Vaughn
Subscriber
One thing good about starting making photographs in 1977 is that one knew little (relatively speaking) of what everyone else in the world was photographing! While I grew up with some incredible photographs on our walls, art and photography were not family topics of discussion. When I started to make landscape photos and naturally drifted in the direction of the West Coast landscape tradition, I had not yet heard of or seen images from Weston, Adams, Cunningham, and so on. It did not feel like I was copying anyone. Two of the photographs we had growing up were 16x20 Carleton Watkins original prints...walking past those prints everyday in the hallway and growing tall enough to see the detail in the contact prints of that that size must have influenced me some though!
I am lucky to live in Humboldt County and I love working in the light of the redwoods. The light and the chaos is not easy to handle...being there at the right place at the right time takes experience, luck, and patience -- it is a an advantage living so close. So being 'unique' is a little easier. I also photograph in Yosemite a bit, and there is always risks, for example, of finding a favorite image I have made is also Plate 46 in John Sexton's Listen to the Trees. Oh well, mine is a horizontal and I like mine better. But I might be biased.
Anyway, too many words to say, its art if you want it to be -- and great art if you can take it even further.
I am lucky to live in Humboldt County and I love working in the light of the redwoods. The light and the chaos is not easy to handle...being there at the right place at the right time takes experience, luck, and patience -- it is a an advantage living so close. So being 'unique' is a little easier. I also photograph in Yosemite a bit, and there is always risks, for example, of finding a favorite image I have made is also Plate 46 in John Sexton's Listen to the Trees. Oh well, mine is a horizontal and I like mine better. But I might be biased.
Anyway, too many words to say, its art if you want it to be -- and great art if you can take it even further.