That Sinking Feeling by Rebecca Congleton

Finding a pot to grow from

Today I’m sharing the first in a new series here on ‘A Love Affair with Light’ - an artist’s dance. As photographers we see light, we journey to it and around it, we bob up and down with it and immerse ourselves in the sound of it. I have a very special one to begin, it’s a project that truly sums up this journey of practice and discovery….

That Sinking Feeling by Rebecca Congleton

Repetitive tasks can be as beneficial for strengthening our core as adjusting to change and pushing ourselves. Just think about athletes, the dynamics of their training is varied - from adding a little more weight or distance, incorporating different forms of cardio and resistance as well as regular repeated practice within their chosen discipline.

Creative practice is much the same. The resistance of constraint and the regular repeated action within. Monet, for example, studied haystacks through oil painting some thirty times. Persistently and consistently studying light, colour and form while utilising the ordinary life he had access to highlighting the importance of life sustaining agriculture.

Personal projects… are about honing your skills and testing your muscle memory. Practice makes perfect, or should it be practice makes great vision. Try focusing on compositional elements like framing or looking for lines, maybe a lighting technique or colour theory. Be like Monet, go find your haystacks. Observe, capture, eat, sleep and repeat.

p168-169 For the Love of the Photograph

When I was introduced to the work of Rebecca Congleton’s 365 project ‘That Sinking Feeling’ my initial response was ‘how fantastic, what a great way to practice muscle memory, how Rebecca had found her pot from with which to grow from.’ I jumped at asking her if she would share a little more about her project right here on ‘A Love Affair with Light’. As I started reading her responses to my questions, I discovered how it is indeed the gentle practice and study of photography and yet so much more.