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- © Alan Kidawski, Thistle Plate 1
Alan Kidawski
A Photographic Quest for Poetic Imagery
In the summer of 2021, I began a strange journey with my photography. I had been couped up in my home almost the entire year due to a plague that hit our world. I needed to break out and explore that world again. So, I set out on a Photographic Quest on the first day of Summer. In this quest, there were many short journeys in and around my home base. This took me on daytrips with my wife, friends and myself. This photographic quest sent me off exploring in many directions and adventures. I wrote a journal of thoughts along the way. This Quest had no specific direction or purpose other than an idea to photograph the concept of poetic imagery.
I produced a photographic body of work to base my idea on. This body of work was both straight forward photography and imaginary images. I needed to make them poetic in nature. “What the hell is poetry”, I began to ask. I knew nothing about poetry. I started to search out the meaning of what makes a poem poetry. I was surprised at what I found out. Poetry is not a precise definition. It meant many things to many people. I was again lost in my questions of “what makes a poem poetry
I explored my work in as many possible directions as I could. This led me down incredible paths to explore. I could one day sit at a pond, photograph raindrops on leaves, or a fairy in a garden or a man working hard at shoeing a horse. I explored my church where I spent many hours in as a young adult looking for a faith. Or a Boy Scout camp where I spent days as a scout enjoying life.
This Photographic Quest was a great and wonderful adventure for me. A thistle began to grow in my garden. One day the light was right, the flower began to ripen, and I began an exploration of this plant. It was wonderful to explore and photograph. These images are my view of this extraordinary flower.
Here lies my real Quest.
Artist Bio
I was born a Bostonian in 1951, grew up in Medford, Mass. My first real photographic encounter with a camera was in 1968. I began photographing people with great excitement. I was shooting street photography of kids, barbershops, and everything that came into focus in my lens. I was hooked. After my Military duty, I entered the New England School of Photography and spent 2 years studying advertising, commercial, and industrial photography. I have always enjoyed photographing different parts of objects. My vision has been seeking out many sorts of items. I see photography as an inter-play of shapes, light, contrast, textures, and composition. My hope is to bring you some of the joy looking at things all around you.
I ran a photographic business for over 30 years photographing for advertising agencies, manufacturing companies, industrial brochures, Boston newspapers, and many corporations.
I have been judging for over 10 years with camera clubs and other organizations. I also have been teaching a Special Interest Group in the Art of Photography for over 5 years. I have been a Photographic instructor for Photo Clubs, Middle Schools, and High Schools. I have been teaching Photoshop, LightRoom, and other photographic programs.
I received a Kodak International photographic award. I have been awarded Master Member of the New England Camera Club Council (MNEC). Honorable Mention as a photographer for Paine Furniture receiving A Hatch Award. Best photo of the year, from IPNE, and SIPNE, and Best of Year for many years at Gateway Camera Club. I have had many Galleries exhibits in the past 50 years of photographing at the Massachusetts State House Rotunda, Boston City Hall, Framingham Amazing Things, New England School of Photography, Worcester Music Center, Baldwin Hill Gallery Natick, Natick Public Library. Group shows Framingham Public Library, Natick Public Library, Sudbury Public Library, Weston Public Library, Natick Senior Center, NESOP, TCAN and others.