Chasing the Shadows

In this post I present a series of images with a shadowy theme, where darkness is a compelling component of the images.  While most photographers try to open up the shadows by using reflectors or other methods of lighting, I have chosen to embrace the shadows in this series of photographs.  So, come join me on the dark side of photography.

Light of course is the basis of the photographic process.  We pay attention to the light because it defines how we see the subject we are photographing.  However, while the light is a focal point, shadows can direct our attention to the subject, they can in some cases become the subject of our image.  They can become a mystery that envelops the subject we are photographing creating a question of what lies beyond the shadow. 

I can be contacted at: nymacc@gmail.com

Anatomy Of An Idea

This post is discussion about where and how an idea for a photograph is developed.

In my case I collect scraps of ideas, fragments of things I find around me, which I store in my mind.   Sometimes just thumbing through an art magazine or a trip through an art gallery gives me ideas of images I would like to create.  If I am out walking down a street I become immersed in all the people and things around me.  I find that I try to see things from the perspective of a child, suspending all preconceptions and seeing my subject for the first time.  I basically see subjects as lines, shapes and forms and how they interact with the light.  It is curiosity about a particular object that is in front of me and how would I present it in a group of photographs.

Recently a friend left me some desert debris that he had picked up from walks in the desert.  I had these pieces on a shelf gathering dust not really knowing what to do with them...the other day I grabbed some of the pieces, some extra props, camera and some window light and went to work photographing them.  I found my mind twisting and turning with images flashing before me as I photographed the pieces...within a period of several hours I had collected a good number of images on the camera’s SD card.  The next step was to go through the images keeping and discarding those that I didn’t feel worked.  The resulting images below are what I produced within that period of time using window light and a reflector.

Photography is really an art form that requires no more than seeing what is before you; in my case it is self-absorption with the subject before me.  I only stop shooting when I cannot see my subject any longer...I have exhausted all the possible angles and compositions.  This process applies to everything that comes before the camera and me.

I can be contacted at nymacc@gmail.com

Love Notes

In the shadows of this tree I find messages carved.

I know not by whom. 

The initials are the only clue.

I conceived of this idea when I saw a tree in the park, which various lovers had carved their initials into.  I thought about these young lovers and thought I would like to present my photographic interpretation of love notes.  I am sure the images are not what you the viewer is expecting, but here I am just having a little photographic expression with this theme.  I have superimposed the original tree initials with images from my files to create the final image.