Organic Photography

One of the things that was discovered in my progression as an artist through the benefit of my colleagues was the created landscape of "From Dust." The turbulent, rolling nature of the happenstance negatives, the diffusion of light from crisp edge to blurred fade, all lead to an ultimate understanding of the creation of a contextual landscape in which the raven flies to its ultimate disintegration. After "Crossing Over" I was again interested in shooting someone, but in the style of Edward Weston, Ruth Bernhard, or even the Brooks contributor Christopher Broughton, I wanted this time to create a landscape of the human body. Again it seemed that accident played a roll as the camera that I used for the process, my grandfather's WWII field camera - a completely manual twin lens reflex, I accidentally double exposed one of the frames that should have been of my shoulder but instead became a superimposed image of my shoulder and my back, with the raven tattoo I have ...

Last Thursday was the First Thursday show for the graduating MFA class. Seven bodies of work hung in the Cota Street Gallery that are as diverse in approach and subject matter as they are in execution and personal style. It is a show that seems to marry these eclectic images with grace, courage, and infinite beauty. Today I was privileged to sit in on the project defense of one of these bodies of work. It was my goal to experience a defense, to learn more about this work, and to support my friend. I was not ready for the grace, poise, introspection, and courage of the presentation. It was stunning. In some ways I felt like I was out of place, though in truth the defense had been classified as "open." But I am so glad to have been there, to have seen that the defense is not something to be feared or anxious about, but rather to be embraced as another opportunity to reveal a layer about the work. Something precious and imperative. The work has always been stunning to...

This image goes back to my roots of wanting to shoot people. Although I find it somewhat contrary to the work I am doing now, I love shooting people. I love the studio, love to create moods, sets, lighting, contrast. These are the things that make me tick, and as I progressed with this particular project, I began to find myself wanting to interact with the living again. Wanting, so desperately, to be part of a collaborative effort that went beyond myself, somehow reaching out. I have several contacts in the hair and make-up as well as modeling arenas and I threw out a request for anyone willing to do something above and beyond for the sake of art. My favorite make-up artist responded that she was very excited about the concept, and I found a model that had been wanting to do some other work with me who was willing to do both the Hollywood Glamor shot that she wanted as well as the shot that I wanted. The trouble is that I wanted to do several things. I wanted to show an escape, and...

And so we return to the work. This piece was originally inspired by a question from one of my classmates in response to the work From Dust previously discussed on this blog. The question was "why don't you use ash?" I know it may seem like a simple question, but the concept of the blackened phoenix rising from flames became a burning image in my psyche (no pun intended.) I was consumed with it, because fire is perhaps one of the most immediate and irreversible forms of degradation and corrosion that exists. I was immediately faced with two problems. The first was how to get something that was burning to resemble a raven, the second was, quite simply, the actual burning. I was not afraid of using the symbolism of the phoenix in place of the raven for this image, though I was a little sad to be straying from the original concept so early. But I knew that I wanted the imagery to separate from the background, and flame being a light source (emitting instead of reflecting)...

There are so many times in life when everything seems to go straight to hell in one fell swoop. Times when the acts of walking through your day, of getting out of bed, of breathing seem overwhelming and impossible. I have had a lot of those days recently, for a multitude of reasons. But yesterday I received several things that I needed desperately. The first was a call from a friend who is convinced that I can still positively affect the world. Not just my sphere, but the world. The second was the opportunity to chat with my father and get some of his thoroughly helpful advice. The third was acceptance of my submission to Alamy images. The last, but certainly not least, was the accidental email sent to a woman who inspires me. The last being so important because had the accidental email not been sent, I wouldn't have felt the need to send a follow up email, and I wouldn't have gotten the response that I did this morning. A brief but lovely email from her actually thank...

I used to fairly heavily believe in the concept that everything happens for a reason. Even to a highly superstitious level. (Though, clearly, you must all recognize my superstitious nature by now.) But recently I have been extremely skeptical about the intentions of God or the Universe or Fate or whatever you want to call it. I am, after all, not finding any success in some very elemental parts of my life. Let us step back for a moment. In the book "The Artist's Way" the concept of the Universe supporting you once you begin to find your artistic/creative path is woven into the mentality that you should free yourself to be a creative individual. It is this mentality that lead me back to photography. This mentality that convinced me I could pursue a Master's degree. But the concept also contains a belief that doors will begin to open, you will meet the right person at the right time, be given a chance to take the next step, find the next project, and make a dif...

I have reworked my website to better reflect the work I am actually doing now. Although I may be a capable glamor photographer, it is not what I wish to do. It is not what I hope to be recognized for. The black and white work that you have seen here, the work on my updated site, that is the work that you should associate with me. Now and forever. It is who I am. Check it out here: Amanda Quintenz Photography .