Photography has been a passion of mine for only a few years now, which was primarily sparked in 2009 by my renewed vigor for climbing the highest 100 mountains in Colorado – a lifelong goal. As my knowledge of photography expanded in the past three years through these journeys, so did my thirst for trying new and creative techniques, including panoramas, star trails, night photography, HDR and long exposures.
I find that mountaineering in very remote locations in Colorado fills my spiritual needs and capturing those memories and wonderful moments with a camera only intensifies the experience for me. It also challenges my creative side and forces me to see the world in a different way.
My absolute favorite thing to photograph is an intense sunrise while I am standing at the top of a very high mountain peak. I strive to reach those summits at the right hour of the morning, often climbing in the pitch darkness, in order to pull off amazing 360 degree panoramic photos which help me remember the incredible nature of the experience.
Only recently have I delved into portrait photography, having to learn how to manipulate light through the use of strobes and flashes to achieve the right look. I find myself enjoying natural light more; however, the challenge of portrait work is mentally stimulating.
Photography connects me to the world I live in and offers me a canvas by which I can create a context for my experiences through my views. It has required me to think outside the box and look for moments in time and space that were once ordinary but are now extraordinary.
One interesting phenomenon and side-effect from learning photography and applying it to capture the natural beauty of the world is that people now refer to me as an artist. I still refuse to see myself as an artist; rather, I would prefer to be thought of as someone who masterfully applied a technique to capture the beauty that already exists. If that the definition of art, then I suppose I can live with the label.
I hope to continue to learn new techniques and learn to improve upon my work in order to continually grow as a person and expand my perspective on what could be considered to be beautiful.
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