it. You are the ONLY one!
Then imagine this scenario. Out of the blue, you HAVE to fly off to a very important event for your company in Fiji. You can’t miss it, you can’t get out of it, you can’t reschedule it. It falls right over the entire holiday week.
What do you think is happening back at home during that holiday? Is nothing getting done? Is there no meal, no presents, no events, no transportation, no planning? Did everyone just sit at home and cancel plans because you weren’t there?
No, the truth is that that holiday went on. It was different with you not there, it might have been a bit less organized. But maybe it was also less stressful. Your work, though appreciated, was not so absolutely essential to that celebration that the event ceased to exist just because you ceased to be there.
You are needed in this world, but you aren’t so needed and essential that the world ceases to exist if you are gone. Reduce your stress by realizing you are just one person and the rest of the world is functioning along side you, you are not alone.
Drawing by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily
Quote by Bertrand Russell, 1872-1970, British philosopher
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by Marty Coleman | Oct 25, 2010 | Anonymous, Stress - 2010 |
Don’t freak out, but it’s ‘stress week’ at The Napkin Dad Daily
‘What’s below’ means what is happening in your body and your mind that isn’t obvious. You feel stress the same way you can feel an ankle sprain. But there are also elements of stress you can’t feel. Your stressed body is weakened, easier to get sick. Your stressed mind is cognitively vulnerable and it is easy to lose track of what is important.
Really think through what is essential in the here and now. Let the rest go. You will either come back to it when it is a better time, or it will pass and prove to have not been that important in the first place.
Drawing and commentary © Marty Coleman
“Stress is like an iceberg. We see 1/8 of it above, but what about what’s below?” – Anonymous
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by Marty Coleman | Oct 23, 2010 | Winston Churchill |
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Vintage napkin from 2004, drawn for my daughter and put in her lunch.
Since this has been ‘rights week’ I thought a vintage napkin that was on that same theme would be appropriate. Idealism is a good thing. Intolerance in the name of idealism isn’t idealism at all. It’s prejudice and ignorance, bigotry and fear, stupidity and hate disguised as idealism.
Those who practice that version of idealism are to be avoided, as should their brand.
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