Well I haven’t posted anything in a couple days. I have been busy meeting people, plotting my next move, and reading a lot. The above is a composite/collage I made from some of my photographs shot over the past several years. It kind of shows that I am not someone that is hung up on a particular style, method, or subject. I used this collage as a backdrop for my Photography Twitter Page (@photoindica). If you have been following me on my @pkoduri Twitter account please consider following @photoindica.
We all go through life making connections and building relationships. These relationships could be with other humans, animals, and even inanimate things. How many of us haven’t given a name to our car or talk about our electronic devices as if they were a person. This bond is especially strong between humans and animals. We humans depend on them for just about everything – food, clothing, even work.
The above photograph was captured in Downtown Indianapolis near Monument Circle. You will find many of these horse drawn carriages parked around the circle waiting for passengers. Sometimes you see a couple out on a romantic evening and at other times you see kids just enjoying the ride. The passengers change all the time, but the horse and the carriageman stay the same. They enjoy a special bond and you can see it in how they communicate and respond to each other. I took this photograph after walking around the circle a few times. I did not have any expectations as to what I wanted to photograph that day. But when I saw this scene playing out in front of me I knew I had something special.
Don’t we all love landscapes, images of birds and animals – the more color the better. There are times however when you can create a powerful image without having any of those elements and letting your emotions guide you. Like in the photograph above – it is practically a duotone image. All you see are black of the branches and the raven and white of the sky.
I took this photograph on my way to an early morning class at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business in Bloomington. I just looked up and there it was (I am still debating if it is raven that I saw or a crow) sitting all by itself on a leafless tree set against a clear winter sky. Looking through the viewfinder (I believe it was a Nikon FM2N Camera) I settled on this composition for its simplicity and probably the emotional state I was in at that time.
I will be honest business school was no fun. Don’t get me wrong – the classes and the faculty were wonderful, however at times I felt like I was living my high school years again. Even though you were surrounded by classmates you felt lonely and the pressure to conform was too much. This image was probably a result of that emotional and mental state I was in at that time.
I was telling someone over lunch that photography changed the way I look at the world. Before I purchased my first camera, I would go around my business, never took in my surroundings, and almost always never interacted with locals. That changed after I started photographing, I started noticing and appreciating my surroundings more and more. When I look at a building I wonder what was the architect thinking when he drew the plans. When I look at an old and decaying tree stump I try to look for the beauty in its rotting structure. That was the case when I took the photo above. I was coming back from a weekend trip to Lake Patoka about which I blogged last year and instead of barreling down the interstate I decided to take one of the side roads. This road was not paved at all. It was gravel and the going was a bit rough. As I kept driving down this path I noticed this meadow to my left and how beautiful it looked as the sun was rising. I pulled to the side of the road, set up my camera, and got to work before the sun got too high and the light too harsh. The camera I used was a Hasselblad 500C/M with a 60mm Distagon Lens + Polarizer and the film used was Fuji NPC160 Color Print Film. I am sure many have driven down that gravel road before, but I don’t think anyone ever stopped where I did and took a photograph to preserve that moment in time and space. This photo has given me ideas for other projects that I plan to pursue this year.
Your landscapes are around you. You don’t have to travel to some exotic locale or National Park – look around you, keep your camera handy, and more importantly keep your eyes open.
I love dogs, we have three of them (2 Jack Russell Terriers and a Dachshund). Our dogs always seem to know when we are happy, sad, or sick. They do not mind getting harassed by a hyperactive toddler or ignored when work and life gets in the way. They keep our feet warm while we type away on the computer or watching TV. The simple act of walking ones dog seems to melt ones worries away. To me it is a sacred ritual – one that strengthens the bond between a man/woman and his/her dog.
I heard on Twitter that the Indianapolis Museum of Art, one of my favorite places to hangout with my camera, announced a competition to select a blogger for the 2010 season. My first reaction was cool – I should try out for it. I had written a few blog posts based on my experiences at the IMA and I continue to draw inspiration every time I visit the museum. One experience in particular set off a chain of events that resulted in a photograph that I consider to be one of my favorites. The IMA had an exhibit last year titled: On the Road Again with Jack Kerouac and Robert Frank . The exhibit had on display 83 photographs taken by Robert Frank which were accompanied by a 120 feet long original typescript of Jack Kerouac’s novel “On The Road”. Jack Kerouac is said to have written this novel under the influence of drugs and caffeine over a period of 20 days.
My curiosity aroused I went over to the nearest Public Library and borrowed “The Americans”, a collection of photos by Robert Frank some of which were on display at the IMA as part of the exhibit. I spent several days pouring over the photographs, studying them, and hoping to learn to see the world as Robert Frank did through his camera. Several months later I saw an opportunity to do what Robert Frank did but on a very small scale. The Indiana State Fair just started and I thought that this would be a perfect place to photograph people from different parts of the state and socioeconomic backgrounds. You can read more about that project on my blog post: The Americans (PK Edition) [Images from The Indiana State Fair 2009]. The composite from that project is below:
You see if I did not go to the IMA that day I would have never heard about Robert Frank or Jack Kerouac. I would have never had the inspiration to do a project like this. It is for this very reason I keep going back to the IMA.
So IMA staff – if you are reading this blog post please please please consider me to be your next blogger.
I have never been happy with the way my photography website looked. My options were limited on the 3rd party Photography Website front as well, either the services were too expensive or too constraining. I also did not have the budget to pay a kid to design a gee whiz website. On top of that I found pretty much all photography websites had the same flash heavy layout with annoying music. It has gotten to the point that I have my speakers on mute before I venture out on the web.
I wanted a website that was different and one that I could maintain without much of a hassle all while costing me nothing but an annual hosting fees. I looked at Wordpress as an option on a shared hosting service. I did not have the skills to pull it off. I finally decided on a combination that has worked well so far. I used iWeb from Apple to design my website and Slideshow Pro for Lightroom for Slideshows and Slideshow Pro Director as my Image Management Solution. The whole process took me about a day and a half to setup and go live. I admit that I do have some rudimentary knowledge of servers and such so your best solution might still be to go with one of the services. I am still not sure how well my website is doing on search engines, and that is one reason why continue to use Wordpress for my Blog. I do however lack some of the nice features that come with other services such as SEO and Shopping Carts, Client Portfolios etc. But I will cross that bridge when I get there.
Ever wonder where people go to take a vacation from a vacation? I think I found the answer this past weekend at the White Oaks Cabins near Patoka Lake. White Oaks Cabins are located right in the heart of the Hoosier National Forest in Taswell IN, a 3 hour 170 mile car ride from Indianapolis. White Oaks was founded by Bob Cadwallader, a veteran social worker, in 1995 on 45 acres of land he had originally acquired to build a homeless children’s shelter.
Those plans changed due to some unforeseen bureaucratic challenges and White Oaks was born. Bob, a very spiritual man and in tune with nature, is proud of his Welch ancestry. One can find ample evidence in the names that he chose for his cabins and the various paths around the property.
I got to White Oaks after Sun down and I immediately the number of stars in the night sky. It is as if someone just turned on a bazillion little LEDs all at once. I stared at them for a few moments before being greeted by one of Bob’s assistants (I apologize for not remembering her name). The office was warm and welcoming and Bob made me feel right at home. We talked for a few minutes and he handed me a few guest books to read. His point was simple – rather than have him tell me why White Oaks was a special place he let his guests do the talking. I read through some that night and more the following morning over breakfast. What I quickly learnt was that for some folks coming to White Oaks was like therapy. They chose to come there for a variety of reasons – mend broken relationships, rekindle friendships, family reunions, de-stress, or just to get away from it all. Almost all of them left feeling better than when they came.
I was lucky enough to stay at Castle Genevieve, a cabin Bob built to honor the memory of his Grand Parents Anthony and Genevieve. A notable feature of the cabin is the 35 foot tower aptly named “Tower of Anthony” which looks great at night when lit.
The cabin is well appointed with a kitchen and comfortably sleeps a family or group of six. The decor is eclectic and one can even find a replica of a medieval sword going up the stairs to the bedrooms. A word of warning to those that cannot live without TV or Internet – there are no televisions or internet access. You will be lucky to get a cell phone signal , which I found out could be quite tricky. I had what one could describe as “withdrawal” symptoms. It felt wired to not have a TV running in the background or some other electronic noise.
The next day I woke up to the sound of birds and a gentle breeze outside. The weather was perfect and a balmy 70 degrees. I visited the main office once more before heading out to the lake. I was greeted at the entrance to the office by Bob’s Chocolate Lab “Big Red”.
Short on time I decided to visit Marengo Caves which were just a few miles away. Southern Indiana is known for its rich geological features and the caves are a treasure. Since I had my daughter Mira with me I took the shorter “Crystal Palace” tour which lasted about 45 minutes. The views are breathtaking and it is amazing that there is so much geological activity going on even today. The temperature inside the cave was an even 52 degrees – which answers the question as to where the cavemen chilled their beer .
I drove around for a little while trying to look for a place to eat. You will quickly find out that there are none of the “modern” amenities that us city folks are used to such as McDonalds or Subway. I ended up all the way in French Lick before I found a place. I should have asked for Bob’s advice before heading out about food places – may be next time. French Lick is home to the renowned West Baden Springs Hotel. I did not get a chance to tour the place as I had to meet some family back at the cabin. Later that evening we made a camp fire out in the meadow and cooked some hotdogs and bratwurst. We also made some smores and had a great time. I woke up the next day wishing I could stay there longer but life waits and it doesn’t like to be put on hold. I went by the office one last time to checkout and return the guest books. As I drove down the gravel path towards the exit I made a promise to myself, like many others before me that came to White Oaks, that I will be back.
For More Information Contact:
Bob Cadwallader
Information: (812) 338-3120 / Reservations: (877) 338-3120
White Oaks Cabins
2140 North Morgan Road
Taswell, Indiana 47175
Credits:
Accommodations Provided by:
White Oaks Cabins
2140 North Morgan Road
Taswell, Indiana 47175
I saw this outdoor advertisement in the parking lot of Robert’s Camera, Downtown Indianapolis several days ago and thought it was funny. I did not think too much about it but yesterday I took a photo with my Blackberry and decided to dig into it a little bit. It did not take me too long to get the backstory. Apparently it was a viral marketing campaign for one of Court TV’s programs (Via Snopes) I will admit that it worked on me. I came home, turned the computer on, and tried to find out more about the billboard. I think this is a clever use of outdoor advertising to drive traffic and build awareness.
I don’t know about you but when I am working on my photos in photoshop I rarely follow a set path. The first 3 or 4 steps may be the same form photo to photo but I eventually start going on several different directions until I find a look that I like. The above is a photo of Mira that I took in my home studio and put it through my own random post-processing routine. The below version is the original.
PK is a marketer, thinker, and fine art photographer from Indianapolis, IN. This blog is a primary source of information on all his projects and personal thoughts on photography and any other subject that grabs his attention. And yes you will see the occasional off-topic post on here as well.
![Solitary Raven on a Tree Branch [Letting our emotions guide us in the photography process]](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2711/4253259201_ac7fda0b6e_o.jpg)
, which I found out could be quite tricky. I had what one could describe as “withdrawal” symptoms. It felt wired to not have a TV running in the background or some other electronic noise.
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I saw this outdoor advertisement in the parking lot of Robert’s Camera, Downtown Indianapolis several days ago and thought it was funny. I did not think too much about it but yesterday I took a photo with my Blackberry and decided to dig into it a little bit. It did not take me too long to get the backstory. Apparently it was a viral marketing campaign for one of Court TV’s programs (
