Author: Robin Davis

01/31/18

Jane Austen Actors surprise me at Villa D’Este Italy Garden

Here’s the story of what happened …and scroll down to see my best shots.

 

As I began my third visit to these dramatic fountains in the renown mannerist gardens of Villa D’Este, an unimaginable feat of hydraulic engineering from the 1500s, my mind wandered to how it must have been back then and how great it would be to have a model in period garb with me, right now. For my creative photography, I love to see a human shape added in, not necessarily as the full subject, but as an element of the overall design, a fun exercise to balance in with the shadows and shapes that an interesting scene will give you.

Well my stars must have been in alignment, and for those of you who know me, you can imagine my stunned face when a throng of historically accurate costumed Jane Austen reenactors started filing into the gardens right behind us. I actually felt faint with happiness.

Robin with Nel Mondo di Jane Austen Reenactors, Villa D'Este Tivoli Italy
I’ve just seen them coming into the Garden… so excited. Photo by William Wassell

 

After stalking them around the garden for an hour I flipped thru my images and realized that I had nothing! They were posing for each other with iPads and camera phones, and the light was blistering. It was hard to get one that did not have a selfie stick, modern tourist or cell phone showing up to ruin it.

Then I recalled my favorite spot, one particularly beautiful fountain with dramatic backlighting, and had an idea. I looped back around the gardens, terrified the group had left and that I had missed my chance, but soon I found them. Even with such kind and friendly people who had been happy for me to photograph them, there’s always that moment of shyness that strikes when asking someone to pose for you. In my excitement I’d been hurrying to approach them but then suddenly lagged back, trying hard to think of the best way to ask them in Italian, and in the correct polite way. I must have had that intense brow-furrow of concentration I get, because my intended subject suddenly turned and approached ME and asked, “Are you OK?!!” Yes I said with a smile, I have a “buon idea”! We recruited his friend to join us and headed back to my favorite spot. As we strolled down the paths, I described to them exactly what I wanted, a blending of three things…

 

#1 – these were not to be portraits, rather, they were truly the characters from Jane Austen’s book, come to life. They enthusiastically said, Si si! Yes that is exactly who we are supposed to be!

 

#2 – they were also actors as if in a moving film, with an attitude and jaunty posture. POSTURE being the key word here. These two gentlemen had that down!

 

#3 – be natural and conversational, talk as friends in a true exchange of deep and fascinating information. This is the energy between the two figures that you will see in the images below.

 

All together this was the perfect mix of direction and they were fantastic! We had a wonderful time and the Italian group is called, From the World of Jane Austen “Nel Mondo di Jane Austen”. Afterwards as we were saying goodbye, they asked how I had known they were going to be there and I replied that it was just my good fortune and such a perfect coincidence for me that we would meet… and that my lucky stars were truly right to give me just exactly what I had asked for!

 

HOW DO YOU EDIT DOWN TO YOUR FINAL BEST SHOT?

When you are fortunate to get a lot of shots that you really like it is difficult. However, I warn my students that posting too many closely similar images can be fatiguing to the viewer, and even if it is hard, you MUST choose ONE as your best. So I am going to break my CARDINAL RULE of editing here, and show you FOUR similar favorites from this short and unexpected shoot with these very kind and accommodating gentlemen.

There are elements of shadow and light, the tension between shapes, and also the energy of their posture that I found appealing in all of these. However I did finally choose just one that I printed for a recent exhibition.

Which one do you like the best?

Jane Austen Actors Surprise me at Villa d'Este Italy Garden

Two gentlemen in perfect period costume, part of a group of reenactors called Nel Mondo di Jane Austen, backlit in front of the dramatically spewing “Fountain of the Dragons” at Villa D’Este in Tivoli.

 

See Robin’s upcoming photography Workshop Schedule in ITALY and Southern FRANCE

 

 

Text and Images © Robin Davis, all rights reserved

 

 

10/26/17

Why we Love to Compose IN Camera!

After-cropping, historically an editor’s job, is an afterthought that often leads to unintentional compositional destruction, and an overly “expected” static design. Photographers preserve the full frame of the medium to create artful shapes and lines that are pleasing to their viewing audience. It is done in the energetic moment when the shot is happening. This is not just about the obvious subject alone, the sweet magic happens when foreground, subject plane, background elements (and NO unneeded distractions!) align in harmony.

 

Where Land Meets Sea and Sky Coastal Georgia Photography Photo Workshop with Robin Davis

Aligning these three simple elements within our pre-chosen format is just pure joy.

 

On our Coastal Georgia Workshop Days, there is a simple relaxed freedom in how we see our full picture frame, deciding up front whether our shots will be contained harmonically as a 2:3 (35mm) ratio, a perfect 1:1 square, or a panorama of connected squares like 1:2, 1:3, or 1:4. All of these professionally preferred formats are based on connecting squares and just naturally build pleasing forms when you actively engage the frame. The fun game we play together is to get closer and closer to the edges, while consciously cropping out distractions. It is thrilling to see the unique personality of each photographer coming through!

 

My upcoming workshops are designed to give us time to relax, see, and truly work with these powerful forms.

 

St Simons Jekyll Island Coastal Georiga PHoto Photography Workshop with Robin Davis

Marsh Storm by Robin Davis

 

Soon we are going back to the GOLDEN ISLES:

An Introspective look at Creative approaches to our Photography
as we relax and explore some HIDDEN VIEWS of COASTAL GEORGIA

 

Thank you all for being a part of the Creative Photo Movement!

 

Sign up here for email updates on more upcoming thoughts,
ideas and insights on where our photography will take us next!

 

 

all text and images ©Robin Davis, all rights reserved.

10/19/17

What Holds a Series Together? A Photographic Discussion with Robin Davis

There’s a deep satisfaction when a cohesive series comes together, and this is also a discussion I have enjoyed having with my photography students about their work.

When looking at a grouped display of multiple images, we want to give our viewers a pleasing continuity, a flow from one to the next. Beyond the subject, a consistency of tonality AND format are most important. This is what visually holds a series together, and also defines your Photographic Style.

When putting together NINE of my images for our group exhibition of NINE photographers, I looked through my recent favorites and thought about how they would fit together on the wall. As 12 inch squares, hanging in three rows of three, they would all be coming together to make one bigger SQUARE, so I began to consider TONALITY as the unifier.

 

The Show is appropriately called NINE

at pb&j Gallery in Atlanta’s Kirkwood Neighborhood

35 Howard Street SE, Atlanta, GA 30317

The Exhibition runs from Oct 21-Nov 22, 2017

open Thurs-Sat, 12-5 pm

 

 

In addition to the cool-toned limited color pallette,

Another connection is that each image has a pairing PARTNER IMAGE,

something that links it to other images within the group of NINE.

Can you figure out the PAIRS?

 

What Holds a Series Together? A Photographic Discussion with Robin Davis

The subjects are from various places, in France, Italy and the USA, and all from locations where I love to take my Photography Workshop students. These cool-tone images of blues and greens were also choosen because they worked to energetically vibrate within the true square format I was shooting with. The iPhone lets me design with the border edges, incorporating them in as the image is shot. It is also an homage to shooting with film, and the lineage of my teachers who composed fully in camera and never would have dreamed of after-cropping. This tension to the edge and seeing how close you can get is addictive! The idea of this ending edge of the “film” with the delectably thin areas of tension and separation, between objects, but also in their proximity to the edge of the frame itself are what delights my eye. How close can I get and still not go over?! It is an ongoing exercise in every shot, and sometimes you nail the moment and many times you miss. It is the fun of the challenge that keeps us trying!

 

Here is my Artist Statement for the show:

WITHIN the SQUARE – by ROBIN DAVIS
Meditative in-camera compositions, fully utilizing the perfect geometries of the divine square.

Serendipitous alignments and light coincide, as the shapes of subject and environment meld within the pre-ordained square format. Robin’s cool toned images are created in the moment, and framed as in-camera compositions, from edge to edge. There are no additional layerings, cropping or after-effects involved, and she approaches each image as a series of quickly meditated decisions, locked in with a click, the satisfaction being that there will be no other post production effects required.

This collection of nine images, printed by the artist on canvas squares, was created during some of Robin’s workshop trips, using her techniques for thoughtful image making, which she also enjoys sharing with her photo students in the US, France, and Italy.

The black-edged defining image border is also a conscious homage to the teachings of Robin’s Mentors and the long lineage of knowledge they handed down to her. In the tradition of the days of film, the inclusion of the black film’s border was an unwavering symbol of what the photographer had truly chosen to include or consciously crop out of their art… and the thought of after-cropping did not exist.

 

All images and Text ©2017 Robin Davis, all rights reserved.