Take Nothing But Pictures
I began my relationship with photography in the early 2000s. Back then, it was a film camera, fully manual, darkroom in the basement kind of love. Over the years, my tools have changed, but the art is really the same. Photography encourages me to go outside, slow down, breathe in the night air, and wait for the photograph to arrive.
There are few things I wouldn't do in pursuit of a great image. I've climbed mountains, forded rivers, stayed still in the presence of unfamiliar eyes glowing in the night, and battled thick black clouds of swarming mosquitoes. I've shivered in the cold, sweated in the heat, gone hungry and been sick. And at the end of it all, I always come home glowing with joy. Now that I'm navigating my late thirties, I can still hike with the best of them but I find myself less interested in exploring faraway places in favor of nurturing my own place. My work is evolving to be closer to home, and more representative of my life outside the camera, implementing organic conservation projects on my small Indiana farm.
Regardless of subject matter, capturing the image (or series of images, depending on the piece) is only the first step in my journey. I handle each piece with extreme care, cleaning it pixel by pixel to remove any traces of dust or imperfections that don't belong in the scene. I then work with the piece over several hours (or days) experimenting with different processes until I feel like I have captured the true spirit of the subject I have photographed. I never use canned effects or mass produced digital filters in my images. I much prefer to let each piece speak to me. My goal is always to preserve the integrity of the scene, while also allowing the mood or feeling of the subject to shine through. I don't believe photography has to be a direct copy of what our eyes see. I believe photography is an art form with the potential to be extremely expressive and original.
If you're looking for my ceramic, textile, or jewelery art, please check out my other shop: StrawberryMoonFarm!
