Thursday, November 3, 2016

Get the Picture?

Please welcome Jane Gorman to the Killer Hobbies today.  Jane, please tell us about photography and the role it plays in your books!

I'm a terrible photographer. I feel I should start with that confession. I can set up a good photo—have an interesting subject, lined up with the light just right—but when I take the picture, it comes out looking... off. So I start with the understanding that photography is a skill, not just a hobby

As luck would have it, one of my main characters, Julia Kaminski (sister to my protagonist, Adam Kaminski), is a photographer. In the fifth book in the Adam Kaminski mystery series, which I'm writing now, Julia Kaminski plays a large role and her photography is one of the reasons why.

Fortunately, I have an amateur expert on hand to advise: my husband, Chuck Gorman. He requires that I clarify there is no such thing as an amateur expert, he is strictly amateur. But he is very, very good!

Julia Kaminski has an artist's eye: an eye for color, for light, for structure. A good photographer knows the importance of positioning herself in the right place relative to the subject of the photograph so the light comes into the photo at the right angle, so the main subject falls into an elegant position within the overall picture.

The best photos capture more than you see. As my husband and I travel, he takes photographs I can use when I write. I use them to revisit the tone of each place, to recapture the emotions and feelings the setting evokes. Candid shots of locals can do more to capture place than the best posed shot. The way the light hits a tree or doorway brings out memories, not only visual, but even the memory of the chalky feel of a limestone wall or the tangy scent of a Cedar.

Of course, all the planning in the world doesn't guarantee the perfect picture. Quality, sometimes, requires quantity. For my family vacations, that means we come home with thousands of pictures from each trip. For Julia and Adam Kaminski, that means she runs the risk of catching the wrong person at the wrong time with her camera.

I may have to rely on my husband for information about photography, but getting the photographer into trouble is something I can do all on my own!

These are a few of the things I've learned about photography since I started getting to know Julia Kaminski. Sadly, none of it means my own photography skills have improved! If you're interested, you can see photographs (taken by my husband) from some of our travels on my Instagram site. Or visit my website to learn more about my books and my writing.

The Adam Kaminski Mystery Series by Jane Gorman is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other retailers.

2 comments:

C. T. Collier said...

So glad to see photography worked into your series! If you haven't already, you may want to pick up Ellen Crosby's Ghost Image or Double Exposure.

Jane Gorman said...

Thanks C.T., I appreciate the recommendation! I'll look them up.