Art Blog #175

'When nature photography becomes art' by Paul Connor

For four years I have spent approx. 4500 hours walking, approx. 2500 hours processing photographs, 2500 hours uploading photograph's and information to social media and walked approx. 15000 miles in all weathers, around all terrain and over all obstacles. In all I suspect I took seventy thousand photographs.

Initially, my objective was to take a high-quality photograph each day for a year to document the seasonal species.

However, additional goals soon developed:

• Gaining knowledge about the species through online resources.

• Mastering the use of the camera.

• Understanding how to photograph different species as artistic subjects.

For me, photographs are a hard copy and diluted version of a soft copy and dynamic event and those seventy thousand photographs are a memory for me and research material for others, but those photographs are my life and more importantly reflect a moment in time of the planet and captures a moment in time of another sentient beings life and will never be replicated or repeated and a photograph cannot truly represent the full range of senses utilised in that moment.

'Nature is impartial in its neutrality, which means that most species operate on pure instinct—the instinct to survive, reproduce, and feed without bias, solely to ensure the survival of the individual and, consequently, the species.

Each species has expertly adjusted to current conditions, becoming masters of their specific skills while continually adapting to new challenges and changes.

This ongoing evolution and adaptation have resulted in some species that are not only engineering marvels but also works of art, which I have observed and occasionally captured against breath-taking backdrops.'

What qualifies something as art? Art is subjective, and some people might find a photograph of a bird visually appealing but not consider it art. Does it rely on the image's composition, or on how the central subject contrasts with the background or other elements of the composition?

To me, photography turns into art when the photographer approaches the piece with a distinct vision of the desired outcome. This can be difficult since nature is dynamic, constantly shifting with its environment, unlike still-life. Yet, it becomes significantly easier if the subject remains stationary, and it's truly satisfying when the final image matches your initial vision.

To clarify, I don't consider myself an artist through my photography because of my limited skills, experience, and practice. However, when I approach photography with the aim of showcasing nature at its finest, striving to capture the uniqueness of each species and a moment in time that is never to be repeated, I occasionally create an image that might be seen as art.

Courtesy of www.connorcontemporary.com