Much of what I do as a photographer involves planning, e-mailing, meeting, and all the non-creative logistics behind the photography before even picking up a camera. Consequently, my creative mind often needs a reset.
I recently chose to spend some time in the Case Library and Geyer Center for Information Technology — a reset in the form of a visual walkabout. I wanted to enter the library and not think too hard about what I wanted to find or photograph, letting the environment speak to me.
I explored using the stacks, windows, and doorways in the library as framing devices while also looking at patterns and figures reflected in glass surfaces. The large balcony on the fifth floor worked well to make perpendicular overhead photographs of a third floor study space.
Not every image I take is supposed to be successful. More often than not, the photograph may just be a visual experiment. But, the day I stop being inquisitive is the day I should worry.