14 Mar Intro to Photography
The play of light and shadow, vibrant color, and powerful composition that create a sense of space and place, this is what captivates me in viewing the world and what I aim to capture in my photographs.
Impressions of India
Surrendering to the Journey
In January 2015 I traveled to Northern India for three weeks with a small group of friends. It was a great opportunity to document both the mundane and the mystical: the explosive colors, luxurious textures, and design motifs that span the centuries and diverse cultures. All of this coexists alongside devastating poverty in India.
As a tourist, I straddled the fine line between wanting to capture everything I saw, without being intrusive or insensitive. These photographs were all taken with a small pocket-size Canon Powershot camera that had a highly efficient 32x zoom, so I was able to get up close when needed.
Some of the most powerful images in this series were taken on The Ganges River in Varanasi. I was deeply moved by the experiences here and chose the photographs that expressed an indescribable feeling, an inner longing: “I know this place and it knows me”.
These photographs were printed on Indian Dupion silk and Indian cotton by master printer Stephen Kerner. They range in size from 30”x40” to 8’ wide. Each image is printed in editions or 3, and individually signed by the artist. They will be exhibited in July 2016 at an exhibit at The Arts Society of Kingston, New York. To purchase a print, please contact the artist.
Hand-colored Landscapes
In the 1980’s and 90’s I became fascinated with what had become the “dying” art form of painting on photographs with oil paints. This technique was originally used to color black and white pictures before the advent of color photography. I used Marshall’s Photo Oils which have now mostly gone out of existence. Hard to imagine that back in those days, the personal computer was in its infancy and Photoshop was non-existent.
The photographs were taken with a Nikon F, printed on matte photo paper, then “painted” with photo oils. What separated the work I was doing at the time from others that dabbled in this art form was my technique: I covered the entire surface of the photograph with paint, where others merely “tinted” their photos. Although this technique isn’t something I’ve used in years, I still find these images compelling.
Selected images are available for purchase: image size 8”x13”, frame size 16”x20”, $750.
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