When we are not organizing art exhibitions or toy photo safari’s around the globe, the crew of Stuck In Plastic likes to explore the more creative side of taking pictures. What is it that makes us shoot plastic, explore the why and take a inner look on the creative process we are all going through. Our influences, our relationships, our creative process.
We are not your regular crew that likes to talk shop about the latest technique, or gadget released (although we do like our gadgets both in camera and plastic and do like to share some more hands on behind the scenes and friendly critiques). My little arctic cold not only made me focus on some urgent deliverables but also gave me some extra time to reflect on what defines me as a creative photographer on many of the intergalactic travels I had to take for Darth Inc.
What is it that makes my pictures mine ?
What key elements do I both unintentionally and sometimes with great focus and purpose include in my work. What makes me name most of my work with a trademark sign, why do I include such negative space (not on Instagram), and like my primes and extreme shallow depth of field. What is it I have with eyes and pushing the shutter just seconds before …
It is not just a style we are talking about here, it is exploring what key components are coming back in all my work, and are an essential component of my creative thinking process and try to take a deeper look on why they are there. It is like deconstructing it into individual elements to make a stronger image in the end. I am not sure I will be able to convince my other fellow SiP members here to take a plunge and look at their deconstructed elements in public, and turn this into a full blown series (time will tell), but I do hope I can influence you to take a look at your own creative work from a distance, and try to find those key elements that make up your work both as creator or a collector as knowing your elements should help you to focus your creative energy.
My very first is location.
While I shoot both inside the studio and outdoors, location is for me a key component of the creative process. I really believe that the location where an image is shot, even if it is not at all that obvious in the final image, adds to both the authenticity and the soul of the image. It is as if the image carries along the digital fingerprint of the location. A trace of soul that can only be obtained in that moment of time, space and location.
When I shot Laura in Snoqualmie or Lady Love in LA the location was a key component of both sessions. In the case of Lara it was the location that was there first, and then Lara showed up out of the misty woods into my camera viewfinder, while in the case of Lady Love, I knew I had to get this shoot on location. It has been on my bucket list of creative shoots to get Lady Love on the beach in LA and I actually had to wait for quite some time before the opportunity presented itself.
Locations are a key element of my work, and without authentic locations my work would not be the same.
When I first bumped into Calle in the gardens of Drottningholm in Sweden I did not know he would be accompanying me on new adventures, but the location made us connect and he has been exploring cities with me ever since.
My very first IG image was shot on location, a simple selfie in the mountains. And then there was Smögen, the dragon. If I would not have traveled to the Swedish west coast this weekend, I would never had the opportunity to meet this most curious dragon in its natural habit, but I still have to process the images in full, so you will have to wait to get a glimpse of this most mysterious creature.
Location is everything for me and not only the soul of today, but the inspiration of adventures to come. Without location my images would not be there and I am already looking forward to a new location in the Midwest early next year.
It is after-all about taking plastic places …
Me2
I will be exploring more of my deconstructed elements here in the coming weeks, but I am curious to see if location is equally important for you as it is for me ?
Taking plastic places.
Exploring my inner child and following Me2’s wanderlust into untold stories for generations to come.
100% Stuck In Plastic.
Recently locations have become more and more important for me. I realized that some locations do provide some special inspiration for me. As was mentioned earlier I´m feeling more and more attracted by the outside. And especially water seems to somehow having put a spell on me as I want to go back there everyday.
Maybe someday…
I also consider location as a key element of my creative process. But while it influences me positively it also does it negatively. Like Stefan mentioned there are places that influence me more than others and this kind of places have obviously a positive influence on my photography. But location is also one of the main elements that limits most my creativity. I have real difficulties finding places around me that inspires me and it’s often only when I have the opportunity to travel far away that I can find such places. It can be very frustrating because there are… Read more »