Inspiration

These days when I go into a book shop I spend less time in the photography section than before.  I’m looking for inspiration, not technical instruction anymore.  It’s not that I couldn’t still use lots of technical instruction, it just is not why I want to pick up a camera and plan a shoot.

This weekend for some reason, Gothic arches and windows were in my head.  I ended up looking at architecture, art, fashion sections in the book store and got further distracted.  My eye fell on Alexander McQueen’s Savage Beauty book, which I ended up buying.  This led me to the photographic work of Solve Sundsbo.

After lunch we dropped into the National Art Gallery which is still not fully open.  Apparently restoration work will complete in time for 2016 centenary celebrations. The Turner – Vaughan Bequest was on it’s last day of display.  I had no interest in this work, but instead enjoyed some of the works in the Hennessy Portrait Prize 2014 display.  Actually my favourite was a photograph:-)

Anyway we did not stay long and I picked up a book on the work of Vermeer on the way out.  Vermeer always impresses me because of his treatment of light not just on his subjects but in the overall setting of the image.  Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring” reminded me of another Dutch girl I had the pleasure of working with last year.  It’s amazing how a pose from 1665 is still relevant in today’s photographic world… This is Fredau without a Pearl Earring!

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