Visiting an alternate planet might only be a few footsteps away…
During the past week, I had the enjoyment of visiting three magnificent parks: Zion and Bryce Canyon in Utah and Valley of Fire in Nevada. Of course, there were a number of photos taken during this trip and I will continue to process more of them in between work.
Among the three parks visited, Valley of Fire is the only one that I visited before and spent quite a bit of time exploring. As a result, our photo tour leader, John Slonina, offered me the opportunity to lead part of the group into Fire Wave area of the park, which was a lot of fun. The only gotcha was that during this Friday afternoon, the area was quite ‘peoply’, as many folks had to take their selfies in whatever ‘flattering’ poses they could think of.
So what does one do? Play on the wonderful abstract forms that are presented in the Fire Wave area and create some rather different shots that don’t have distractors of any kind, such as…
Footsteps on Heru-deshet
By shooting down into the descent of the hill, the waveform presents itself as a natural phenomenon that one might expect on a red planet, such as Mars (Heru-deshet to ancient Egyptians); the footprints are clear evidence of visitation by some bipedal life form.
A Fresh Perspective
Photography is more than just a vehicle for capturing the world around me; it provides me with a palette and a set of brushes, with which I paint not only what I see, but also look to express the emotions that are evoked by the scene in front of me in that moment.
Growing up in the Netherlands exposed me to a wide cross-section of visual arts that laid the foundation of my photographic view of all that surrounds me. Early influences were the Dutch Masters of the 17th century, to whom I was introduced by my grandfather during museum explorations; favorites among them are the scenes of quotidian life depicted by Jan Steen and Frans Hals and the vivid landscapes of Jacob van Ruisdael.
My classical high school education was supplemented by the Boijmans Van Beuningen museum, where I spent many a lunch hour exploring its great collection. Here I was introduced to surrealism with a particular love for the approach taken by Salvador Dali; Dali also rekindled my appreciation for the work of Hieronymus Bosch, who often showed the folly of us mortals.
Universal Connections
My approach to any photographic subject is to look for understanding first; in this I look to establish either a connection between the viewer and the subject or capture the connection of the subject with its surroundings. The captured image then aims to portray this connection from a perspective that is part of my personal interpretation.
This interpretation is often a form of externalized introspection, which may alternately display the connection of isolated beings and items with their environment or highlight the whimsy of the profound world, in which we find ourselves. The universe is full of connections, many of which are waiting to be discovered; part of my journey as a photographer is to document these connections.
Any assignment, be it an event, a product shoot or a portrait session is always approached through communication with the client; this is where the first connection is established. Ideas are exchanged and a collaborative plan of action forms, ultimately resulting in a set of images that aim to exceed the expectations of each client.
And, lest we forget, it is important to have fun while practicing the serious business of photography!
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Wow!
Thank you!