The street art assignment was not one of my favorites to say the least. I always feel like taking pictures of other peoples' art is akin to claiming their work as my own. In the times that I have photographed other peoples' creations (which are few), I have always tried to add some other element of relevance to the photo.
I came upon this creature in Northwest Portland in a vacant gravel lot. It seemed so out of place in against the gray concrete wall. In my non-photographic life, I work with people who own horses to try and improve their management of their land.
Seeing this horse on a very sparse pasture caught my eye and I was able to finish my assignment. In the end it isn't my most compelling work, but at least I satisfied my need to add some commentary of my own to the scene.
On Taking Assignments
I frequently listen to the On Taking Pictures (OTP) podcast, which I highly recommend to anyone looking for good conversation about creativity, especially as it related to photography. In January 2014 the hosts, Bill Wadman and Jeffery Saddoris, began a new segment of weekly assignments that they gave to listeners. Results of the assignments are posted on the OTP Google Plus group. I decided that I would commit myself to the assignments for a year without interruption, and that I would complete each one before the next assignment was announced on the show each Tuesday morning. My 'On Taking Assignments' blog posts are the culmination of my year-long focus on these assignments.