Shoot What You Fear

Art is possibly the most remedial and healing hobby in existence. And yet it can also be the means by which a man's sanity is abolished. An obsession, if you will, that parasitically torments the host, while simultaneously outputting marvelous work. The artist ultimately determines whether his tool - be it a paintbrush or a camera - is a flower or a handgun.

On a personal level, the camera is a hammer with which I chisel out a trophy of courage. In other words, I take photographs of things - animate and inanimate alike - that make me feel uncomfortable. I used to be tense and maladroit around people and in social settings. Now that I have been photographing people and social gatherings for 2 years, I can proudly say that I enjoy being with people more than anything, and have boldly conquered my trepidation. That's one significant reason for my exclusive interest in photography over other forms of art such as drawing or painting; from past experience I can say that many art mediums isolate the artist from community, from other people, while photography is capable of just the opposite.

Once one discovers this freeing aspect of photography, it truly becomes a lifestyle of sorts; it becomes a journey within the realms of your innermost being. If you are daunted by spiders, then grab a macro lens and a camera and shoot spiders, all different types, colors, shapes, and sizes. If you fear being alone in the dark, go outside at midnight with a camera and a tripod, and let the creative impulse cast out all fear. Just as the sensor of a camera absorbs light particles, it is also capable of enveloping the entities that frighten you most.

Social Gatherings

As a photographer of 4 1/2 years, I have had a taste of many genres of photography. I started out as a landscape photographer, but incrementally I adjusted my focus towards people and events. It was about 2 years ago when I first plunged into the field of event photography. You may be wondering, "So what exactly is the appeal to event photography?" To that I would say that each event is an entirely new experience. I never know what to expect. Sometimes the events turn out less than ideal. Other times I feel that there is nowhere else I would rather be. Every once in a great while, I will be photographing an event and will feel that wherever I point my camera lens, I am guaranteed to capture a magnificent shot. More often I find myself in the opposite situation, standing in a room with very little light and very little space. And yet I feel fulfilled so often when I photograph these events. Even though I almost always walk into the event as a stranger, I often leave having formed great friendships. Interestingly, the events in which I actively engage with the environment and converse with the people are always the events from which I derive the best images. When I take the more passive approach, and lazily wait for the decisive moment to affix itself in front of my camera lens, I leave the event unfulfilled and also with a regretful feeling. For me, to be an event photographer means to probe the entire locale keenly hunting for quintessential illustrations of golden vignettes of the human condition. As it says in my artist statement, I try to answer the question of 'what does it mean to be human?' through my photography. A major puzzle piece that forms part of the answer to this question can be found amidst social gatherings. After all, a critical part of being human is spending time in community with others.

Complacent Blindness

Lately I have been dissatisfied with the quality of the photographs I produce. While looking at the work of other photographers of the same age, I felt as if their abilities outweigh mine. I began questioning myself, wondering if I could really obtain a successful career as a photographer. Do I have what it takes? How will I ever be able to support myself, or a family of my own? Such questions painfully resided in my mind.

     As I mull this over in my head, I am starting to see some positive results of my current state. I am not truly disappointed with my own work, rather I long to further improve and cultivate the skills that I currently posses. I now see that I have been complacent with my photographic work, and such a state of mind will not take me very far. I am happy to say that now I am grateful for this occurrence that freed me from the blindness that spews forth from a complacent man. How will I ever get better if I am not pushing myself to try new techniques?

What It Means to be Human

 An often overlooked flaw that many artists - deceased and living - have in common is to go through their life creating art just for the fun of it. While there is no inherent harm in enjoying the process of art, I feel that if one is going to dedicate his/her life to producing art, then (s)he will have more purposeful endeavors if (s)he has a penultimate and overarching goal. Whether that goal is a question, idea, belief, or any other type of message is totally dependent on the artist's preference.

 I am currently in the middle of the tedious process of college applications, an activity that causes one to reflect on their past, present, and future life. A midst this weighty task, I have been scavenging the depths of my mind to really ask myself what I am trying to accomplish through my photographic endeavors. As foolish as it may seem, I honestly have never just sat down and asked myself that dreaded question, until now. As I was going through some of my favorite images, I began to see an underlying theme: There was a person in the majority of my most prized photographs. And that's when it struck me; I really enjoy taking pictures of people! Shortly after I realized my favorite subject to photograph, I began to ponder how I could incorporate people into the question that I will try to answer through my photography. And then the idea struck me: I will answer the question of: "What does it mean to be human?" through my photography. While I do not yet have a response to said question, I am striving to answer that inquiry- one photo at a time. By documenting the entire emotional hue of humanity - from the darkest moments, to the brightest triumphs - I will start to piece together and elucidate the answer to my question.

   

Slack-Lining at Its Finest.

Shot at 18mm, ISO 200, 1/1000sec. @ f/6.3

Carpinteria State Beach. We spent many summer mornings balancing on these slack-lines. One must reach a mental state somewhat similar to nirvana to become skillful at this activity. A distraction-free climate like the beach -with waves gently caressing the seashore - cultivates the concentration one needs in order to master the art of slack-lining.

Equipment Reviews

Hey all you photographers out there!

In case you're planning on buying some Canon products in the near future, here's a couple reviews I wrote on various pieces of Canon equipment for photo.net that may be helpful.

Canon EF 75-300mm:  http://photo.net/equipment/product-reviews?product_id=2065

Canon EOS 7D: http://photo.net/equipment/product-reviews?product_id=7724

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8: http://photo.net/equipment/product-reviews?product_id=504

Skies of Blue Hues

Last semester, one of the highlights for me was bringing my camera to hiking class, and documenting our adventures.
There is something about hiking in the wilderness that really pushes humans to new limits, both physically and spiritually, while also reminding us that life is not meant to always be busy and loud. Silence and rest are two vital, yet rare necessities that are fading away in our world. Spending time in nature, either alone or with companions, puts things back into perspective for me.

                                                                                

                                                                                 

                                                                                                             

People's Passions

Everyone has things which inspire them; part of human nature is the need for sustenance. Some of the things I am passionate about include my Christian faith, my education, music, and photography. What are you sustained by?

Blue & Yellow

 The unification of colors in the images above portray the bond these two birds at the Santa Barbara Zoo seemed to share. Sometimes I feel like we as humans could learn a thing or two from animals and their behaviors. 

Trees

This past weekend I finished creating a hardcover photo-book titled Trees. This 20-page coffee-table book contains some very evocative & emotion-filled images that I've created in the last couple years. After all, emotions are what we feed off of, in a sense; emotions are at the heart of what it means to be a person. It's what distinguishes us from machines of all sorts.

I am very excited to get my photo book in the mail any day now! This will be my second photo book. Here's a couple images that are in the book...

P.S. - here's the website that I used to make my photo book: http://www.photobin.com/ (Not nearly as good as blurb.com , in my opinion at least. But hey, maybe some of you out there will try it out and enjoy the site more than I did!). Also, if you'd like to grab a copy, just shoot me an email @ daviddobreski@yahoo.com.

Eager

An eager customer awaits his late-night treat.

I shot this photo on a missions trip to Antalya, Turkey a couple summers ago (The summer of 2010). As I was walking along the luminescent yellow pyramid of corn caught my eye, and I composed this shot in about a second or so. I was pleased with the anticipation portrayed through the customer, and the innocent simplicity of the vendor. 

Sunday Afternoon

As I was walking around the Four Seasons Hotel, I was trying to capture the essence of it, namely, its grandiosity. Although this is just about half of the hotel, I think it does justice to the tremendous hotel.

Renewal

The hummingbird is a unique creature. These angelic birds seem to hover to and fro, never causing anyone harm. Although these little animals are usually really timid, they can be tamed to a certain degree. If you put a hummingbird feeder filled with nectar right by your window, keep your eyes open for a little visitor.

As I was walking on this trail right by my house, I noticed this little hummingbird watching me from a tree branch. His interest in me was overtaken by his addiction to nectar.

Muses of Nature

Why is it that so often when we look at elements in nature our imaginations wander and we begin to see things that are not really there? For instance, people gaze up at the blue sky accompanied by white fluffy clouds and imagine them to be a small dog or the face of a loved one, or some other figment of their imagination.

Within the frame above, my mind chisels out dozens of figures (faces, animals, designs, etc.) from the rocks. As an artist, I draw a significant amount of inspiration from nature.

Welcome Home...

A mysterious, locked door. Built in the early 1900''s, this once-attractive cottage is now fading away, almost as quickly as our memories of the past.

Inspiration Point

Hiking is an interesting sport. Sometimes you feel like passing out and just giving up, and other times you feel like king of the world. Personally, I find inspiration and motivation whenever I come across sweeping vistas, grandiose panoramas, and other  tremendous sights. Going on hikes really puts everything back into perspective for me, and I realize how puny I am compared to the grand scheme of it all.

Bliss

A couple of my favorite images from a photo-shoot with the Young family.Sam enjoying grass half his height.There is something really special about young kids; the worry-free and lighthearted spirits of kids is often rejuvenating. There is something special about people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6. After all, they are the ones that are closest to Heaven.

Folklore Galore

Often times when I am photographing a live concert, I try to mirror the sound which the band is producing through my images, in hopes of giving the viewer of my images a taste of what the performance was like. Here I tried to create a climactic, yet playful photo to mimic the vivaciously individualistic group. In this photograph, a Santa Barbara-based band called Finger Folk electrifies the crowd with one of their most popular songs.