Often times, we look outside ourselves to find our path. As an accomplished professional of almost two decades, I occasionally look outside myself to see what I should be doing. How I should be doing it. Which path is being followed by others. It can appear as though everyone else is right. I often feel lost. The self doubt of an artist is difficult, but can be re-affirming.
The reality is that I need to stay true to, and pursue, the thing that created my career in a seemingly easy way. Quite simply, I see, feel and am emotionally pulled toward particular compositions in nature. Certain “Moments in Time” happen for me. Not a lot of conscious thought is required. It"s as though I don’t have a choice. I am compelled to compose an image of a particular subject at that moment, without influence from others. Perhaps it is my calling. See beauty. Feel beauty. Share beauty with the world. The Fine Art of Nature beckons.
I was pulled toward large format film cameras from the beginning. It was a simple and obvious choice that was seemingly made for me. I wanted to compose and capture “A Moment in Time” with a clarity (literally and figuratively) that enabled me to share it as a fine art print, in grand scale, so that others would be as moved by that moment as I was. There is a quality to the prints I capture with big film that I don't find in other media. The quality is found in the qualities of the media. The large prints rendered from big film are clear and detailed, not sharp, . As in my way of seeing, feeling and composing my art, the beauty lies in the subtleties of the print.
When I made the life change of closing my gallery's physical location, I decided to re-affirm my choices. I took an entire year and shot all digital. I wanted to make sure I wasn't being arrogant or closed minded by sticking with my large format film cameras when almost everyone I knew had switched to digital. Needless to say, I haven't printed a single image from that experiment. To begin with, I just didn't care for the quality or qualities of the digital files. Secondly, I felt a complete lack of attachment and pride in the images I captured digitally. It was so easy and cheap to shoot that I found a lack of engagement, importance and investment in the process. I was merely a picture taker, not a fine art photographer. For me, there is a big difference.
The conclusion I have reached, through my glorious self doubt and experimentation, is simple. All that matters is that I stay true to the process that I was drawn to, emotionally, at the beginning of my journey. The vision and process I was compelled to practice, before knowledge entered the equation, is the purest form of my artistic process. Some of the finest, purest images I have produced were done before I knew all about photography. They happened when I simply followed my passion. It has taken a great deal of pain, complicated thought and searching to find that I had the answer all along. I photograph what I feel, with big film, and produce beautiful fine art prints that share The Fine Art of Nature with the world.
Please continue to follow me on this amazing journey. This new blog page, along with my new web site, represent a new beginning in my pursuit of The Fine Art of Nature. I look forward to doing what I do, and hope that you enjoy it as well.
Enjoy the View!
Jon Paul