Images of Nature Photography from the Inside Out

“If one really wishes to be master of an art, technical knowledge of it is not enough. One has to transcend technique so that the art becomes an ‘artless art’ growing out of the unconscious.” – D.T. Suzuki

Landscape to Close-up

Artists must find a way to harmonize their work with their inherent vision. The various aspects of nature photography I have a passion to capture range from the grandeur of the panoramic landscape to the minutest part of a solitary wildflower. I find that trying to portray the mood, emotion and impact of a landscape is every bit as challenging as making an intimate close-up photograph. There is an awesome mystery in even the most ordinary object. Photographing the details of nature is the most exciting and rewarding experience I have as an artist and photographer. I see certain things for which I have a natural affinity and they cling to me like Velcro. When I am successful in taking the picture and making it part of my image gallery, it is an intense moment of pleasure.

Intuitive Photography

I describe myself as an intuitive photographer. My concerns in composing what I hope will be a  piece of fine art are not only about equipment, gadgets, electronics and manipulation, but more importantly they are focused on the issues of perception, curiosity and mystery. My goal in the creation of an inspirational photo is to be as resourceful in conveying the true nature of my own mind and spirit as I am at being rigorous and precise in the use of my technical skills. The technical choices that I make convey my own personal vision – the manner in which I perceive the scene. I make the interpretive decisions for the people who will eventually gaze at that scene through my works of art. Many times subconscious elements guide the decisions of my mechanical process. This results in a mystical connection that I sense in the emotional portrayal of the subject. This type of art experience I refer to as the expression of preverbal feelings symbolized in a nonverbal form.

Visual Perception

Yet I don’t make photographs for myself alone. Like other photographers, it is my desire to make a photograph that will grasp my viewers’ attention and take them on an exploration of their own mind’s eye, take them on an aesthetic journey. Of course, technical skills contribute importantly to this creation. Every photographer has access to the same set of elements of visual design (light, perspective, texture, line and color) and an endless number of facets of artistic qualities (composition, choice of subject matter, artistic sensitivity, presentation of the image, and the message being communicated). Because the culture and society we grow up in dictates the kinds of visual information we perceive, each of us becomes predisposed to certain subjective preferences about photography. These visual imprints buried in the mind emerge and motivate our seeing. How I imagine and actualize these components in my pictures determines how you will react to my image. This is the art. This is what distinguishes the “photographer” from the artist. My uniqueness (interpret that to mean differences) and my intuitive abilities (based on my own life experiences) influence the effect on my work.

Art-Making

Art-making is a thing of the soul. My expression comes from an innermost place. It is a deeper place at the core of my being – my life experiences, my emotional experiences, my memory feelings, my attitudes, my spiritual nature and my unconscious behaviors. It is the place of my authenticity. It is my soul. It is this place that perceives, evaluates, filters, and transforms my vision into the image that I construct.  It is this synergy of subject matter and the creative energies deep within me that contribute to producing aesthetically uplifting images. My photographs tell the story of who I am..

I hope you find my artwork engaging and comforting. As I stated above, my photographs have been created intuitively. I have learned to trust my intuition. Responding from the inside out often provides a deep insight into the photos that result from my photography. I like to think that sharing my glimpses of magical settings in our environment, letting them live in you and me for a little while, is my way of sharing a gift granted to me by a Power greater than myself. Letting people connect with these moments through my  ”inner visions” is one of my contributions to life.