My art is known for its dramatic scenes and fascinating characters. The images evoke thought and emotion from the viewer. Each image invites a visual exploration and a return to its mysteries
over and over again.
By Marcus Reinkensmeyer
Sometimes, but thankfully not often, the challenge is staying inspired to continually create new artworks. Unlike drawing or painting by hand, a digital artist must rely on finding one photo or sometimes many photo components to fulfill the image in their mind’s eye. When these components are elusive, the creative pool can become dry. When one idea is not coming to fruition, then I know that I must mentally and emotionally shift gears and devise a new concept for my next piece.
Still Life photography opened my eyes to the beauty of mundane objects by allowing me to control composition, lighting and hence mood. I become a child that is playing; finding new ways to lead the eye to where I want it to go. My images are always an exploration of how to show these simple every day objects in new ways. “The Gathering ” takes your boring Enoki mushrooms and creates a dramatic family ensemble. “Uplifted” flips our perspective by lifting up a skeleton leaf, showing its underside in a reflection.
Strong composition would probably be another aspect my viewers notice. I work hard to choose great compositions with leading lines that draw the viewer’s through the frame and emphasize certain areas of each photograph. I think composition is the real foundation of any eye-catching photograph, so it’s something I spend a lot of time ensuring I it get right.
Ellen Fisch has exhibited her fine art architectural photography, Novoimago, extensively in the United States. Exhibitions also include solo and group shows in the NY Mercantile Exchange; Museum of American Finance; African American Museum of Art; numerous libraries and galleries in NYC, and many other locations.
I think there’s a difference between photography and creative photography. But it’s only related to the perspective you take when you’re shooting. Sometimes I’m mostly documenting something in the real world that I want to look at again and show others. I’m framing and adjusting exposure, but I’m ultimately just recording a nice scene. In this instance, I’m functioning as a photographer.Other times I’m editing out what I don’t care to see and taking a much more active role in what the viewer sees and focusing more on what I deem most interesting in the scene. Sometimes I’ll physically remove items from the scene that distract from the composition or even add elements to enhance it. Often that includes manipulating the light that didn’t occur in the scene naturally. In this capacity, I’m functioning more as a “Creative Photographer”.
