Fringe Inquiries: July 2014

Photographed right before Ashland, Oregon's annual Fourth of July parade. "Over The Rainbow" is written on the back of the music.

Ramblings

12/23/13

Often I choose my background first and then wait for some action to happen in the foreground. That way I don't have to worry about the background since it's already chosen. The focus is then entirely on creating an interesting juxtaposition with what arrives in the foreground. For me it's usually waiting for people that are walking or running by, but at times it could be an animal or a moving vehicle. Once the background is set, I'm ready to take a bunch of shots until I feel I've created a strong relationship between foreground and background.

Ramblings 12/23/13

It's rare that I am not trying to simplify. To this end, I often shoot upward using the sky as an uncomplicated backdrop or look downward where I have more control over what I want to include in the picture frame. When I'm shooting toward the horizon line, it's not as easy to simplify since often there are distracting elements in the background. For this reason I love to photograph in fog since objects that are further away are softer and don't compete nearly as much with objects in the foreground. In fact they often complement each other in very pleasing ways.

Ramblings - 11/9/13

I love to photograph engaging landscapes. I believe this is true for most photographers and it suggests how difficult it can be to stand out as a nature photographer since the competition is very keen. We're dependent on finding outstanding locations, good light, getting out often and bringing a strong sense of composition to what is before us. Our experiences cover the gamut from frustration to elation. We keep returning, because we love what we're doing. This alone makes it worth the journey regardless of how we might stack up with other photographers.

In the past, I've rarely given up the opportunity to find a new landscape to photograph and have traveled many miles for this alone. Lately I've been more enchanted with the inner journey and seek out ways to express this through the immediate landscape. I am always asking the question, "how can I show my surroundings differently?" The exciting part is that I'm less dependent on finding the "right" subject matter and the "right" light and am more interested in going deeper into what is familiar and communicating it in new ways. With post processing tools, I give myself the license to approach my work as traditional visual artists always have, which goes beyond conveying only what is apparent to the eye. It's less important to be in an ideal place than it is to interpret my own milieu in fresh ways.

Fringe Inquiries

Sunday, July 6, 2014

The Saxaphonist