Sometimes I wish I were a painter, and not a photographer

I recently went on an excursion to Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). This was the first time I had been to the park since I had picked up a camera 8 years ago. And so, I felt I was walking into the park with an unbiased eye.

I have these memories from my times in boy scouts, of giant bull elk proudly protecting their herd in Moraine Park. Craggy glacial valleys lay basked in the glowing afternoon sunlight in the distance. It was these memories that eventually led me to photography. I was led to record these moments in time, to savor and share. I wanted to relive the brief moments of beauty that I had been presented with.

On a recent trip to the Denver Art Museum, I rediscovered a love for a particular artist, Albert Bierstadt. Bierstadt was a painter that helped to romanticize the west in the 19th century. His images depicted grand landscapes that were extravagantly lit, with flora and fauna in abundance. These were the images that glorified the west, and encouraged the westward expansion in the 1800's. Interestingly enough, these are the same memories from when I was a young scout.

My goal in attending RMNP was to recapture one of these moments I had encountered in my youth. Over the course of three days, I spent the majority of the time scouting locations, looking for wildlife, and attempting to escape the crowds. I settled on the very place where my memories lay, Moraine Park. I waited for the elk to present themselves in the soon to be setting sun.

After the realization that nothing would present itself, I darted to the next valley over, where I found a large herd of elk awaiting my arrival. There were several well endowed satellite bull that were placed quite conveniently in front of an impressive backdrop. Everything I envisioned was coming together, everything except for the light. It was flat, lacking in vibrancy, and had little atmospheric significance. I captured a few shots that were similar in composition to my vision, but nothing in relation to the grandiose landscape I envisioned.

There are three things that are needed to make a quality landscape photograph; skill, vision and light. To some extent, I have control over two of those necessities. But there is one, that I have no control over whatsoever. Light. It comes and goes. Sometimes I witness it, sometimes I don't. Painters on the other hand, need only skill and vision. And it was then that I realized, "I wish I were a painter, and not a photographer." If that were the case, I wouldn't have to wait around for the light to be right, I could just fake it.

I am by no means demeaning the validity of the painter as an artist. It takes a lot of skill and technique to master the canvas. But this is the one place where painters have the upper hand on photographers. They can paint a scene that is lit anyway they'd like. Photographers on the other hand have to wait for the convergence of many factors. Easier said than done.

In the past year, I can think of maybe a handful of instances where the light has presented itself to my satisfaction. It lasts for mere moments, but yet I still spend months on end in search of it. Why? Because, when it does happen, it's as if God's hand (term used loosely) has basked the land in some sort of alternative significance.

I don't know what your beliefs are, and sometimes I question my own. But it is these very moments in time that affirm my Pantheistic beliefs. This is not a recognition of a God. More so the acknowledgement and unification of; universe, nature and god (lower case g intentional). One is no greater than the other. And it is this belief that drives myself to capture the significance that nature has to offer.

I kinda feel like I am preaching now. The reason I wrote this essay was to regain the validity of the photographer as an artist. Its not all bells and whistles. Just because you own a fancy camera doesn't mean that you are an artist. There are many hours of labor invested in the click of a shutter. And it is that 1/100th of a second that will continue to inspire my growth as a photographer, as well as a human being.

Been A While

Since my last post I have been keeping busy with a number different photos and projects. Everything from backcountry ski trips to glass conventions in Las Vegas. I would go through and tell you more about each, but that might take a while. So, instead I'm only going to share a couple of photos from my recent adventures. Hopefully I will be able to jump on the bandwagon again, and post on here more regularly.

Gallery Show in Longmont

Alright people. Here's the deal, I have been really busy the past few weeks doing work. I landed a job at a framing shop in Boulder. I know it sounds lame. But for me, this is really exciting. The perks that come with the job are worth mentioning as well. I get major discounts on framing. Which is the shit!My employment in photography up to this point, has been rather scattered. Anything from newspapers, to rafting, weddings and product shoots. I have gained a wealth of invaluable knowledge along the way. But for me, I was never truly satisfied in the photographs I was taking. In fact, it took away from the work that I wanted to be doing. You know what, if you want to read more about this topic, continue down a few paragraphs, and read my artists statement. It pretty much says, what I was going to say.

Anyways, the other perk of my job is that they have a gallery, that I am able to display my work. I got this job about a month ago. A month is not very long to try and get something together. So, I have been digging through files, editing and printing, failing and editing again, matting, framing, writing, designing a new website, and staying up far past my bedtime. The gallery is in Longmont, Colorado, which has a growing art scene, but still isn't much. I will be participating in Second Friday's on January 8th at The Artist's Gallery . I welcome you to drop by and say hello. There will be snacks (killer meatballs), wine (pay bar, did someone say BYOB?), and did I mention there will be art by yours truly.

As many of you know, I enjoy exploring the many genre's of photography. But for this show I have only chosen landscapes to showcase. Landscapes sell, and I'm a starving artist. We'll see how this show goes. Hopefully it will lead to something more.

Above is the info card that I will be passing out. If you go to JoshSchutz.com in the next day, you will probably get my old website. Tonights project is to make the new site live. So hold your horses on that one. I also encourage you to read the artists statement. This statement refers to all of my work, but is more specific to the landscapes that will be shown. I'll save my other projects for future shows, it's gonna get nutty in here!

I hope to see some familiar faces at the opening. If you unable to attend, I won't be offended. Like I said, shared show, not that big of a deal. But I have to say, the pieces do like nice.

P.S. the photos shown below are not necessarily the ones in the show.

Artists Statement

For as long as I can remember, I have been seeking solitude in wild places. I’m not too sure what drove me to do so, but I knew it was powerful. On an infamous day in 2001, I bought my first camera. At first I was driven to take photographs of the wilds that surrounded me in my everyday life. But it wasn’t long before I realized that that was the very thing I was trying to separate myself from. My camera quickly became attached to my body while exploring the diverse landscapes and landmarks that surrounded me.

For me, the initial thought of mainstream life can motivate retraction to the solace I find in the backcountry. Occasionally, I am blessed with moments where light, setting, and time have aligned themselves to create a poetic setting. It is then my task to compose those elements in the scene, and capture the essence of what is before me. The photograph merely enables me to recollect and share the few moments of peace I have attained through the escape of civilization and everyday life.

The pursuit of the aesthetic in everything around me is never ending. I am constantly preparing myself for the next Golden Cathedral or Zen Landscape, and hoping that this one is as peaceful as the last. I truly feel amongst the Gods when I am able to align my being with the external forces that govern my world. For me, this is more than a walk in the woods. This is a quest for the divine inspiration that surrounds me.

An Afternoon With Elizabeth

Last fall I got a chance to do some photos with Elizabeth. We did our shoot on Boulder open space near the Baseline Reservoir.

The Return Of The Studio

(Click on photos to make larger, I'm having a few formatting issues)

Over the past year, my studio lights have been passed around more than they have actually been used. Because I lived in my car for 7 months, I was forced to leave items in friends garages and houses.

I finally got them back last week, and I was itching to use them. Luckily, I had a few models to pose for me. My brother, his girlfriend and Seth came over for a little photo session. We started off in Halloween costumes and moved onto everyday clothes. The first photograph is a photo of my brother dressed up in his Jesus costume. You can't really tell it's Jesus, but I do like his pose.

I convinced Lauren, my brothers girlfriend to pose for me too. She is kinda shy, so I had to have my brother make her laugh, crack jokes, and blow a fan across her face. I think that we came up with a solid photo of her.

This is a picture of Seth with his digital camera and toy lens. He was my test subject, but this test shot turned out to be quite good.

And of course, what photo shoot is complete without a few of the photographer. I had my brother snap a few off of me and my bum beer. I like it when I get a good photograph of myself. I have so many photographs of everyone else, but very few of me. I have a lot of snapshots of myself, but those don't count.

Studio lights aren't just used for portrait photography, they are also used for product photography as well. I don't have much experience in product shooting, so I figured I would give it a shot. The plan is to get a decent sized portfolio of table top and product photographs to sell as stock.

Speaking of which, I have almost been accepted to istockphoto.com. I've taken the tests, and sent a few shots in. Two of the three shots I sent in were accepted. The one that was denied was too much like fine art. I'm glad that it got denied, because it has helped me to focus on what stock photography is. There is a good market in stock photography for product shots. Because my employment is very limited right now, I figure this is a good time to make a new portfolio of images. Hopefully it pays off.

Snowy Day Photos

Twenty two inches and counting! It's been snowing for two days now, and isn't expected to stop until tonight. When all said and done we should be looking at more than 2 feet. Well, I've come to this party prepared. A couple of 40's in the fridge should make for a good couple of days.

I've spent the past couple of days taking quite a few photos. My brother, his girlfriend and I went sledding yesterday. They walked, and I x-country skied to a hill near our house. I forgot how much it sucks to break trail.

I took a few photos of Hank, the 8 ball, and an apple. A few weeks ago, one of my friends and I decided that we would make a photo assignment for critique. It had to be obscure enough that we could each take assignment and put our own style to it. We decided on the fruit basket. Kinda odd, I know. The fruit basket has been painted in still life for hundreds of years. What better subject could you find than a fruit basket. Yesterday, I finally decided to complete the assignment. My style would traditionally follow something a bit more grim than the photos below.

I would generally let the fruit sit and rot for a few weeks and then photograph it. If you have seen my collection of dead and decaying items you would know what I mean. The fruit basket was a spur of the moment thing, and I had nothing dead. So apples in Nambe is what it came down to. I brought out the studio lights and this is what I came up with. It's not really a basket but it is fruit held in a container of sorts. As far as I'm concerned, it qualifies.

Today is another snow day, and who knows what kind of photos it will bring. I'm thinking some minimalist landscapes are in order. Hopefully I am able to get out of the driveway, or find something in the immediate area. We'll see what the day has to bring.

The Moped Gang

Once upon a time I bought a moped. I got it at a junkyard for $50. It was broken, ratty, and far from working. When I finally did get it running, it was quickly returned to what all of my friends called the “Two More Week” status. They called it that because when it broke down, which was often, I would always tell them, “two more weeks and it’ll be running”. And usually it was. If I had a quarter for every time my bike broke down, I would probably have enough money to buy a car. But that’s not the point.

Have you ever driven a moped or a scooter? Not a motorcycle, but a low power 2-stroke vehicle. There is something about seeing the lay of the land pass gently below at a slow 25mph. You can see so much more than if you were in a vehicle. You can smell the flowers, and eat the bugs as wipe the tears from your face. There’s nothing like it. You feel so much more alive.

My addiction to mopeds have progressed from asmall hobby, to a moped gang, to a racing track, and someday a long open road. I have pedaled and walked many miles with my bike, crashed it countless times and spent many hours in a hospital room. I’ve had my bike stolen, and then damn near beat up a kid to get it back. We have been to hell and back. And guess what? I love my bike, and my bike loves me.

I have put about 8000 miles on my bike since 2002. In the summer time I drive my moped up and down the creek (Clear Creek) taking photos of rafters. All of my friends have dubbed me “Paparazzi!” You never know when or where you will see me. But somewhere along that rafting trip you will see me hiding in the bushes with a camera. And when you do, be sure to give me a whistle and an Italian influenced, “Heeeeey! Paparazzzzziiii!” make sure to roll your tongue. I don’t even think many people on the creek even know my real name. And that is fine by me, I kind of like it.

I have been mopeding for about 8 years now. The way I said that kind of makes me sound like it’s an addiction, it kind of is. Until recently I never took too many photos of my mopeds. I have taken a few snapshots here and there but nothing that I ever really tried to compose, until recently. And so I will leave you with a small selection of photographs that I have created in an attempt to capture the culture that surrounds me.