For a visual artist words are often inadequate
As a visual artist I find that I am constantly seeing interesting and beautiful things, yet I feel that I often lack the ability to express the beauty that I see in words. This is where my camera comes in, and what I love so very much about being a photographer. I can use my camera to capture the world around me, and then share it with you. No words, just a photograph, telling the story of not just what I saw, but what I felt.
One of the greatest photographers of our time, and one of my hero’s said it best:
When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.
The first sentence in that quote by Ansel Adams speaks to me, and explains what drives me and my photography. I hope to never reach the day when an image becomes inadequate.
Driftwood at Moonstone Beach
The photograph
Normally, I spend a lot of time planning a photography shoot. I will look at maps, tide charts, times and angles for sun and moon rises and sets, all in an effort to improve my chances of creating a good photograph. I will often visit the site in person ahead of time, and will have a good idea of where exactly I want to be and what the final image should look like before I even leave the house! However, there are sometimes when an opportunity simply presents itself. The photograph that appears in this article is a perfect example of one such opportunity.
On a recent Sunday afternoon my wife and I had an appointment that was going to take up the better part of the afternoon. I had little hope of doing any photography, however I brought my gear with me in the hopes that I might be able to scout out a few locations for a future trip. Our appointment over, we headed out much later than expected and my hopes of scouting were sinking as fast as the setting sun!
As we drove down the highway I saw the exit for the Charlestown Breachway and decided to turn the car and see if I could get a quick sunset in at the beach. Needless to say after several wrong turns I was completely lost and running out of time. I took a turn in a direction that I felt would lead me to water and ended up at Moonstone Beach, several miles away from my intended location.
With the sun dropping fast I would not have enough time to get to the Breachway and I was very tempted to give up and head to a restaurant for dinner. I had never been to this beach, I had not researched it or looked at any maps! How could I get anything good??? However, I decided to hop out of the car, run for the sand and see if I could find something quickly. I don’t get the opportunity to photograph sunset everyday, and felt that I needed to try!
The beach was beautiful, the colors and the clouds in the sky were gorgeous, but there was something missing. I had nothing in the foreground to anchor my shot! I started to panic and run in a zig zag pattern up the beach, quickly bringing the camera to my eye to evaluate each rock and piece of brush I came across, before discounting all of them as no good. Then I saw it in the distance. A giant piece of driftwood, washed up and discarded by the ocean.
In an instant I fell in love with this giant piece of wood – rich in tones and detail it was beautiful in its decay. The wood told the story of a rough journey, tossed and turned by the ocean, stripped of its bark after traveling countless miles with the tides before being deposited on this beach.
In order to make the driftwood such a dominant element of the photography, I set my tripod almost as low as it would go and very close to the piece of wood. It only took a few adjustments to my position to create the photograph that you see here.
As I lie in the sand creating this image, I was struck but the peace in the scene – the soft sound of the waves hitting the shore, the rustle of the wind along the sand, and the gentle colors in the sky as the sun went down on another beautiful day. It is this single moment, this feeling of peace that keeps me exploring Rhode Island with my camera.
Sometimes the best shots in photography are unplanned and unpredictable. Sometimes an opportunity presents itself, and you have to take advantage of it and go with the flow!
The Print
“Driftwood at Moonstone Beach” is the latest photograph added to my fine art print gallery. A print of this photograph, as well as many of my other works, can be purchased in a variety of formats to hang in your home and office by visiting my online print store. All of my prints are created locally in Rhode Island, by craftsmen that I have developed personal relationships with over the years. Their work is unrivaled, and I guarantee that you will not be disappointed by! Photographs are a great way to decorate your space, and my prints are a great way to bring the beauty of Rhode Island into your home!