Beauty in the Blur

Because I am so near sighted, my visual perceptions have rarely been well defined or tightly focused. All day long the glasses come on and off, off and on. The resulting inability to achieve a consistent, sharp focus has contributed to my fascination with the beauty in the blur. Combine that with the inevitable awareness of a mature woman regarding the blistering speed of life and you have the basis for this body of work.

My preference is to photograph the broad strokes, eliminating details in order to focus on elements of shape, color and mood. This is reflected in the work presented here which emphasizes the colors, forms and patterns of urban living. The bustling energy, constantly changing and renewing, the beautiful rushing impermanence of city life glimpsed through wide open windows, inviting doorways and on the street inspire me. In order to capture this feeling with my camera I use the slowest possible shutter speed, highest ISO, and smallest aperture, and move the camera slowly down after focusing on an upper point in the image .

By moving the camera slowly to reveal the spirit of a fast paced world, I am attempting to portray the stunning, effervescent and constantly transforming nature of city life.

Artists

Laura Wolfe

Alan Strassman

Christy Stadelmaier

Ellen Toby Slotnick

Dianne Schaefer

Alice Shafer

Andrea Rosenthal

Linda Rogers

Richard Perry

Jane Paradise

Trelawney Goodell

Anne Diamond McNevin

Diane Davies

Nan Collins

Bob Avakian

Instructor

Karen Davis

Course Assistant

Meg Birnbaum

 

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