My Ambition is the creation of Fine Art Landscape and wildlife Photographs. A Fine Art Photograph, in my view is one that creates a relation with the viewer. A work of Art that has both Technical and Artistic qualities that work together in harmony to complete the image as a work of art.
Although a balance of Technical and Artistic Skills are necessary to produce a fine art product, I find myself as a bit of a traditionalist. I stylize as best I can to emulate photographers such as Ansel Adams and Moose Peterson, true masters of the art. I strive to do as much in camera as possible, and limit heavy use of editing. I would much rather spend the time in the field to create an image then to be stuck behind a computer doing major adjustments.
Given the age that we are living in now, with many facets of technology at our finger tips it can be both relieving and nostalgic to go back to our roots. With trying to remain as much as a “traditionalist” as I can, I do my best to keep the digital aspect of creating an image to be as limited as possible.
When I go into the field to capture an image I may use either digital or film based media. Even with the use of both mediums I take care to view my subject with a artistic eye, to find the best composition and use of depth of field.
Once I’m back from location I continue the creative process in post processing: the Digital Darkroom (film is developed and scanned), where I enhance the Raw image out of camera. These enhancements are comprised of adjusting the overall contrast, brightness, white balance, and saturation of the image. All adjustments that hold true today as they would have been in the darkroom with the use of enlargers, chemicals, paper and filter variations.
I will also clean the image in post processing by cloning out dust spots or trash that I may have missed in the initial image capture. Once I have deemed an image complete in post processing I then crop the image if required to fit the intended format for which I feel best represents my vision.
My creation of Fine Art Landscape and Wildlife Photography as well as my other aspects of work, my general concern and conveyance is that beauty can be seen in reality. It has taken nature billions of years to create what is around us, why spend time manipulating such wonders to destroy what has already evolved.
Given the busyness of our day to day lives we tend to miss out on what is around us. My ambition is that if you are unable to stop and look at what is around you out of your home, than you can at least escape for a moment inside you home through my art.
Ross Emerson
London, Ontario, Canada
2015