Daniel Sroka Open Studio » New Photographs http://blog.danielsroka.com Watch behind the scenes as fine art nature photographer Daniel Sroka tries to make a living from his art. Blow-by-blow excitement! Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:06:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 abstracts of a fading tulip http://blog.danielsroka.com/work-in-progress/abstracts-of-a-fading-tulip.htm http://blog.danielsroka.com/work-in-progress/abstracts-of-a-fading-tulip.htm#comments Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:03:38 +0000 Daniel Sroka http://blog.danielsroka.com/?p=703 P.S. You should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

abstracts of a fading tulip

]]> We bought some tulips over the weekend, and while they bloomed quickly, they began to fade just as fast. This photograph was an attempt to capture the flowers before they completely wilted.

Fading Tulip I by Daniel Sroka

This second photograph focuses on the same petal, the same curling edge, just with a slightly different interpretation. (Amazing – I just realized I spent 6 hours today contemplating this small detail of this flower!)

Fading Tulip II by Daniel Sroka

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abstracts of a fading tulip

]]> http://blog.danielsroka.com/work-in-progress/abstracts-of-a-fading-tulip.htm/feed 3 abstract of a fallen leaf http://blog.danielsroka.com/work-in-progress/abstract-of-a-fallen-leaf.htm http://blog.danielsroka.com/work-in-progress/abstract-of-a-fallen-leaf.htm#comments Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:44:47 +0000 Daniel Sroka http://blog.danielsroka.com/?p=686 P.S. You should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

abstract of a fallen leaf

]]> This is a new abstract I have been working on for the past couple of days. A quiet piece, contemplating the curves and forms of dried leaf from last autumn.

Abstract of a fallen leaf by Daniel Sroka

I have spent most of this time exploring the quick, white line in the dagger-like shape in the middle of the leaf. I found that subtle shifts to one side or the other of that detail would alter the mood of the piece. Maybe not so much that anyone else would notice, but enough to change the nature of the piece for me. I may continue exploring that tiny world a little longer to see what else I find.

Added later that day:

Another abstract of that same leaf

I did continue to work on that leaf, spending the whole day just exploring all it’s hidden details and character.



P.S. You should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

abstract of a fallen leaf

]]> http://blog.danielsroka.com/work-in-progress/abstract-of-a-fallen-leaf.htm/feed 2 finding needles in a haystack http://blog.danielsroka.com/work-in-progress/finding-needles-in-a-haystack.htm http://blog.danielsroka.com/work-in-progress/finding-needles-in-a-haystack.htm#comments Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:35:14 +0000 Daniel Sroka http://blog.danielsroka.com/?p=557 P.S. You should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

finding needles in a haystack

]]> In preparation for my fall newsletter, I’ve continued to pour through the photographs I have taken over the past spring and summer, looking for the best ones to add to my online collection. It is quite a task! Over the months, I have photographed countless subjects: flowers, leaves, sticks, seeds, and so on. And each of these photo shoots might have anywhere from 10 to 30 variations: each image representing a subtle change in color, focus or mood. Choosing the best one out of all those options is an exhausting and time-consuming process! You have to go through each photo step by step, comparing them to each other, working with them, trying to see which has potential and which does not.

Slowly, you winnow out the less good ones, and are left with a smaller and smaller pile of the best photographs. Although this process is tiring, I enjoy it because it gives me a fresh perspective on my work. When you are deep in the middle of a photo shoot, it can be hard to really see what you’ve created. So I like to be able to step back, take some time, and let the photographs “ferment” a while. They never fail to surprise me. Photographs that felt uninspired at first begin to reveal hidden depths. And photographs that I loved the instant I took them can become even stronger and more focused. Below are a number of photographs I’ve been working on over the past few days:

Abstract of a fallen leaf

Abstract of a fallen leaf

Abstract of a sunflower

Abstract of a sunflower

Abstract of a fallen leaf

Abstract of a fallen leaf

Abstract of a sunflower

Abstract of a sunflower

P.S. You should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

finding needles in a haystack

]]> http://blog.danielsroka.com/work-in-progress/finding-needles-in-a-haystack.htm/feed 7 in anticipation of fall http://blog.danielsroka.com/work-in-progress/in-anticipation-of-fall.htm http://blog.danielsroka.com/work-in-progress/in-anticipation-of-fall.htm#comments Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:48:49 +0000 Daniel Sroka http://blog.danielsroka.com/?p=542 P.S. You should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

in anticipation of fall

]]> Quickly, fall is upon us. The leaves are just begining to change colors, with only the first few being shaken out of the trees by today’s unexpectedly strong wind. In anticipation of this year’s leaf “harvest”, I began clearing my studio of all of the leaves, sticks, and seeds that I collected last year, but that never made it into a photograph.

Recline I, an abstraction of a fallen leaf

Recline I, an abstraction of a fallen leaf

I’ve also been combing through my photographs from the past year, trying to get my computer ready for new work. The two photographs in this post come from a shoot I did last February, of a simple, curling leaf. I liked them, but it wasn’t until I revisited them this week that they really came alive.

Recline II, an abstraction of a fallen leaf

Recline II, an abstraction of a fallen leaf

After a few days of work, they really discovered their own “voices”. I enjoy how they share similarities in composition, yet how the differences in texture, focus, and light bring out their own distinct personalities.



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in anticipation of fall

]]> http://blog.danielsroka.com/work-in-progress/in-anticipation-of-fall.htm/feed 3 a little help from your friends http://blog.danielsroka.com/work-in-progress/a-little-help-from-your-friends.htm http://blog.danielsroka.com/work-in-progress/a-little-help-from-your-friends.htm#comments Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:15:26 +0000 Daniel Sroka http://blog.danielsroka.com/?p=517 P.S. You should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

a little help from your friends

]]> Sometimes you need the help of friends and peers to see the potential in your own art. I had spent yesterday photographing some flowers we picked up at the farmers market last weekend. But after several hours of work, I was growing frustrated. Nothing was clicking: the flowers were not inspiring me, and the resulting photographs were feeling flat. Calling it a day, I half-heartedly posted one of the photographs to Twitter.

©Daniel Sroka

©Daniel Sroka

But when I checked in later that evening, I was surprised to find that my photograph had actually gotten more compliments and “re-tweets” than any other I have posted to Twitter:

Their enthusiasm not only gave me a much-needed lift, it encouraged me to re-examine the work I had been so ready to dismiss. And surprise, I actually discovered some gems hiding out amid the rubble. Being an artist can be a lonely profession. But sometimes, the small connections you make can really surprise you.

P.S. You should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

a little help from your friends

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