The Chrome Lens

Last summer I embarked on a new artistic path by taking up photography again. I had gotten way out of the photography circle when everything turned digital. I resisted the change. Although photography was by no means new to me, I suddenly felt Green. I was in High School when I took my first darkroom photography class, and was instantly hooked. I continued with photography in college, and at the time, it was still all Darkroom image processing and manipulation. I was taught by some amazing Professors that really knew their field. I learned the History of Photography, about Ansel Adams and Louis Daguerre, and about processes such as Dodging and Burning and home made pinhole cameras. All the "good stuff". Even though I was a Ceramics major, I had many friends pursuing a major in photography, and even had a darkroom in my basement. I took well beyond a minors worth of photography, because I loved it so much. Back then, we considered digital photography "cheating." It was new on the streets and just seemed so easy and effortless that it couldn't possibly be a real way to capture an image. Plus, it was way to expensive to get into when your film SLR had so many great lenses, flashes and equipment.


**Fast forward to 2009**


I see now, that through the evolution of cameras, we are opened up to an even broader image creating world. I appreciate it now. I love my digital SLR and all of its bells and whistles. ;)


This summer, I took a class taught by Bill Nichols at IPFW. It was called "Know Your Digital SLR"... exactly what I needed. Having no idea how to navigate through the menus, I was in possession of a piece of equipment that I had no idea how to use. After taking the course, I feel more comfortable. Image making and picture taking are two different things, and most of what can be done with a good image comes with editing. I am currently using Photoshop CS5, and am still a bit rusty with the new advanced version. During college we were using Photoshop 3 or something like that, a relic by this point. Sometimes *I* feel like a Relic when I speak to the young and blossoming new photographers. I am excited to be kept on my toes in the ever growing and changing world of photography, though. I don't resist the change anymore.


I do feel, however, lucky enough to have found my voice through my experiences with my Professors. Many of them are still teaching and are trying to break into the digital world. My only hope is that the old processes are not lost in this new digital world. So much is gained through that particular artistic process. I feel lucky to have had that. I have been critiqued to tears, and even been told to go back and start all over after working on a collection for weeks. We would all sit around after a critique and say "Can you believe that!" thinking our professors had no clue what they were talking about. But now, no one can take away what light was brought to me through my experiences in art school, and I have earned the title "Artist." 


Just last night Nathan was working on his sketches for his metal working class and came to me saying:
"Something just isn't right with this design."

I simply said: "Well, I guess you're just going to have to start over." 


My professors would be so proud...


Here are a few freshly edited pieces, and of course, critiques are welcomed