Single Photo Friday:: Graveyard Walk

Many years ago, while attending Ithaca College as a photo major, I learned about a style of shooting known as 'shooting from the hip.' It is safe to say that this was a turning point for me in falling more in love with photography, and learning about my own personal style.

I can clearly remember doing the assignment with one of my classmates. While I got more and more excited, she got more and more frustrated. I had walked into my comfort zone, she was very far from hers. I would say it was a pivotal moment for both of us in that sense. She turned more and more to the lighting studio after that, while I kept my camera at my hip and took to the streets.

Shooting from the hip can literally happen with your camera around your neck, dangling at your hip and very far from your eye. Push the shutter without looking through the lens, develop your black & white film, and find 36 surprises. Or, so it would go back in 1990whatever. The element of surprise was part of what I loved about it.

The other side is how much it teaches you about your equipment. You start to see things in terms of whatever lens you are using, which is crucial for a photographer anyway. It almost seems to speed up your ability to learn about and make that piece of equipment work for you. Almost 20 years later and I'm still using the technique, though it varies and is often not dangling at my hip (except when it is). Lately, my camera strap gets wrapped around my wrist (just in case..) and that camera is put on the ground or into a bush or on some hard surface that has caught my eye. Pavement, rock and brick walls, rusted fences, piles of leaves... there are just so many places to try out!

So, the other day there was frost on the ground and an electrician in my house. When he shut the power down my camera and I went for a walk. I have often shot with a wide lens when shooting from or around the hip, but this time I put on the 85mm and walked through the graveyard. Yes, my camera went on the ground, into the frosted leaves, next to someone's grave, to get that shot you see here. It is my favorite from that day's photo excursion. And yet another reminder of why I love my 85 so much!


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