U.S. Pictures – Fine Art Imagery & More…
Browse the Bill Swartwout Photography’s gallery of unique landscapes/seascapes for your home and order now for a Courtesy Discount with code: JVETTE.
Shop Here: the Bill Swartwout Photography Gallery
A last minute foray to the beach at Grand Beach, New Buffalo, MI provided us with an interesting sunset view over Lake Michigan. The weather had been cloudy, chilly and windy all day but the clouds opened up enough near dusk that I was able to photograph one of the most interesting sunset images of our trip.
The elements all worked together to create this breathtaking sunset photograph. The high winds during the day created moderate waves washing up on the beach that provided a wet sand “mirror” reflecting the colors in the sky. The half buried driftwood added a bit of foreground interest – looking a bit like a miniature mountain range on the beach. The sky, itself, was – well, it was just beautiful.
Of course, all of this splendor was not of my making. It was all provided by the artist known as Mother Nature – I was just there to observe and, hopefully, catch something to share with you.
Prints are available: CLICK HERE
Starting as a child of 11, when my parents gave me a home darkroom kit, I spent most of my time shooting and printing captures of Mother Nature’s creations around where we lived. That has continued throughout my life.
My photography is defined in the way I capture light and shadow and endeavor to do so in the way those elements are created in natural scenes, be they landscapes or seascapes, night or day.
I could not say why I “create as I do” but I know that if something out there catches my eye, I will go and take a look. Someplace in my mind I like to think that my photography attempts to capture some of the beauty seen in nature. No matter what medium or the camera used, I have tried to capture the essence of what is seen in nature through the camera. Being able to do so allows me to enjoy every shoot and, as a result, my camera becomes an extension of my eyes.
It is true that the architectural endeavors of mankind are also creative and beautiful and at night they may need artificial light (man-made) to be seen. However, during the day it is Mother Nature that brings out the designs, forms and textures of that architectural “masterpiece.”
My goal or wish, through my photography and writing, is to share with you the view of Nature that I have come to know over the last half century. Just as a painter strives to find unique ways in capturing and creating images, I too am always searching for a variety of creative outlets in photography and, occasionally, in writing.
Photography with its many disciplines is vast, it has been said that there are as many definitions as photographers. My photographs may not be for everyone, but if someone wants to see my work I invite them to do so at:
Link to: My Full Gallery at Pictorem
Link to: My Ocean City Gallery at Pictorem
Link to: My Full Gallery at Fine Art America
Link: Fenwick Island Dunes and Waves Panorama
Link: Waccamaw River Memorial Bridge at Conway in Black and White
The world is full of photographers, the ubiquitous cell phone camera has made sure of that, and anyone can look at the creations of others and say to themselves, “I could do that.” But do they (or we) really have the “eye” to see it? The creative eye that takes something out of nothing and creates a work of art? What does one need to do in order to create art? I have been striving to answer that answer for a very, very long time.
What I am seeking is what my Muse gives me when I visit her throughout the wonder of Creation’s pathways. What is within me seeks expression in the form of capturing a feeling or mood which often resides in the compositions that appear before me. For me it starts with an idea and evolves into the moment of commitment to an image. That is what I endeavor to share with my viewers and buyers.
