About

Artist Statement

By Charles Gattis

Photography is the art of seeing, capturing, and sharing life and the world around us in unique, interesting, informative and meaningful ways. A photographer searches for the essence of a scene or a subject and tries to capture and present it in a way that communicates his or her vision to others.

The process is one that begins with a felt interest and some intuitive exploration. The questions asked during this time are sequential and significant:

• What is it in this scene that has caught my interest?
• What is the subject here and what kind of subject is it–an idea, a feeling, an object, a person, an expression, or an emotion?
• How does this scene give representation to this subject and what does it convey about the subject itself?
• What is most important to me about what I am seeing?
• How does the available light and the surroundings present this concept and what is the proper angel to look at the object in order for this to be communicated?
• How will my camera see this vision and what adjustments do I need to make so as to convey this vision to another?

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Often for the photographer, the scene and subject are explored through several images taken from different vantage points and under different lighting until he or she feels that the subject is understood, and the vision captured in the way desired. In essence, the photographer studies the subject through the camera, essentially through those little “fraction of a second” visions captured on film or on the sensor, perhaps in the way a painter explores the subject through brush and paint.

Photography requires the use of both sides of the brain. Understanding and making use of the technical aspects of a camera, which today is basically a computer with a lens attached, incorporates the left side of the brain. Knowing how to compose a subject and seeing the aesthetic combinations of light and color challenge the right side of the brain. For seasoned photographers, the technical aspects eventually become so familiar that the camera is no longer a material object but rather an extension of themselves, while the aesthetic aspects come to be a matter of intuition, to the point that the photographer pre-visions the shot, anticipates the movements and arrangements as they come together in the scene, and strictly by feel can capture the shot in a fraction of a second.

Perhaps it is this thrill of seeing and capturing a scene in this way that makes photography so exciting, much like when a person learning a language begins to think in that language for the first time. Growing to the point of being able to “think” in the language of photography is the very thing that makes photography fine art, and it is something that can be seen intuitively by almost all people when they view a great photograph.

By nature, I think, I am a landscape and macro photographer. I love to capture beautiful scenery and try to photograph it in a way that shows off its beauty. As I look at my images they are filled with broad panoramas of mountain ridges, colorful fields, rich farmlands, old barns, velvety waterfalls, cascading streams, water mills, and all the wonderful scenery that makes our country so beautiful. Sometimes I feel as though I am trying to capture the world one landscape at a time.

My portfolio is also filled with the smaller worlds of macro photography. I love shooting flowers, trying to bring out the rich color and delicate textures of their blossoms. Textures in general fascinate me, so I am often found shooting rust, leaves, naked tree limbs, and small clusters of mushrooms. I find that old cars and their parts present interesting subjects with angles, lines and shapes to intrigue us that can be configured into unique compositions.

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In recent years, I have become fascinated with street photography—capturing people going about their everyday lives in interesting and unique ways. Perhaps it is the awakening in me of a desire to study and capture the most beautiful thing of all, people living out the complexity of their lives in deep and demanding relationships that are both exhilarating and challenging. Such pictures capture individuals usually unknown to us as they move along the street, play in the park, converse with another over coffee, or rush into the arms of a loving companion. These are children playing in the park, catching a fish for the first time, flying a kite, receiving an unwanted grade at school, or wobbling along on the first bike ride without training wheels.

In all of these images, I have struggled to see things that I would not normally see and the struggle to capture these new and unusual visions have allowed me to grow spiritually and enriched my life in many ways. It is my hope that sharing these images with others will profit them as well.

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