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Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Art and the Purist




A digression: I was speaking with an old friend a few weeks back after some 15 years since last I had seem him. During our reminiscence and catching up, I found out he has also taken up photography as a pursuit. We discussed whether altering a photo in Photoshop maintains the integrity of the art of photography. He has taken the path of the purist; if the photo is not to his liking through the lens, and only in its native form, he discards the photo and works for that perfection of the image by using the camera only. I completely respect that approach to photography and realize that many will argue that it is the true form of the art. Ansel Adams didn't have Adobe Suite CS4, and achieved the mastery by trusting the camera and darkroom alone. I, on the other hand, view the art of photography in a different light. My perspective is that the camera is the tool that creates my canvas, and Photoshop is the brush on that medium. My argument is that the old-school darkroom was in fact a primitive version of the computer, and Photoshop an advanced form of filters and lighting gels that were employed by those who did not have access to such technology. Regardless of whose side of the fence you reside, we can at least agree that photography is a wonderful medium for those of us who cannot paint, sculpt or draw too well, but have the insatiable desire to create. These images here are a couple of my first attempts to paint in photography of my own.

Friday, April 17, 2009

True photographer

Gary's image of the desert
When I owned that Canon AE1, it eventually acquired a light-leak somewhere in the body after a former 'friend' borrowed it and then treated it rather poorly. At the time I hadn't been taking any images that I'd consider art at all: just family photos and the like. So I went to my brother (the REAL photographer), handed over the camera and asked him what should I do about the leak? He returned it 3 days later and I asked him if he had fixed it for me. He said Yep, and promptly handed me a large roll of black camera tape. lol! So for the next several years, I would cover every seal on the body of that camera with tape. It wasn't a very convenient way to load and unload film, to say the least. Still, I managed. All the time I was fumbling with my tape-bound 35mm mess, I was very envious of by brothers' images and cameras. He really is a talented photographer and you can view some of his posted photos at http://homepage.mac.com/garyorona/ . He has what I call 'The Eye' and I really love his landscapes in the deserts of Southern Utah where he is renovating a turn-of-the-century hotel in Green River, near Moab. You can see the Midland and some of his photography by following the link. This particular image I have included here is one of his that I find amazing. It really does justice to the color of the rock and beauty found in the desert near his home. More stories of my photography journey coming soon.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Art through the Looking Glass

Photography is an art I have always wished to pursue, but for many reasons, had always eluded my grasp. I had taken a class in high school many years ago, learning the traditional dark room techniques and old-school film process, but never having the funds nor the time to dedicate to the art following those early years left me on the outside looking in. At one point, I decided to pursue my secret desire of the art a bit more and bought a Canon AE1 at the recommendation of my brother (a REAL professional photographer) and played around with it a bit. But in the pre-digital age, with kids to raise, jobs to pursue... it just wasn't feasible for me to give it the time I really wished that I could. I have always been a computer geek though, since the mid 80's with my first Commodore 64, so having the knowledge and skills for the evolving digital age is something I did pursue. Leap forward 20+ years and I finally have the time and means to indulge my hidden fantasy of being an amateur photographer. With some extra cash I managed to hoard I recently purchased a Canon EOS Rebel XSi. I love it. Finally, I am able to express my art through a visual medium that has eluded me all these years. More to come as I travel this path of freedom in art through the lens.

The Dark-Art.com

The Dark-Art.com
The Road to Xanadu