Painted Forest, Brambles

Near Kamloops, BC (Artist Statement)

Painted Forest, Brambles: Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (2011) - Abstract photograph of a motion-blurred forest, with lines and texture where the camera paused

This part of the forest attracted me from a distance: I very much liked the blend of colour and texture in the branches and bushes. However, the first few exposures I tried were too busy, and I couldn't express the great height of the trees in the same frame as the subtle ground patterns.

I solved the problem by taking my camera off the tripod and hand-holding it for a long exposure. After capturing some low foliage for a moment, I panned the camera skyward. Fine details are erased, but the photograph has the touchable texture I was originally drawn to.

Normally, I avoid techniques that gratuitously distort a subject, and I would never add such an effect digitally. However, sometimes alternate ways of seeing and recording can speak to a viewer more effectively – as the great Canadian photographer Freeman Patterson wrote, 'technique must always enhance the theme'.

— Painted Forest, Brambles: Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (2011)

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