”Flash bulb, purple iris, the camera can’t see . . . .”
U2, City of Blinding Light
For the photographer, the recorded image is sacred. The goal is to capture the scene, including the full range of light, and minimize after-the-fact manipulation. Where images are adjusted, the changes are designed to enhance the depiction — darken the sky, make the colors pop or simply remove them altogether.
Photographers too often refuse to embrace abstraction as part of their art. It’s certainly possible to choose subjects that lend themselves to abstraction. And digital processes now allow the familiar to be rendered abstract, allowing impression and emotion to more readily become part of the final image.
My goal with these images is to go beyond recording what the camera sees; to instead depict what the mind senses, with all its many dimensions, including the aesthetic pleasure coming from what is seen, and the emotional and creative pleasure of seeing beyond, of deconstructing the scene to reveal its deeper beauty.
As the song says, the camera cannot see — but the photographer and viewer can. What will they see when the image is changed, the light is manipulated and the essence of the work moves from the recorded image to something more expressive? This is seeing beyond the image.
As I rode a boat on the River Seine, I wondered how I could see the often photographed bridges of Paris differently. It was then I looked and saw the unique tapestry of the stonework hidden Beneath the Bridges of Paris. This is the history, timelessness and beauty of Paris, revealed.
Beneath the Bridges of Paris Series 1
After a bridge collapse several years ago, Paris removed most of the lovers' locks adorning its bridges. I miss them. Here is a series in honor of the Love Locks of Paris, taken before before they all came down.
Locks of Paris Series 1
I love the flavor of New Mexican Hatch chili peppers. After a recent purchase, these fell on my counter and I couldn't help think of Edward Weston's famous black and white images of bell peppers. My question — what is the color of heat? You choose!
Hatch Chili Pepper Series 1
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