The artist's interpretation only begins with the camera since the image in the viewfinder is never what is seen in the mind's eye. Images have been manipulated virtually since photography was invented in 1826 to meet the artists' aesthetic. As early as 1857, Rejlander created a masterpiece, "Two ways of Life", which was purchased by Queen Victoria and had been made from over 30 negatives blended together. This photo, as big as an easel painting (16 x 31") had earlier shocked the art world by being displayed on par with paintings. In my collection, I have "tin types" from the late 1800's which had been hand colored to add life to faces and gold to jewelry.
With each leap in technology, the other arts were affected as well. For example, a running horse had never been depicted correctly on canvas until 1878 when Muybridge took advantage of the new fast emulsions and an array of 24 cameras to capture the equine movement in a stop motion sequence. Or who can forget Duchamp's 1912 cinema inspired, staccato "Nude Descending Staircase"? The argument continues to rage today about film versus digital capture in photography. Film will never go away just as we see a resurgence of "tin types" and other honored media. But we do have at our finger tips a very powerful series of tools from the digital camera to the computer to the inkjet printer to create our art. Regardless of the means used, to paraphrase Ansel Adams, 'A photograph is not taken, it is made'.


If you are interested in purchasing an image, please contact me:

bwerner2@earthlink.net

Most images are processed to look great at 24x36" and even larger on canvas or other surfaces. Because of the size and saturated colors each image is customized to its particular dimensions and print medium.

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© 2010 Bernard Werner