~ Photo Cafe' ~ Photographers - Episode #48!
~ Chat Transcript ~
25th of November, 2023
"Themed Expression!"
H.12:00 PM SLT
[The following Episode #49 will be on:
9th of December 2023]
[12:11] Kika Yongho: Hello Photographers friends!
Are you all seated comfy after the party? Time for some relaxing chat now!
[12:11] Kika Yongho: If anyone has just arrived, we have been starting today our episode #48 ** SPECIAL ** at 10AM with a DJ set by Bee, followed by a DJ set by Vic! Whom I both thank heartily for opening this new appointment with you all!
[12:11] Kika Yongho: And now! I have another warm “thank you” to express to our special guest (and also our first interview here in Photo Cafe’!): CΞLΞSТIΛL DΞMON (celestialdemon) , who accepted to re-exhibit for all of us his “Leviathan” expo, in our Recycled Expo space!
[12:12] Kika Yongho: You can see the exhibit all around us here in the chat circle. Touching the easel over there with the “Leviathan” flyer, you will get the expo info folder! I won’t spoil it whole (you have to click it!) but I will just give you a glimpse.
[12:13] Kika Yongho: ► [About the Expo] ◄
“Leviathan” is titled after the demon, protagonist of the expo. Is the story of the metamorphosis from human to demon.
► [Expo Special Thanks] ◄
My thanks goes to Moki Yuitza for the poster and to Hermes Kondor for allowing me to create this exhibit.
[12:14] Kika Yongho: There is also a big panel in black, with some more words from our Celestial for you. His art and expressiveness takes place with both words and visuals!
Don’t forget to sign his guestbook, which is on the table just next to the expo poster easel!
[12:15] Kika Yongho: If you want to read more, feel free to take the expo notes, and to read the interview we had with him on our website:
If you want to see more from Celestial, don’t miss to visit his Flickr here:
[12:15] Kika Yongho: (bookmark all :D)
[12:16] Kika Yongho: What a bang of a start! Are you ready for our photographers’ discussion now? I hope so, because Josephine is going to start our episode #48 now, titled “Themed Expression!”. Ready or not.. Here she comes! I am done for today’s intro.. I am roger and out for now!
[12:16] Josephine Delvalle: Dear photographers and artists, welcome to a new round of our biweekly discussions.
[12:17] Josephine Delvalle: Today we’re talking about free creativity vs working with a given topic or motto. The old masters and renowned photographers also carried out commissioned work beside free creativity work.
[12:17] Josephine Delvalle: How is it for you? Do you work for exhibitions, competitions, events that have a theme or motto? Or do you also/only follow your own free creativity?
[12:18] Josephine Delvalle: Do you love one, hate the other? Or is there a love-hate relationship for one of them?
[12:18] Josephine Delvalle: What are the special challenges for you by one or the other? I have to admit, I am very curious.
[12:19] A. (ava.darkheart): c
[12:20] Josephine Delvalle: And: Ava, please
[12:20] Sio Skytower: c
[12:20] Ⴆҽҽ (filipa.emor): c
[12:22] A. (ava.darkheart): I’ve been working with artists for several years in real life, then I also had some experiences into Second Life with visiting a lot of galleries and meeting some artists in here. My conclusion in here is that of course it depends of the personality, themes can help to generate inspiration, or a kind of challenge, which is often added with a deadline, but most of the time i noticed that it can turn pretty quickly into pressure and can be a real source of huge stress that kills the fun or even the creativity. The blank page syndrome. Done
[12:23] Rɪᴛᴀ Gʟᴀᴅ (sanem.albatros): c
[12:23] Josephine Delvalle: indeed, Sio, your turn please
[12:24] Sio Skytower: My experience is ‘random’ sometimes an idea or string of ideas come together, and other times, it’s a request for a photo from a friend or a challenge like here at Photo Cafe that strikes a positive vibe for me. I try to ‘dance with the Muse’ and not squeeze too hard when dancing, enjoy the inspiration that I have or can have others impress on me. Lastly, the technical side of it has been a more recent fascination, how to do things in-world rather than post-process. There’s so much to learn from others like Celestial and all of you, it’s extremely helpful to ‘charge up’ the creative juices. Lately, being with friends and new photographers and collaborating has been a wonderful new avenue I enjoy. The feedback is highly positive – and – DONE
[12:25] Josephine Delvalle: smiles, a nice image ‘dancing with the muse without squeezing her’. Bee please
[12:26] Ⴆҽҽ (filipa.emor): For me the motto is always there when I take a picture. A song, a feeling, a mood. So themed or spontaneous, there is always an inspiration. I made a few pictures for challenges and it gave me a lot of pleasure. Challenges also help me by challenging myself to be a better photographer learning with all other amazing photographers! So I can say I love both. Done.
[12:27] Josephine Delvalle: So, free creativity is giving a motto by yourself
[12:27] ᴍʌᴛᴛ (matthsuogan): c
[12:27] Josephine Delvalle: Rita, please
[12:32] Roseleiya: c
[12:33] Rɪᴛᴀ Gʟᴀᴅ (sanem Albatros): I had a few exhibitions, the themes of which I determined myself, and I participated in some themed competitions. I love participating in themed competitions. Of course, it is a great comfort to be able to determine the theme ourselves when taking photos, but I think it is more exciting and challenging if someone chooses the theme for you. It encourages you to think and create about a subject that you may have never thought of, rather than your current ideas. Even though I love swimming in safe waters where I set the theme myself, the idea of competing always attracts me. My Flickr posts are a complete mess and are my area of freedom, I can do whatever I want there. In a way, what blunts my “theme” phobia is my flickr posts and the silly stories I create. DONE.
[12:34] A. (ava.darkheart): c
[12:35] Josephine Delvalle: so a motto or theme is pushing you out of ‘Comfort zone’. Matt, your turn
[12:36] ᴍʌᴛᴛ (matthsuogan): I find that while being challenged to meet a specific theme can be enjoyable, I personally prefer the freedom to let my mind wander and explore various possibilities this approach tends to ignite creativity, allowing for greater spontaneity and expression. It depends on the individual and personal, preferences find what works best for you and your creative process. Done
[12:37] Josephine Delvalle: Thank you Matt and Roseleiya, your turn
[12:38] Roseleiya: Personally I rarely do challenges/competitions, not because I dislike them but rather, I feel like they are much more time consuming than doing pictures with my own intuition. It takes time not only to think about the theme but to figure out what would be my personal take on it. I always prefer to do and see how others do work true to their own style and after that comes the work. DONE
[12:40] Josephine Delvalle: Thank you Roseleiya and Ava please
[12:41] A. (ava.darkheart): I may come back on my earlier words, I’ve been reading the comments and thinking it may be the “deadline” stuff that brings pressure and stress from some imposed theme that we would not fit to our own state of mind.
I guess if you’re free to choose to participate, as in some Flickr group, where it’s for fun, you can feel free to get inspired or not with no accountability or owning something that would change the whole perspective indeed.
To finish, for my own experience of creating pictures I like this position, to be free to follow the theme or not, but I am sooooo slow to think about that usually, the theme changed 3 months ago
[12:44] Josephine Delvalle: Thank you Ava. Question to everyone:
[12:44] Josephine Delvalle: Beside the deadline pressure, what is the main challenge for you from doing a picture for a themed exhibition?
[12:45] Cecilia Nansen: C
[12:45] Josephine Delvalle: Cecilia please
[12:47] Cecilia Nansen: Its very short and I know so many others with the same issue. The lack of self confidence that is freezing the creativity, blocking, laming and yes, slowing it down till its unrecognizable. Done
[12:47] Josephine Delvalle: Thank you
[12:48] A. (ava.darkheart): Q
[12:48] Josephine Delvalle: Ava please
[12:49] A. (ava.darkheart): I would be curious to have Celestial’s position on this, since he made many exhibitions and how he managed those that had a theme… also to see if he sleeps or not. Done
[12:49] Josephine Delvalle: Celestial, would you please?
[12:50] CΞLΞSТIΛL DΞMON (celestialdemon): yes
[12:50] Josephine Delvalle: (He doesn’t sleep)
[12:50] A. (ava.darkheart): I confirm, he also hates me now
[12:53] CΞLΞSТIΛL DΞMON (celestialdemon): the theme in general or full freedom is not a concern if you already have what you want to express inside and in mind.
There are so many ways to express something through a particular theme, I guess creativity can’t have chains.
[12:54] Josephine Delvalle: Thank you
[12:55] Josephine Delvalle: Just to be curious and applicable for both sides: what is the main challenge by going after your own free creativity?
[12:56] Kika Yongho: c
[12:56] Josephine Delvalle: Kika
[12:57] Kika Yongho: For me the main challenge when I have an idea, a concept is the way of expressing it, as in: will the message be conveyed properly? This because I don’t have as many appropriate ways / techniques on my luggage. But in the end I don’t take photos for an audience with expectations, if they have expectations is not my concern. Done
[12:58] Josephine Delvalle: to transfer the picture in mind to the canvas
[12:58] Josephine Delvalle: Thank you very much for the insights. It was amazing and informative. I really enjoyed the discussion tonight and hope you did the same.
[12:59] Josephine Delvalle: We will meet again on the 9th December.
