If you
hear a photographer describe their work as “My Life Through a
Lens” then chances are their images are as cliché
as their word choices… I am not one of those photographers.
It seems I have a need to create, instead of just a mere desire for it and that
has lead me to love the adventure for the artistic phenomenon.
Adventure.
Such a simple word, yet it is a huge determining factor in my artistic style.
Each day is a personal expedition into the unknown and, frankly, it has led me
to new experiences and opportunities that I never felt possible. I spend a ton
of time stepping outside of my comfort zone just because it makes me happy to
be doing something cool. I like to describe it as a constant need for motion. I
believe it was Newton who stated that an object at rest will stay at rest until
acted on by an outside force... My art IS my outside force. If I'm not moving
or exploring, then I'm not particularly happy. It's a blessing and a curse all
wrapped up into one, but I think this weird enjoyment for the unknown is what
has driven me even further into my passion for art and my love of photography.
My art.
My art is my life, my passion, and my love. I have spent eight years getting as
close to perfect as I possibly could with my work. I know I have a lot to learn
in my field still, but I am excited to learn it. Oddly enough, while capturing
the image, I do not see my subject matter as clearly as those “cliché photographers” I
have mentioned above. Instead, when I put my face up to the viewfinder, I see
the world as a mass of color and shapes. I use the abstracted image in my head
to create my composition.
Though I
may abstract an image in my own eyes, each of my photographs is done in an
extremely strict fashion. I have my own “set of rules” for
my photography that I always follow. As I have come to create my own personal
style, I have determined the “Dos and Don’ts”
for my artwork: Do add visual dynamics through shadows, don’t
have motion blur. Do allow yourself to have complete artistic freedom in your
design style, don’t rely on Pinterest for all your
ideas. Do monitor all aspects of color in your image, don’t
forget about the classic loveliness of a successful black and white photograph.
As you can see, it is easy to say that I am stricter toward my photography than
most aspects of my life, but a strict photographic style is a large part of my
tale.
How I
edit certain pieces of my work is also a very important key in my artistic portfolio.
I can spend hours upon hours dabbling in Photoshop just because it is something
I enjoy. For that reason, (and the fact that I also create works of graphic
design, desktop publishing, and videography), I tack on the title of Digital
Media Artist as well.
Eight
years have gone by since I first picked up a camera. Some would say, “Well,
what is eight years -- barely a decade, wars have lasted longer than that.”,
but if we take the time to look at where I was when I started my photographic
journey, a mere child with an eye for the more artistic aspects of life, then
it may be stranger than assumed.
On a
family vacation to the Outer Banks in North Carolina, I found myself annoyed with
the average beach surroundings. A wave here, a palm tree there, and a group of
16 people who were perfectly content with simply parking their behinds in the
sand and staring at the sea foam. As I attempted to keep sane in the
overwhelming heaps of boredom, I took my mother's Point-and-Shoot camera from
her purse. A few hours later, my family was in complete awe at what I had
captured. At the time, I was just eleven years old, but apparently I was using
a camera like a seasoned veteran. I will be blunt in saying, eleven year old me
didn’t particularly care what my elder counterparts were saying,
but when twelve year old me was given a camera for her birthday, my life
changed for the better.
Growing
up with an above average artistic talent was a strange occurrence. Throughout
middle school I seemed to be coddled by teachers who thought it was “cute” that
I wanted to be an artist, all the while they were trying to push me to try for
a “real career”. Of course, the stubborn child I was
never diverged from my path and continued to learn the photographic trade. In
high school, I met a whole different perspective on my love and creation of
art.
(Now, I
won’t say that I am good at photography. I will say that I like
what I create and I am proud of it… and that my images have also left me
with 180+ art awards to my name, but, as with most things, some will love it
while others will hate it.)
From an
art teacher who refused to help me accomplish my dreams (actually telling me to
stop entering my work into galleries and such because I should “Leave
it for someone else”) to people who actually were angry that
I allowed myself to fully embrace my passion, I can’t say that my life
as an artist has been a walk in the park. Actually, there have been a great deal
of hurdles I had to overcome before I was able to really allow myself to
embrace the art world, but it is because of those hurdles that I have such a high
level of respect for all artists in the industry and for the creation of all forms
of art, in general.
After
teaching myself for five years, I was given a full scholarship from Scholastic,
Inc. to study Fashion & Commercial Photography at Maine Media Workshops and
College in Camden, Maine in the summer of my Junior Year of high school. I
spent the summer gaining a better understanding of the aspects of portraiture
and I found that, hey, I was actually pretty good at it. Prior to that summer,
I was a self-deemed “Nature Photographer”,
but through my time at Maine Media I was able to find my true niche in the
realm of Portrait Photography. It is sometimes odd to me to think that I had
found something so incredibly important to me at such a young age and that I
actually was successful at it, but I know that I am truly blessed with this
ability.
So, with
an eye for design and a passion for creativity, I first held my camera at the
age of twelve. Nearly eight years later and a hefty amount of time spent behind
the lens, my photographs have taken on a personality of their own. Mixing my
knowledge of fashion photography and the strict ethical codes of
photojournalism, I have left myself with the ability to capture moments like no
other!
Currently,
I reside in the beautiful mountains of the Alleghenies (Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania to be exact!) where I am completing coursework for the prestigious
Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Robert Morris University. I hold the
Assistant Photographer position at RMU Sentry Media and am the Photo Intern for
Pittsburgh City Paper. My work has been showcased all of the United States and
abroad, including cities such as NYC, Washington D.C, Paris, and London!
Finally,
I find a vast importance to add a thank you to those who have helped me become
an artist. The first being God, as he has blessed me with this gift and this
understanding of the visual world and I am so thankful he has directed me thus
far. Second, I must thank my amazing family. My mother, brother, father, and
grandparents are always there to help me when I fail or assist me in the
purchase of a new camera. They are my rock. Third, I must also give a huge shout
out to my friends who are all amazing models and amazing inspirations. Thank
you all. You make my world a little more colorful!
This is
Week 1 of Artists Tell Their Stories – 52 Artists in 52 Weeks. Thank you for
reading and sharing Katey’s story today. To connect with her and
see more of her work, please visit the following links:
No comments:
Post a Comment