I enjoy photography and shoot all sorts of subject matter. It just depends on what I'm trying to say or capture with the image. I like what I call "life-portraits" because they capture a more true essence of a person or of the moment. I also enjoy creating more abstracted & special effect photos because at that point, they become expressions of fine art, like a painting. Though I do shoot in color too, Black & White Photography has something different. It's a mood or feeling or something I can't quite put my finger on... but it lends itself particularly well to what I am out to capture, which is the truest essence and nature of a person, place, thing or concept.
The above black & white photo taken at the Queen of Hearts Ball in 2007 is a fun technique where a single color is preserved. The photo below is an ultra high-contrast self-portrait done in 2005, while I was going through chemo... bald head and all. I was surprised at the face I saw staring back at me the first time I looked at it. It captured something inside of me that I didn't realize was visible.
Light... I am obsessed with light... the way it falls on objects and creates patterns or shines through glass and sparkles as if to sing. I especially like the combination of interesting light falling on more industrial objects... or the way light can bring out the heart & personality of a person.
The previous photo is called "Private Faith" and is a result of layering two infrared negatives. It was printed manually in my darkroom. Growing up, I was always told that faith was a private matter, so we never talked about it. I had an intense draw to the spiritual and need for understanding of it, but felt that somehow that was foolish or not acceptable. This photo was created when I finally reached a point of knowing that I could be silent no longer. It was the "oh yea" moment when I decided to actively seek God.
There is a new series brewing... All of 2010, I am working on a series/collection of work that is going to be scripturally based and very cool. It's exciting! Look for these towards the end of this year!
