I enjoy telling stories through my photography, especially with my toys. Usually, I grab a few toys and go out for a walk to find a spot to create an image. While that works most of the time, I wanted to reconnect with my creativity to tell a bigger story, so I signed up for a workshop called Finding the Red Thread, given by Shelly Corbett, one of my fellow Lensbaby Trailblazers. She has been guiding me through the world of toy photography for the last four years. It was an enlightening experience. Although we were focused on developing a toy presentation, what I learned I can use to create any project.
"Sometimes, the world feels too heavy to carry alone, and the only solace is the hand of a true friend." (source unknown). Lensbaby Edge 50
Finding the Red Thread is capturing the throughline of a story or idea that can resonate with your audience. The key is to hold your concept loosely while staying flexible to what emerges. We were to take 6-10 images over three months, culminating in a project. My workshop colleagues all had clear project ideas. I did not. After the exercises Shelly had given us, I landed on photographing my Legos in black and white. The image above got me started. I created it one day when I felt that the world was heavy. I loved the contrast and emotion. But did I want to spend three months creating sad images?
Lensbaby Sweet 22
Shelly noted in one of her blogs about my project, “Throughout the entire workshop, Carol struggled to find the connections. But I knew that in the end, it would all come together. And it DID! From the initial prompt of black and white emerged a delightful exploration of the joys of small acts of kindness. The use of selective color reinforces the idea of how much a kind act can add important color to our lives.” The support and input from my workshop colleagues and Shelly helped me bring it together.
Lensbaby Sweet 50 with +4 macro filter
In addition to completing the project, I learned some important things I will embrace. First, I learned the value of allowing myself to explore a project that might not have a clear end product, to hold my vision loosely but see what could emerge. I pivoted several times, and each time, it brought more clarity. I returned several times to spots to retake images, which I usually don’t do. I got better results.
Lensbaby Edge 50
The second thing was to push past my comfort zone. I prefer taking photos outside, but I wanted to create a scene in a coffee shop, so I pulled out my portable studio and Lego’s Friend’s Coffee Shop set up to take photos indoors. I was resisting doing this, primarily telling myself that it would be a hassle, a mess to set up, and finally, it wouldn’t work. I realized that I was afraid of failing. Surprise! Not all images worked out, but I got some good shots and enjoyed myself.
Lensbaby Edge 50
The end of the course was coming, and I had many photos, but I was concerned that they wouldn’t come together to tell a story. Although I was looking at presenting my images in a duo format, showing the sadness and then the joy, during one of the final sessions, I decided to produce a video. That forced me to think through the storyline, illustrating the sadness, the joy of discovering things we sometimes miss in our daily lives, and the kindness of friends. Ultimately, I was pleased with the results and felt accomplished to have gone through the process.
I am glad I committed to this course and overcame my lack of clarity and resistance. The experience has inspired me to do other projects. As a shout-out to Shelly, she offers several online courses, including the next Finding the Red Thread, which will be held on July 15th. Check it out!
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