Peace through Process

Posted by Angie Luvara, ATLANTA, GA -- One of my favorite things about photography is the ability to preserve single events in time for eternity. As a result, one of the most important skills I’ve developed is the ability to be present, with a camera, and yet not disrupt or impact anything I’m trying to document. Of course, there are some instances where invisibility is more important than others. Perhaps because of some sort of artists’ empathy, the time I feel this pressure the most is when I’m present during the writing and recording of music.

Despite my desire to remain unseen during this critical part of the creative process, this is also the time when I take some of my favorite photos. Recently, I was organizing my digital portfolio and I noticed a theme. Nearly every time I’m present during this portion of the music process, I snap a photo of the artist’s songbook. From handwriting, to the way it’s organized, to the odds and ends nearby, a songbook tells a lot about an artist and their process: from whether they smoke or drink while writing to whether they keep their songs organized in a single notebook or grab the nearest napkin and have at it. Perhaps that’s why I love documenting it. For me, creating art is much more about the process than the finished product. In the process is where an artist finds their peace.

Angie Luvara is a photographer and Managing Editor of Social Shutter. She is also a Doctoral Student at Georgia State University. To view more of her photography, go to her blog at http://www.LuvIsMyAmmo.com/blog.