We live in a world that seems to be increasingly
governed by what is manipulated instead of what is real. As I continue to study
photography and follow other photographers that inspire me, I have discovered
that some of today’s photographers seem to be what I call ‘Photoshop
Photographers’. For me, photography is supposed to be a visual representation
of what the photographer is looking at the moment the exposure is made. Even
though Photoshop is a tool which can be used to create art through manipulation,
and many artists have done a very successful job at this, I want my work to
stand on its own without the need to rely heavily on digital manipulation.
In my body of work, I want to go back to the very
basic notion of what you see is what you get. I want to be able to get to the
point with my images that there is only minimal editing going on with them. The
pioneers of photography who set the stage for us today, did not have the use of
certain technology the way that we do now and I want to be able to honor the
way film was a one-time exposure. I want the people viewing my work to not be
caught up in wondering how much editing I had to use to get the desired
aftereffect. Instead I want the viewer to be able to spend their time really
looking at my images and discover a meaning behind my work as well as
inspiration.
When I start thinking about where my inspiration
comes from and which photographers work has drawn me in, I think of Edward
Weston and Connie Imboden. What intrigues me about each of their body of works
is the way that each image has been composed. Their photography is mysterious and fascinating.
They both photograph their subject manor in such a way that abstracts it but
still allows the image to be understood. Their simple techniques have a highly detailed
aftereffect that I want to be able to work towards applying in my own photography.
