Art could be said to be simply an expression of how one feels and about the world around you; it matters not that you are the artist or the viewer, and this applies whether one is a painter or a photographer….each artist experiences deep inspiration from the world around them and portray the image in a way that connects with the viewer because they understand the message.
Like any specialist, the Photographer needs more than just inspiration from the world around them. When most people “look” at any scene, the photographer must instead to really SEE the scene for what it is, in turn creating a unique perspective so that you aspire to see it every day for the inspiration, tranquility, or sense of drama it gives you.
We all travel overseas and we frequently we want to take a picture of maybe someone that appeals to us. Why? I think we all ecognise implicitly there is something special about this person or the situation they are in. Can we put a name to it? I know that if I can’t put a caption to the shot, then I don’t take the picture; its as simple as that….because just hoping I will get the intense expression I want is not the answer: I need the answer before I take the shot. The photographer needs a keen sense of empathy to engage with that person so that they open up for just long enough to gain the insight and expression that they sought.
How do you get a big male Lion to do that! Surprisingly empathy plays a role here too: having an understanding of its predicament and searching for the expression that supports that. Look at my Travel and Nature sections of this site: I have a number of great shots of Gannets: I have spent probably 20 hours in the last 6 months watching them fly, observing their flight patterns and its only by doing this that I gain an understanding of the exact behaviour or look that I am after.
“Piano Beach”
In 1993, Jane Campion’s film The Piano made Karekare Beach near Auckland an overnight hit – everyone wanted to be there – but I took photos.
I read about the subjects I am going to take, and use this for my inspiration: This was my motivation for some of my shots of KareKare (the “Pure New Zealand” page):
“Black sand—miles of it. Rocky shards framed by fenced-off hills and smashing waves. And tiny little you, pressing virgin footprints onto this colossal tidal canvas. It might make you feel a small speck overwhelmed by a massive force. But the drama and mood makes you feel consequential and part of this powerful place”.
the resulting image looks deceptively simple, the very close, and well lit grass provide contrast and interest, while the old building combined with the moody sky give this shot drama and presence outlined above while the windblown grass gives a clue to the elements as does the ruined dwelling. It is the sum of those parts in harmony makes the picture but the inspiration was the words.
As an ex sportsman, when I look through my camera viewfinder at the face of an athlete, I look for the determination, the pain and agony of competition, and the ecstasy too and capturing those moments communicates the intensity of the sport to the viewer.
I am in love with the natural wonders of this world, the land, sea and sky and like to highlight the aspect that makes them special and my landscapes try to capture the essence of these and exaggerate them. I want people to understand and respect our environment too and by capturing the best of this I aim to remind us all how lucky we are to have them, so we care for them for future generations.
There is a role for photography to play in the non-artistic theatre. My favourite medium besides travel is low-light photography and architecture. This requires other skills, such as technical savvy, attention to detail and an understanding of the 3D world so that it looks right in the 2D world of photography. For example, when photographing the interior of a church it’s possible to retain full detail of a stained glass window in day time, so I do, but to do so while revealing the subtle tones of kauri timber in shadow, retaining absolute architectural and geometrical precision (no more converging vertical lines!) is the challenge. In this case the finished photo should be “pure” reflecting the true shape and character of the subject.
If you have a subject you are passionate about, give me a call on my contact number, lets talk about what you want to do, or send me an email with your outline: doing this is the first step to understanding yourself how to achieve your goals. if you want to purchase some of my work, bear in mind that I have a dedicated lease programme for all art lovers that enables you to keep your pictures fresh all year round. Give me a call to discuss.