James Troi's Visual Diary

One can always find humour in sad times, it’s what makes the moments bearable. This sign found in a car part in New Orleans is a prime example of a found photo opportunity. With the flow of water still cascading down it would have been a missed photo in 10 or 20 minutes.

Often we’re task focused, we have a set of shots we expect to get and we go for those shots. This photo shows it’s important for us to be aware of our surroundings and always on the lookout for the images we haven’t thought about.

Taken August 30, 2005 by Marty Bahamonde/FEMA found on the Boston Globe’s Big Picture “Remembering Katrina, five years ago”

Nasty scars on the face of the Earth in favour of humans. Sure it’s “sustainable” pine plantations but they aren’t really sustainable.

We don’t live with nature, we make nature live for us and it’s a little bit wrong.

So very true. Art and our Photography is so subjective. We can easily create something with an intention of it meaning something in particular, only to have the viewer see something completely different.

I’ve recently been advised that the way we view a photo is strongly influenced by our life situation. Your race, gender, sexuality, religion and life experiences can all have an impact on the message you get from the art you view.

Guess it’s something pretty obvious but still very important to consider when you create a piece of art. Know your intended audience and do what you deem necessary to connect with them through your work.

This comic strip is called What the Duck. It’s funny and brilliant.

Great lighting, great movement and the water and blues are beautiful.

Joseph Kahn is an inspirational person. He’s an awesome music video director and I have to say watching his stuff has my shutter finger fluttering more towards a much faster shutter movement.

This shot taken from his most recent video from Eminem and Rihanna song “Love the way you lie”.

The video as a whole is pretty cool. Not my favourite one of Joseph’s videos, but that’s manly because of the subject matter. I do enjoy it as a work of art.

Watch the Clip or visit Joseph Kahn’s Site

Another music video inspiration I’ve actually started to mock up a small set like this for still photos. I think it will look great for a fashion shoot with the light streaming through an extremely light haze from a smoke machine.

If I owned power tools this so would have been done already, I’m investigating options.

So it’s not this particular image that I like, more so the concept behind the set and lighting choices.

This video Janet Jackson’s “Rock With You”.

Music Video Inspiration

Have you ever tried to capture a frame from a music video playing on your iPhone, it’s hard to get the frame you want!

Of late I’ve become a fan of close-ups like this, no I’m not looking to shoot music videos (yet) but find photographic inspiration in all sorts of mediums and have found myself watching a lot of music videos of late.

I’m especially taken with the work of Joseph Khan.

So yeah, I’ll be looking to replicate this type of shot. I really like the extreme widescreen of the one of P!nk below.

I’ve had this image stuck up on my wall at work for over a year. It’s from the hand out for the 2009 Loreal Melbourne Fashion Festival and featured as a fold-out cover, hence the fold line running through the image (which is more pronounced in this scan than in the original).

The high key nature of the photo is stunning. The make up artists work with the colour is exquisite and the model is a perfect canvas.

I’m wondering how much post work has been done with this one, given the model appears to have no hair, and her features are flawless. Regardless it’s an image I admire.

Taken from the Docklands magazine that I pick up near work, I really like this photo of singer Kate Ceberano.

The tilt of her head, her joyful expression and close crop all make this a great photo to me. My enjoyment of the photo is futher enhanced as there has been no obvious over-the-top post production applied to the shot. I’m sure there has been some, but they haven’t digitally botoxed her forehead, the lines under her eyes nor the smile lines around her mouth, it keeps the photo looking natural.