Looking off into the distance, a happy boy smiles while rays of sunshine illuminate the sky.(Dean Oros Photo + Design)
Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand. - Albert Einstein

Right brain hemisphere. Left brain hemisphere. Creative versus logical. Albert Einstein was right when he said:

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”

I read an interesting article this morning via Harvard Business Review on how to think creatively. I’ve never consciously worked at it in such a way; I like the mystery of being inherently creative. Perhaps it’s because I love the process, so I don’t think of it as work. But as I start to deconstruct it, demystify it, yep – it feels like work. Creating images to sustain a career is hard work. It’s the difference between something being a hobby vs. a profession, perhaps.

I think the challenge, to get back to my original point, is producing something that grows from imagination and creativity, such as the professional dancer that spends her entire life training in the art of ballet, building her body, form and skill to the point of expression that is art as well as a profession. But only because of her own conviction, not because her parents co-erced her into it during childhood, and as a young adult she felt she had no other choice but to follow through (Have you read Andre Agassi’s auto-biography? One of tennis’ superstars; he hated tennis).

The thing is, as history has shown time and time again, the arts are elusive and appreciated in different forms at different times. How many artists became famous years after they passed away. How many are famous in the now?

I remember years ago I learned there is a difference between creating and being creative. It’s been said anybody can learn to be creative, and anybody can create. I disagree. I think, however, that is a topic for a different day. If I allow myself to follow through on the creative flow that is starting to take place as I write, I’ll lose track of time and will write thousands of words, when all I intended was to share a photograph of a wonderful boy I photographed. I’m working on, or should I say “creating” wall art that will be displayed in my client’s home.

As I do for many of my consumer clients, I make an image or two from our session available for licensing. Who knows, maybe the above image may end up in a parenting or schooling publication, and be a launching pad for, well… who knows. When I look at the boy’s image, I see an entire lifetime to look forward to.

The New Big Island Coming 2012

A pooch squints at the snow sitting on his nose.

Wishing you a world of good times and happiness this Holiday Season.

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Valid from today through to December 23rd, 2011.

Father and son enjoy some play-time. © Dean Oros Photo + Design

One of my favourite images is of Gordon playing with his son Henry. It was great to bring out the boy in both of them during the session.

Stay tuned for more favourtes.

Women's fashion. It's all about the shoes. (Dean Oros Photo + Design)

Whether we admit it or not, we notice people’s footwear. Sexy shoes catches our eye. Toronto is so taken with footwear the city has a shoe museum: The Bata Shoe Museum.

Last week I viewed X-rays of my feet for the first time. I have narrow feet, but seeing how narrow my foot bones are made me wonder how they took so much abuse from years of long distance running. Feet are amazing. My apologies to my feet for taking them for granted. Did you know the human foot contains more bones than any other single part of the body?

Women’s shoe fashion is far ahead of the curve compared to men’s, in my opinion. Women’s shoes have more to work with. Women’s feet are prettier than men’s. Those lovely arches and high heels have got it going on.

Most of men’s shoes can be considered as unisex, but for women, there is a large variety available, including:

High-heeled footwear that raises the heels, typically 2 inches (5 cm) or more above the toes, commonly worn for formal occasions or social outings. Varitions include kitten heels (typically 1½-2 inches high), stilletto heels (with a very narrow heel post) and wedge heels (with a wedge-shaped sole rather than a heel post).

Sneaker boot or sneaker pump: a shoe that looks like an athletic shoe, but is equipped with a heel, making it a kind of novelty dress shoe.

Mules are shoes or slippers with no fitting around the heel (i.e. they are backless).
Slingbacks are shoes which are secured by a strap behind the heel, rather than over the top of the foot.

Ballet flats, known in the U.K. as ballerinas, ballet pumps or skimmers, are shoes with a very low heel and a relatively short vamp, exposing much of the instep. They are popular for warm-weather wear, and may be seen as more comfortable than shoes with a higher heel.

Court shoes, known in the U.S.A. as pumps, are typically high-heeled, slip-on dress shoes.

Maybe I should photograph more shoes. If you have sexy shoes, give me a ring.

With many people feeling the effects of the recession, it’s simply imperative to create images which reflect story and connect with people. I believe part of what art does is document heritage.

The internet and digital photography has made photography more accessible to people than ever before. At the same time it has created a somewhat altered perception of art’s value to those that rely on the internet to view images. Have you ever visited a renowned art gallery’s website, and viewed works of art on your computer screen? Have you then visited that gallery and viewed those pieces of art in person? The postcard-sized painting viewed on your computer screen turns out to be a 12 foot painting full of texture and colour you never thought possible. The small sculpture viewed on your screen contains such exquisite detail when viewed in person it captures your imagination and stays with you long after you’ve left the gallery.

The internet is chock-full of snapshots, mobile device captures etc. How many of those images are intended to be permanently displayed as wall art? The web reminds me of some sort of underground sub-culture; a world that effectively draws us away from the real world into the virtual one. Ever count the number of hours you spend on the internet during a typical month? I bet you’ll be surprised by how much time is spent there.

While the internet and digital photography has made the point of entry into photography more accessible than ever before, it also has created the opportunity for professional artists to stand out.

Film has been replaced with sensors and memory cards. The physical darkroom has been replaced with post-production software, computers and colour-claibrated monitors. But the vision that goes into creating artful photography still comes from the photographer.

Getting photography out of the digital realm back into the physical world allows us to celebrate, view, and enjoy photography the way it is was meant to be viewed. Don’t get stuck into the convenience of sitting in front of a computer screen to view images and art.

A boy runs towards seagulls at the end of a pier, his back to us.

Yesterday I delivered several pieces of wall art to a client celebrating their son. I spent a good amount of time photographing their son to capture his personality. He was busy playing a video game when I arrived. Some events simply cannot be interrupted!

A boy dances outdoors wearing a cowboy hat and cowboy boots

A young cowboy looks downward against shimmering sunlight.

A young boy with arms outstretched gives the peace sign with both hands.

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Wintertime night driving on Willow Avenue (Dean Oros Photo + Design)

A Lake Ontario winter storm (Dean Oros Photo + Design)

A bed of ice lays across a pier (Dean Oros Photo + Design)

Icicles hang from a ceiling of ice (Dean Oros Photo + Design)

Half-way through the session, I took some time to focus just on the two of them. We’d been laughing for some time by this point. When the moment was right, I framed the shot and pressed the shutter release.

Sisters Brooke and Ashley.

Sisters Brooke and Ashley enjoy sunshine and laughter.

For the ladies out there, Brooke writes a blog she calls A New View 365. You may wish to take a visit.