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| (c) Colleen Henderson |
Your new show, DAILY DIFFERENCES, contains images you created over the past five years during periods of deliberate daily shooting. What drove you to begin this project? It was a convergence of two things. A “contemplative photography” class I took on a whim, and my longtime interest in pursuing a “365 Project.” Contemplative photography is a way of stepping back and looking at everyday things, even those that are mundane, with fresh eyes to find beauty within them. At the time, my photographic roots lay firmly in black & white land and seascapes, and night images of DC. When I felt daring, I allowed myself some latitude by exploring in color, but otherwise I followed a predictable path when making my art. My exploration of contemplative photography was meant to push me outside of my comfort zone and continue my creative development.
My first assignment was to spend three hours meandering through Cleveland Park, a Washington, D.C. neighborhood, and bring back 10 photographs for “show & tell”. For the first few hours, I wandered, wondering what I could possibly see and capture that was worthy of sharing and would not reveal me as a photographer fraud. But then something happened. Images began to appear before my eyes—faster than I could click the shutter. Over the course of three days I saw—and photographed—my world in ways I’d never imagined.
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| (c) Colleen Henderson |
Where does the 365 Project come in? About the same time, I’d been toying with the idea of a embarking on a “365 Project,” a concept that can be traced back to Jim Brandenburg, a National Geographic Society photographer. In the late 1990’s, Jim challenged himself to make one photograph each day for 90 days. The results were published in a 1998 book, Chasing the Light. The images and concept really struck a chord with me and I imagined embarking on a similar project some day. In addition to making images, I also teach fine art photography, and one day I suggested to the members of a class that they consider undertaking a 365 Project. As fate would have it one student embraced the idea and invited (read: challenged!) me to join her. The timing was right, and besides, how could I refuse? The rest is history.
You’ve taken this project much further than 365 days. What’s kept you going? I’ve been shooting daily images and sharing them on Facebook on and off for 5 years now. The rewards have been manifold. I have many new images that otherwise would not have been made, but I expected that. What I didn’t foresee was the impact it’s had on my photography. I see and compose better. I judge less and reveal more. I have more clarity of purpose. I better understand light, and how the camera records it. I’m more mindful of my immediate surroundings. And I’m more playful, confident and creative.
Do you set out to shoot each day or do you always have a camera with you and just photograph something when it strikes you? It varies, but more often than not, my shots are something I capture as I go about my daily business. Coffee and Cream, one of my favorites from the series, was taken when I noticed the juxtaposition of two coffee cups on my counter. Another well-received image in the show captures cherries on a plate in my kitchen. Others, such as Skeleton Tree and Sentinels were taken out in the field during dedicated photo shoots, the former during a workshop I was running in Charleston, South Carolina, and the latter during a sunrise shoot at the U.S. Capitol.
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| (c) Colleen Henderson |
Do you ever worry about running out of material? Not if I stay true to the teachings of contemplative photography. There is always something to capture if we open our minds and eyes to the beauty around us. We can even capture the same thing multiple times, but in different ways, which fosters our creativity.
Your show includes framed fine art prints and beautiful, limited edition, hand bound, books that showcase your images. Why did you opt for that format? I’ve been studying the art of bookmaking for 15 years and wanted to combine my passion for photography with my love of creating small, handmade books. There’s something about holding an image in your hand that’s much more intimate than simply viewing it on a wall, behind glass, and I wanted to create that experience for people. The books are made of Italian silk, smooth gray suede, and handmade Bhutanese paper, all of it bound together with a special Coptic stitch that allows the book to lay flat when open. The books are available in limited editions of five.
DAILY DIFFERENCES is on view at Multiple Exposures Gallery at the Torpedo Factory Arts Center in Alexandria, VA, through October 13, 2013.
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