“Take a moment to look at the normal; you might just see the incredible”
Charlotte Bellamy – artist
“Why limit yourself to what your eyes see when you have such an opportunity to extend your vision?” Edward Weston
As the sun sets, I feel the warmth of the light as it falls on the leaves of the trees. As the rain drips I see the grass glisten with vibrant intensity. As the wind blows, the movement captures my eye as a hidden branch is exposed like a shy individual. The wide blue Dutch skies and expanses of water are contrasted with the brown tree trunks and orange sunsets. Every colour and contrast captures my eye when I take time to notice it.
The impressionists have always inspired me, especially Van Gough. In the early 1800s the movement’s painters were unconcerned with creating objectively realistic representations. Rather they sought to capture the changing effects of light, weather and atmosphere to convey the dynamism of their new environment. Just as in paintings, it is possible for photographs to show the emotions and feelings of the artist rather than just a view through a lens.
My collection of blue and gold double exposures of nature showcases my love of the outdoors. It has allowed me to explore my love of landscape photography without the constraints of technical perfection. It has allowed me to create images that explore and expose how I feel about the landscape around me. In the Netherlands they say “I make a photograph” not “I take a photograph”. My images are more than just a snap shot in time; they are a portrayal of a feeling.
Using a combination of ICM and double exposures, some of these images have been created in a moment of spontaneity, whilst others have been carefully combined to replicate a memory. I love the ICM technique for the freedom, fun and experimental creativity it allows – the creation of images that portray more than just an exact record of a moment or place. The use of double exposures allows me to explore the feeling further; adding softness, texture, contrast, depth and colour.
I take inspiration for my work the minute I look out of my window. The weather and the changes in season offering me ever changing wonderment. Having moved to The Netherlands 6 years ago I was offered an amazing opportunity to explore my new home through the medium of photography. I delight in the opportunity to portray what many to consider as a ‘flat and boring’ landscape into an image that intrigues and questions that preconceived notion.
The work of Doug Chinnery and Valda Bailey offered me early inspiration. The wonderful balance of colour and composition offering wonderfully peaceful images, but ones which demanded a lingering look to really appreciate their complexities. More recently has I have further explored fellow artists who share my passion for blending ICM and double exposures I have been inspired by the work of Julia Fuchs, Kevin Marston and Robert Friel.
Given my desire to create ‘art’ rather than photographs; I have fallen in love with the work of Joan Fullerton, Anthony Garratt and Kurt Jackson. The work of these painters portrays the landscape with a feeling of passion and power. Using colour and brush techniques to evoke a depth and abstract style in their paintings that I absolutely love.
My aspiration for these images is that they be recognised as ‘art’ and not just photos. I hope that my passion for the landscape around me is evident, and that these images make you take a minute to linger and wonder about your own location in which you live. Do you wonder now if you are missing an appreciation of your immediate surroundings because they are ‘just there’ or maybe because you just don’t allow yourself the time to look at the obvious?
“Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play it safers, the creatures of the common place, the slaves of the ordinary” – Cecil Beaton
