My first memories of feeling like photography spoke to me, are as a child. My parents came from South America and taught themselves how to read and write in English with volume after volume of National Geographic magazine.
I remember pouring over every image in, I swear, hundreds of thousands of pages. I memorized those snap shots of life and the geniuses that captured them.
While my grade school friends had dreams of being pro ball players, doctors, rock stars – I could close my eyes and see a camera slung around my neck in some far off land.
Capturing an image was amazing to me. Freezing that moment in time – that breathe – that blink – was the most incredible thing of all.
For the last year, I have been struggling creatively. I have felt like a big fat loser. Like my work had become boring and uninspired. I have tried to find my way, knowing what I love about my craft and what I have grown to dislike: compromise.
I have decided that i want to do much more portrait work. Not just ordinary portraits though – ones that speak to the essence of my subjects by immersing you in their environment.
My dear brother + fellow photographer finally put a name to it for me: ENVIRONMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHY. Wow, I couldn’t believe I could finally see the road ahead. This is exactly what I want to do. I want to tell you, without telling you – do you know what I mean ?? No, well, don’t worry, I didn’t get it either until I began to study.
Arnold Newman, someone whose images I have known my entire life, is my new obsession. He has the ability to show you who his subject is, it’s brilliant.
so look for some of my newly inspired work. i would love to hear your thoughts
Hi Patty! Since you shot our wedding (July 2010), every once in a while I check your site and blog for your new photos and stories. I love your work, almost as much as I love our wedding photos.
I was VERY excited to see this post because just yesterday, I was showing my boss my all-time favorite photo from our wedding, which is framed in my office, and explained to her why. It is of me and my siblings before the wedding at the Arboretum. You captured the entire essence of our relationship to one another in one great shot. It speaks to the 40 years we’ve known each other and each of our personalities shines through in the photo.
The four of us are standing there and my little sister on my left just said something stupid (I’m sure), so she is laughing and looking at me to see how I react. I am also laughing but looking at you because we are SUPPOSED to be in the middle of a photo shoot. My brother is just to my right, smiling and rolling his eyes at my sister’s comment. And my older sis is on the other side of my brother, just off to the side so as not to be too closely associated, staring at the camera with the perfect face and smile, pretending not to know the three of us. It was probably five seconds in a day FULL of photos and memories – but it is by far my favorite because in that unexpected moment, you caught EXACTLY who we all are.
You are going to be an INSPIRATIONAL and TERRIFIC environmental photographer.
Love, Joan
PS: Baby on the way this November, so we’ll be in touch for a family portrait with the three of us and our beloved dog, whom we adopted as soon as we got back from the honeymoon!