As written in Visual Poetry, a great photograph has the potential to transcend verbal and written language. The question becomes how do you create these photographs? What are the important aspects of a great photograph? Why do some photographs take on a life of their own, while others lay flat?
Over the years as an instructor and photographer, Chris Orwig has taught many students and in doing so he has seen many soar and others fade away. What is the difference? It is the ones with the passion, the ones that make do with where they are, the equipment that they have, and the situation that they are in are the ones who can create the most.
Visual Poetry is written for that type of person. The person who craves to learn, grow, expand their knowledge, and create their own opportunities. The approach is a workshop style and like a workshop, it can be taken over and over again and each time you will come out with a little more knowledge and more inspiration. Throughout the book there are guest speakers that add different voices to the sections. Visual Poetry is 312 pages and divided into 12 chapters and 3 parts.
Part I: Getting Started
Chapter 1. "Poetry and Photography" is both about conveying a feeling within a limited space. What a writer says in 20,000 words a poet says in 20 and photographer does in an 8 x 10 space. It is all about doing more with less but yet still telling the story. It is about learning how to grasp the moment.
Chapter 2. "Creativity and Photography" shows that the creation of a great photograph is more than following a series of steps. It is about creativity. Here you will examine what it means to be creative, how to become creative, but most of all, it was written to inspire you to become creative.
Chapter 3. "Learning to See" is a vital part of photographic creativity. It is what allows you to instinctively compose and frame your picture. Seeing is an ability that one has to practice, work at, and exercise regularly if it is to grow. You have to learn to observe, listen, be mindful of your surroundings, and learn to notice the lines, shapes, and colors that surround you.
Chapter 4. "Camera Creativity and Technique" is as important today as it was when the first photographs were created - in fact, maybe even more so. Photography is a craft that is dependent on taking risks. You have to think of yourself as an inventor that is building on what has come before. This chapter examines the creativity of risk taking.
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