Alright, so I wanted to talk about this thing I tried a while back. I got super into Faye Guenther’s photography. You know, her stuff? It’s got this… vibe. And I thought, “Hey, I can totally do that!” Famous last words, right?
So, I decided I’d dedicate a weekend to it. My grand plan: grab my camera, find a nice spot, and capture that dreamy, almost painterly look she nails every single time. Seemed straightforward enough. I’d seen a bunch of her photos, thought I had a good handle on the lighting, the soft focus, all that jazz.
Day one was a bit of a mess, honestly. I went out, found this field, sun was setting – perfect, I thought. But getting that soft, diffused light she often has? Way harder than it looks. My shots were either too blown out or just flat. I fiddled with my settings for what felt like ages. My subject (my long-suffering friend) was starting to give me that look.
- I tried shooting wide open, you know, for that blurry background. Got a lot of out-of-focus shots, not in the cool, artistic way.
- Then I thought, maybe it’s the post-processing. So I took a bunch of ‘okay-ish’ photos back home, thinking I’d work magic on the computer.
Spent a good few hours trying to mimic her color grading. Her colors are subtle but have this depth. Mine just looked… muddy. Or like I’d slapped on a generic filter. It was frustrating, man. I was looking at her work, then at my screen, and just shaking my head. It’s not just about the tools, is it? It’s about the eye.
The next day, I tried a different approach. Less about copying exactly, and more about catching a similar feeling. I focused more on the mood, the interaction with the subject, rather than just the technical bits. I still didn’t nail it, not by a long shot. But I got a couple of shots that had a tiny hint of something I liked. Not Faye Guenther, but… me, trying.
So, what did I learn? Well, for one, appreciating an artist’s work is one thing, trying to replicate it is a whole other ball game. It’s a good kick in the pants, makes you realize the skill and vision involved. It’s not just pointing and shooting. There’s so much more to it. I still love her work, maybe even more now, knowing how much goes into it. My own attempts were, uh, a learning experience, let’s call it that. Definitely made me respect the craft a lot more.