Thoughts and Quotes On Creativity – “Cove Light, Hudson River”

“The trick to creativity, if there is a single useful thing to say about it, is to identify your own peculiar talent and then to settle down to work with it for a good long time.” – Denise Shekerjian

“Creativity is not a talent. It is a way of operating.” – John Cleese

“Inspiration is for amateurs — the rest of us just show up and get to work.” Painter Chuck Close

I made this image while on a canoe shooting on assignment for Scenic Hudson. Though the water was very calm, I noticed these small waves every time we shifted in the canoe. At first I thought I wanted to to keep the water as still as possible, but then realized I might be able to use them as part of the composition – what I refer to as “visual rhythm.” It adds an extra layer of moment and reinforcement to the shapes, and helps keep the eye interested that much longer.

Creatively I had no idea this would happen, or even that it would work. But keeping my attention on the details made the difference. No secrets, just showing up over and over again. You can do the same. That’s where your creativity will come from.

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Camera Notes

No tripod of course, hand held – which is why I relied on ISO 800 and f/5.6 to provide as much light as possible. Factor in the IS (image stabilization) on the lens, and that gives me a very good chance of a sharp image as long as I focus at the right spot. I probably focused a little less than a half way into the scene. Foreground was mostly water and dark shapes, so I only needed outlines – not much detail in fact.

Depth of field is not as great as you would think, given the background ridge is less than 1/4 mile away, and again just a dark outline. It’s really the tones, shapes, and colors I’m working with.
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