ARTIST STATEMENT

Since I was a young child, I have been a ?watcher?: part of me engaging in the social graces of being human as another part of me would sit like a fly on the wall watching. At times I would note the politics in the room ? which sibling was getting attention and why. At other times I would notice the light painting the room with graphic designs. As a result, I developed a passion for photojournalism as well as shape and form.

I didn?t appreciate how different I was from others until I started capturing my point of view with a camera. People would often comment on how they could recognize a picture I had taken by how I had framed it or the moment that I captured. Others would comment on how they just didn?t see what I saw and how they enjoyed my point of view.

I really don?t know who has influenced my work as I never formally studied the art. In retrospect, however, my influences seemed to have come from two main sources. First, the photographers of National Geographic and the old ?Look? magazine taught me to capture special ?moments? but a graphic way. Secondly, Ansel Adams taught me to experiment with going beyond the limits of the equipment ? extended dynamic range. As a result, my work is a eclectic collection of images of candid moments, dynamic scenery, and high dynamic range (a technique of combining multiple exposures of the same image into one).

Fifteen years ago I retired my film cameras for digital. I shoot in raw format with either a Nikon D-200 or D-300 SLR. I process images in one of three ways.

1. As-is with mild alterations for sharpness and saturation (e.g. Proud Sea Lion, Samuel Island Sunset).

2. High Dynamic Range. Three to nine captures are taken of the same image all at different exposures then blended to create one image. Using this process I am able to produce an image that is “honest” in that it displays information as recorded (no Photoshop alterations) yet brings out both highlight and shadow detail in a static form.

For example, the eye can capture all this information while viewing a scene but can only see the extremes by focusing on shadow (iris opens up) or highlight (iris closes down) detail individually. As a result, when both extremes in exposure are included in an image, the results are striking and inviting. Often the mundane appear dramatic (e.g. Iron Man) enticing the viewer to re-visit scenes often passed over. Other images are simply just more beautiful by allowing the highlight and shadow detail to be displayed (e.g., Cabbage Island Sunset). In this latter case, it is like dodging and burning in the darkroom. Photomatrics is the software that assists in the layering of these images permitting tonal management.

3. Photoshop Crafted. Though infrequently used, some of my images are crafted with Photoshop. The intent is to highlight design by altering colour and contrast. The images are intended to be playful and intriguing. (e.g. Psychedelic Bug).

I print all of the images with Epson archival paper and ink on an Epson 3800 or 7900 printer using a MacBook Pro computer and managed through Adobe Lightroom as JPG or TIFF files.

Except for the Gallery Frames, I cut my own glass, cut my own mats, and construct my own frames. Gallery frames are the only product that is not produced by me on Mayne Island.

Toby Snelgrove