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ccanada
How does your current photography style reflect you and what you need?
I believe photography is an expression, a voice, a language. I consider photography my first language. Growing up I had medical issues where the doctors didn't listen to me-so instead of telling them they were wrong all the time- I shut my mouth. I didn't speak my truth anymore-I turned to a place that I could be myself and express myself however I wanted- through creativity, through photography.
My feelings internally came out through visuals. Photography is a safe space that you should not feel judged, you should not get down on yourself and you should not compare. It is a place of exploration and freedom. It actually helped healed me and that is how my artistic voice was formed. I know that sometimes when you are trying to find your artistic voice you are always looking for others approval, you are constantly comparing and trying to do what someone else is. DONT. It kills you and your creative spirit. Be free, be YOU and use your images to see who you are and what you want/need to move forward.
I realized 2 years ago that all I wanted to do was to shoot horses and barns. Why? I didn't know at the time but now I see- becauseI subconsciously knew where was going to be planted and I was exploring that.
You see, when you let your creativity speak, who you are really does come out. That is why you don't copy.
When I look at what I have shot over the last few months, I notice that I am seeking subtle peace. I have been traveling so much and just want rooting and quiet peace and to enjoy the super small moments of nothingness.
What has your recent collection shown you about yourself?
Photography is an expression of ones feelings. Regardless of what language one may speak photography is an international language. Pictures say it all regardless of the language being used. Typically sunsets aren't my style my style is Macro flower photography. But the picture below was taken on a vacation in 2019.
My photographyoften takes me to where I want to be. I mostly shoot nature and wildlife, and I really enjoy being out in nature, immersed in it. I've lived in coastal North Carolina for five yers now. Previously I was in Western Ohio. In Ohio I still mostly shot nature, but there were a lot of farms around so many time I went out to shoot barns and rural scenery, and occasionally got into cities and shot architecture and some street shooting on occasion. I can be happy shooting a lot of different things, but being out in nature is what I enjoy the most. Where I'm at now, it's a long drive to find a barn, but along the coast there is a lot of nature and wildlife, and the other direction (inland) just a couple miles away is a large state owned "hunting ground" over 100 square miles large. So when I can get out and go it is exhilarating. I guess that photography adapts to where I am at, as I adapt. Nature is unique wherever you are at. In Ohio, I spent more time in the deciduous forest, here in coastal North Carolina I spend a lot more time on the coast, very different places and many different species of birds, plants. and mammals. But once you get to know a place better, there can be vast differences in just a few miles or even feet. It is always exciting when you find something new in a place or close to where you have been many times, that's why you keep going back. There is always a thrill of something new or a different look at something. It's fun to go to a plce where you have seem many photographs of, there is that challenge to do it differently. It has been a while since I;ve been on a group photography outing, but it was always interesting to see what happens. Usually the majority will shoot from the same area. I always tried to find something unique as did some others, the some of the crowd would start to follow. Now I take a lot of landscapes from the beach, it can be disappointing if the sky is toitally clear, or completely cloud covered. But to keep it from being boring, I start shooting during Nautical or Civil Twilight, when the colors are best and every day is different. I always feel so charged up on a beautiful morning and it really makes you happy to be there. I have rambled on in this post as it is hard to describe, but photography really takes me to where I want to be.
