Page 2 - F Stop November 2017

We Are Artists
Last week when Maureen and I were walking through the Artist's Co-Op, I noticed on the guest wall an artist who, I believe, paints with acrylic. Hanging on the wall were stunning paintings of wildlife and landscapes. While looking at these, something hit me: artists have it made; they can paint from memory, from photos, or their imagination. They have it all. Artists don't have to wait hours for the perfect light, or an animal to not only show up but give us that pose, or travel. They just paint.
Down at the Best Western in their restaurant, there is a well-known artist that has paintings for sale. They
are all lovely, and I would gladly have one hanging on my wall. The cost is approximately $400 for an 18" x 22", most likely well worth it.
So let's compare our passion against that of the Painter. The tools we use to create our art are our camera equipment, and our canvas is editing software, but the passion lies in what we go through to get our photos.
Maureen has many sunrise photos. She wakes up ridiculously early in the morning and heads out, just waiting for the right light and that special moment when she snaps the shutter. I like landscapes and wildlife, including birds. So, it's up to Algonquin we go to look for animals and sunrises. While in Algonquin I drive and hike to see wildlife and of course landscapes.
This summer Maureen and I drove out to the Rockies. For me, it was to photograph wildlife, but of course, I did landscapes and my other passion, railroads. Once we arrived back home, we spent many hours filing the originals, editing the photos we liked, sharing some of them on social media, and storing the edited files back onto our computer.
I have sold many photographs, mostly mounted. I know Juergen sells a ton of mounted photographs. We only wish that we could ask S400 for an 18" x 22".
My point is we, as photographers, really need to begin looking at ourselves as artists, because that's what we truly are.
Randy O’Hara OSCC President