Artists’s Statement

Photographers move through life, camera in hand, capturing their experiences and turning them into art. That’s what photographers do. To me, the link to an experience is the crucial, defining characteristic of photography, one which acts to separate it from other art forms, such as painting or any other form of imaginative illustration. It’s a beautiful, inspiring, even sacred, concept. If this direct link to an experience is broken then the resulting image can no longer be called a photograph. In this regard I consider myself to be a photographer.

My photographic process revolves around the two step dance of capture and interpretation. These seemingly distinctive steps are actually very much interrelated as each informs the other in creating the final artistic vision. First, capture. My process and vision for images has continually evolved in response to natural shifts in personal visual interests, curiosities, as well as my understanding of the medium. More recently I have been drawn more towards an open-ended style of photography. Instead of going into nature with a particular subject or set of desired conditions in mind, I prefer to choose a general area and move through it, waiting for little bits of visual inspiration to inform compositional decision making. Once an idea sparks my curiosity, I explore its potential, then move on until the next bit of inspiration reveals itself. This continuous and fluid process draws me ever more deeply into the creative process, producing a mindset which is at once intuitive, reactive, spontaneous, fresh, and, most importantly, deeply engaging. As much as I enjoy capturing rewarding images, it is photography’s ability to bring me ever deeper into the dance between myself, the subject, and the ever unfolding moment which I find truly rewarding.

The second step is interpretation. Interpretation of digital images most often involves the use of image editing software. In my daily practice I use Adobe Bridge and Photoshop to achieve the results I desire. My main focus is to optimize the image while also honoring the experience I had in the field. I do not composite images by importing elements not present while in the field. However, honoring the experience does not mean producing images depicting the scene exactly as it appeared before me. Photography truly becomes art when the creator uses their own unique set of aesthetic sensibilities to optimize, highlight and bring forward an image’s most important qualities.

In the end I firmly believe the photographer is not the most important factor in the creation of an image. The nature before me and the given conditions are near equals. My role is to remain open and receptive to these evolving variables as they guide me towards compelling compositions and images. Ultimately, my hope is to turn my experiences in nature into highly engaging works of art.

-Michael

Portland, Oregon