Ambient Art -

I have become fascinated with the term “Ambient Art”. Ambient art is defined as: “representations of complex environmental and user information that reflect their surroundings as well as simply being displayed in them”. I define ambient art as not as uncomplicated as pop art or as complex as transcendental intellectual significances that classical art will have you realize. Other than art that makes you feel comfortable and inspired in your environment without the subject of the work of art being the center of attention. Art that places purpose in a purposeless setting, the experience of experiencing the setting in itself.

I am setting out on a new project to try to craft an ambient multimedia photography art project. The first couple of questions that come to mind are: Can ambient photography be produced and be meaningful? What would be the purpose of the photograph? Why, and for who?

Let me start out by answering what I know: I want to make photographs that have longevity, transparency and evolve for the environment that they’re placed in. Photographs that place a feeling of no beginning or end, experience instead of a journey, subject matter that is encompassing not narrative to the viewer and the room.

The impetus and meaningfulness of this project is directed from the idea that photographs can be an antidote to the noise of a TV. In the age of large screen TVs, the TVs have become the center point of most rooms and are more of a sonic/visual narrative of our background to life as oppose to achieving a sonic/visual landscape within our environment. TV draws in our attention numerous times when we are not even paying attention to the programming. The antidote would be to create a multimedia DVD photo slide show with original atmospheric music that would play on a loop. Brian Eno’s current work of 77 Million Paintings would be a large scale example of what I am trying to create for the living space.

Ambient art can generate a “long now” sensation that the here and now is not only what is being directed at you but in a grander part of what is being intended for life around you. An example of a “long now” could be: noticing the stillness in nature and awareness of life in a single instant. In the end the accomplishment of ambient art will be to create and preserve a long now moment.

Next, moving onto the ‘why”: For the reason that I enjoy my environment. When I sit down to read a book, drink a glass of wine or to have a conversation with my wife I like to enjoy the atmosphere that I have surrounded myself with. The color, texture, sounds and aroma of my environment are important to me. I am not trying to create a trance hypnotic décor but enhance the ambient of my environment with art.

This project will not see its fruition until January ‘08 when I will start posting short multimedia photo slide shows. I have a back catalog of music and photography that I will edit together along with creating some new compositions and photo projects. I hope you stay along with me on this journey of ambient art.

Ambient Art

In my continuous thoughts on ambient art I began writing down these ideas in hopes of formulating a specific project outline.

- The goal of ambient art is not to disregard your background but to be in balance with it.
- Reduce noise (visual & audio) and release stress, creating a peaceful background.
- Conscious listening in conjunction with the practice of seeing equals ambient art.

Our new home has a minimalist’s quality to it; if you can see it the “it” has a purpose. The interior design objective is to fashion an environment that helps stimulate the mind and improve creativity.

There are three main rooms in our home that we do 90% of our living in; kitchen, office/studio and sunroom. Within these rooms is where I want to enjoy life, raise my family and produce my work. Visual distractions and sound noise creates an unproductive living condition. A minimalist ambient approach to interior design can produce a centering union within your home.

The objective of ambient art is purpose with balance. The photographs that line our walls are storytelling photographs that invite the viewers to gaze inward. The sound you hear will be coming only from one source at one time (no TV on in one room and music playing in the next room). When entertaining the TV will not be a big black void taking up space but will have photographs looping a slideshow with ambient music to fill the atmosphere.

Simplicity with purpose can eliminate pollution in your surrounding.

Ambient Art

Ok, here it is: the start of chapter two of my blog.

January 1st of this year I walked into the woods with one camera, one tripod, one father and one new photography objective. Note: for great photography one father is not needed but it is nice to have the company. I walked down to a shallow stream or creek (never quite sure what is what in the water family.) Either way it was not a lake or ocean, that I know that for sure.

I started on a new project that I am calling Ambient Art. Previously I have written (here) on ambient art, now I am creating what I consider to be ambient art. I am vaguely defining ambient art to be neither abstract nature nor definable as still life photography. Hence, you see why I use the term “vaguely” defining. With this project my goal is painting with light and motion. I will not be using any Photoshop to alter the images. I will be using white balance in camera and upping contrast in Aperture (digital darkroom software.) Blending these two techniques I feel that I am keeping true to essential photography.

Fine Art Means Getting Intimate

The objective and the question of past Thursday’s post (Open Question about Art) were to discover how other people converse about art. The answers I received were all inspiring and thought-provoking. Be sure to read all comments in full (here). Thank you to all who responded.

Julie said … “a work of art is a commodity, a come-on, and a symptom of fathomless aberrant human psychology!”

Will said... “Art is sacred because it has no end and no beginning; it has no definition, and stirs reflection and contemplation. Art is the one thing that is tangible yet still a mystery, a tangible mystery that keeps us coming back.”

Niall said… “Every conversation about the nature of 'Art' will have as many definitions as there are those involved in the conversation. This to me is good. Who can pin down the wind? Who can master the elements?...just when you think you've nailed it. Along comes someone else with a totally different point of view...Brilliant it is!”

Gary Nylander said… “Try to understand the language of art not by words but by being open, seeing and listening.”

Matthew Dallman’s (of POLYSEMY.org) response seems to be the most harmonic and resonating answer for me. To answer my original question about the un-definable language of art Dallman gave me a very good starting point.


“Talking about fine art means getting intimate with the object”

My current project “Ambient Art” has me more inspired than any other of my previous works. It’s an odd feeling to think that you are doing your best work (By the way I will be donating my ego to science when I die.) Nevertheless, I am having a hard time trying to explain what I am doing (even to myself). That is why the original post was conceived, I was trying to figure out a way to communicate exactly what I am doing.

Taking Dallman’s advice allows me to introduce to you “intimately” the concept of my work.

I want to get rid of the building blocks that are considered fundamental to the composition process of photography. The subject. I want to kill the idea of a subject. I want to remove the focal point in a photograph. I want to create photography that does not disregard the background, but evolves within and for its environment. I am trying to create photography that relates to the voyage of instrumental music. Thoroughly I feel that this project is generative art in that it flows in balance with nature, and that I will never be able to capture the same frame twice.

The language that is developed for art discussions may be to transcendental and existential for there to be one universal meaning. I guess if there was a universal language developed for the arts then we would no longer call it art but a science.

Science is not intimate.

Digital Canvas

What photographers will be selling in the future will be more of a generative photo system, rather than a single print.

In the last five years my clientele has become more interested in the photo DVD album, negatives on disc and on-line gallery than physical prints. I have embraced and enjoyed the change in the medium format. Personally I have not been converted to the new format. I enjoy the framed print.

Until now. Viewing my current project, Ambient Art, on a 42-inch flat-panel high-definition screen has transformed the viewing experience.

I will be releasing my Ambient Art product later this year and I am toying with the idea of a generative photo product. My current thought is that you would receive a DVD with 60 images set to 60 minutes of classical/ambient music that would loop. Additionally the DVD would hold all 60 images in a jpeg format that would be suitable for printing up to a poster size wall print. The entire project would be licensed with Creative Commons so that you could share, remix and reuse the work as you wish with limited/some rights reserved. (i.e.) If you want to resale it, kick some cash my way. If you want to decorate your family homes or work, then have at it.

So, what do you think? Click (here) to the ambient art work-in-progress.

Beyond the Camera ~ A Letter to an Artist

Being a creative, there comes a moment when you realize that the camera is not that important.

Last week I attended my first art opening. I walked into a room that had bright white walls that displayed the works of six different artists. Rows of lights lined the ceiling aiming down on the art; lighting the work, leaving the room slightly dark to enhance the exhibits. The crowd, the art, the lights...definitely looked like an art opening.  Men with black-rimmed glasses, scarves affixed around the neck.  Ladies with their hair pulled up atop their heads, wearing high tight black boots that reach beyond the top of their knees. The crowd mingled, taking time to stand and stare at the art.  Wine and cheese held in their hands as conversation about the night flowed.

For myself, I had the black-rimmed glasses upon my face and hat atop of my head; no scarf..I felt like an outcast.  I drank water.

Being a photographer and coming off of my first private show you would think that I would be a patron of the arts. Sadly I am not. But I will be attending an art opening this upcoming Saturday night. Will be sure to wear a scarf.

As I walk through the crowd admiring the work I was enthralled by the photographs that were created without a camera. In my workshops I preach the words “the least important thing that you need to create a photo is the camera”. Yet it is important even if it comes in last.

Quick lesson: Photographic paper works a lot like film.  When light hits the paper it causes a chemical reaction that causes silver-halie in the paper to turn when processed with developing chemicals.

These prints were abstract, minimalist, rich in depth and color. Here were photos looking very much like my “ambient art” that were created without a camera.

To stand in front of camera-less photos and take in the beauty of light was breathtaking.

A week later came my next learning experience in “Beyond the camera”. Take a close look at the photo that is in this post.  Click on the photo to see it as a complete photo with a black background and no other desktop noise to distract you from viewing it.

This photo was taken with a camera but the camera was not that important in creating this image.  The camera only stored the vision; it held the digital bits of information. I dare say that light was not that important in creating this photo either.

This photo is beyond the camera and beyond the light and into a moment of pure creating. This photographer saw into the light and created beyond the norms of exposing.

The second guiding principal that I beat into the heads of those who attend my workshop is “photograph the light first and compose the subject second”. This is good advice.  This photo is beyond that type of thinking.

The photo was created by my wife, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth is a well established creative photographer who daily teaches me something new. This photo left me speechless, motivated, inspired and humbled.  There are many, many things that I love about this photo: composition, framing, tones of colors, motion, fluidity.  What I love the most about this photo is that I could have never created it; I could never have conceived the vision.

As you read this you may think that I am a bragging husband.  That is true. As a working artist myself I am inspired to create a photo that is beyond the camera, that is beyond the light to create a transcendental photo.

I have spent twenty years in the photography business.  Ten years in the analogue world and ten years in the digital world.  Either decade the lesson remained the same:  learn the rules of creating and learn to use your tools.

In the digital decade photographers all too often use their tools to cheat.

With new technology there is new responsibility.  Do not think of technology as the easy way out.  You will never reach a transcendental experience in you art.

Use technology purposefully to complete your vision, not to fix it.  Real creativity is full of mistakes.  Creating should borderline between unpleasant and ecstasy.

Going back to things that I love about Elizabeth’s photo is that it could have been created in any time throughout the history of photography.  No post production was needed in creating this photo….big lesson to learned is that no amout of technology can help you conceive the creative process.

Yes, this photo was edited in Lightroom: a photo does not become a photo until it is selected and toned in the darkroom, be it digital or analogue.

Giant disclaimer: This is not anti-anything-tech. Tech is good. Ok, let’s move on.

It is about using your tools to create rather than fix.  Easy example is in music.  There is a tool called auto tune, it is used during the recording process when either a singer can not sing in tune or does not want to be bothered to go back and re-do the vocals.  This is cheating.  All too often in photography Photoshop has become a repair shop rather than a well-intended software tool where you could complete your vision and finalize you work.

When creating we are all too often searching for a resource; a way to make it easier for us (be it Photoshop, actions or auto anything). Resources alway get depleted, used up and outdated.  Technology is a resource.

Be the source of your own creativity.  A source, be it the sun or yourself is an inexhaustible inspiration.

Be the source…..

This is what Elizabeth’s photos has taught me.  No amount of resources, technology or cheating could have created this photo.

Ambient Design (Therapy?)

Continuing with my year of all-things-ambient I discovered how important ambient is.

During my recovery from surgery, I was given a lesson on how significant my ambient surroundings are. After day five of laying in bed, my bedroom became a place of noise instead of a place of healing. The room has no feel, flow or vibe to it. It is the only room in the house that has not been designed around an ambient-minimalist theme. The room lacks purpose. In the rest of the home everything has a layout with an ambient design for function and flow.

To define the ambient-minimalist design would be to: First, think about the natural light then artificial light. Second, think about the color of the walls and the art displayed on the walls. Third, think about furniture that fits the space you placed it in. The last and most fundamental of ambient-minimalist design is if you see “it”, the “it” has a purpose.

Lying in bed I found myself daydreaming of these open spaces. Music, art, natural light, airflow, and plants all gave me feelings of calm. Having a home rooted with ambient principles aided my healing. I realize how a little time spent in those ambient spaces opened up my breathing (mentally & physically) along with my mind and heart.

City Night to Ambient

2007 has been spent working on city night photography. It has been this year’s side project for me. The venture has been great fun, rewarding and a mind-photo-expanding-experience. I have a little over thirty days left in which to complete my project and complete the documentation of Pittsburgh at night. The fruition of the work will be seen in our fine art greeting cards.

2008 my new side project will be ambient art photography. Not quite sure what the definition of ambient art photography is? Hopefully I will be posting about the definition next year at this time.

Artist Statement ~ Ambient Art

Ambient photography is conceptual experimentation in which the camera technique is a hybrid format with the quest to produce contemporary art.

Photographic abstractions, with the use of organic shapes that have shapeless and vaguely spherical hints of the forms of biology to construct the substance, is a reflection of the elements that focuses on the power of natural light.

I want to kill the idea of a subject to remove the focal point in a photograph. Design a photograph that does not disregard the background, but evolves within and for its environment.

Thoroughly I feel that this project is generative art in that it flows in balance with nature, and that I will never be able to capture the same frame twice.

Ambient collection was photographed over a five-year period in the woods and rivers of Pittsburgh PA.

Ambient Art

Here is the lattest update to my ever on going ambient art project (someday to be re-titled Emptyness and Form)

Ambient Art - Updated

Check out my Flickr page for new Ambient Art photos (~HERE)

Creating Art To Fit the Space

At times I like to think about the history of where my photos may have been seen.

I seldom get the opportunity to see my work displayed. Ninety nine percent of the time my work is sold to the client never to be seen by me again. For the majority of my work I never see it in print.  All too often it is edited then burned to disc (or flash drive) or uploaded to the cloud in the sky. Never do I see the photo hung in someone's home, office or whatever may happen to it.

My computer screen has evolved into my canvas...into my finished print.  Even in my home when I think about getting enlargements made and hung, I stop and pause.  I think the next image will be even better than the last.

This morning I awoke to fog and fall autumn colors; this is photographer's crack.  I placed my daughter on the bus, grabbed my gear, kissed my wife goodbye and headed out into the forest.

As I walk into the woods I am thinking about the photos that I did not take last year and that I am hoping to re-create today (P.S. this can not happen; the light is never the same twice).  October, 2011 I spent a great deal of time in the woods trail running through the fog. It was quite beautiful. More time than not I would be yelling at myself to stop running and break out the gear and create something new. I ran.

Today was my redemption! Fog, autumn colors and no will to run. I grabbed my new Nikon D800 36.3MP….this is a serious camera.

What in the hell do I do with 36.3MP? I can crop a photo down to a nose hair and still print an enlargement! Seldom do I do extreme cropping in post production, the bulk of my cropping is done in camera.  Is 36.3MP too much? (note: this is not a review of the D800, it is a great camera).

A photo in reverse, creating art to fit the space. A while back I gave myself a photography challenge.  The idea was/is to create a photo that would only enhance your environment; to remove the subject.  I called this project ambient art.  In weddings we create photos that are to be printed in an album. But in art when we do not yet know the destination of the work; how do we create to fit the space?

The easy answer is when it comes to megapixels you can always go smaller but you can never go larger.

For me, I envision my work printed large.  Next month I will be having a private show where I will be displaying 20x24 prints. It will be the first time that I will ever see my work in print, with an audience to boot.

The bulk of the work was shot on a camera that was 12MP. A few of the prints will have been shot with 36.3MP. Looking forward to see if I see the difference…..

My Blogging Future

My Blogging Future

Did you notice the new banner above?

Every time I change my banner it’s a reminder to myself of the direction I am moving.

Blogging has become a mainstay in my professional life. The idea of keeping a daily working portfolio works for me. I like the idea of my progress as an artist to be documented…daily. I like the idea that my readers and clients get to follow along on the journey.

The future of my blogging holds a slight change in style. The professional side of my work will become apparent in the blog. A focus on Pittsburgh wedding photography will become a weekly topic. The themes of marking and generating whole web thinking will also move to the forefront.

The things that I love will stay – Photo of Week, Ambient Art, Pittsburgh at Night, Moment, Rants, 5 Question Interview, Short Stories, compositions and general life topics.

Why the change?

I have been writing and rewriting “Purposeful Blogging” the seminar that I will teach next week. The time spent researching and re-examining my own work has sparked new passions. I have uncovered some good maturity in my work and some areas that I have fallen short. That has been the purpose of this daily working portfolio to never stop discovering what needs to discovered. Listed below is a short list of the “what & why” of the new topics that I will write and be photographing.

Pittsburgh Wedding Photography – This is who I am or truthfully this is who we are. Elizabeth and I are two people who love photographing wedding. We embody passion about wedding photography. As a married couple we feel blessed and thankful that we get to share this consuming passion with each other.

Professional Development Education – I like to talk. I like conversation. I like to learn. People ask “what are you interested in” my answer is always the same…I am interested. For twenty years I have been a working artist in Pittsburgh. I have lived all the glory and splendor and at time heartbreaks of being a working artist. Now I want to share what I have learned with you. Look for more seminars and consultant services to come.

Art Galleries/Exhibitions – This is the goal (I just subscribe to “Art Form” magazine). It feels like the right time for this pursuit. With the audience generated from the blog and the photos from my Flickr page popping up all over the internet there seems to be interested in the work being showed. A big thank you to Creative Commons for the opportunity to license my work as I see fit.

That’s the update….thanks for reading and sharing my work.

Peace ~ John

Next Year's Photography Project

I am starting to think about next year's photography project. The current themes that have been going through my head are:

- Obscure portraits (see this)
- Pittsburgh at sunrise
- Motion & stillness (see this)
- Abandonment architecture

My gut is pushing me towards the abandonment subject matter. Pittsburgh is a town that is half a ghost town and half a town of resurrection.

The previous works have been "City Night" photography and "Ambient Art" photography, both topics I could easily stay with. My ambient portfolio is not completed as of yet. I still have the autumn season to document. Further, I have enjoyed the idea of removing the subject from a photo (the storytelling aspect) and leaving the viewer to have more of a visual experience when considering the work (see this). Photographing rock images has also been calling me but I feel it would be too similar to the ambient.

What’s your pick?

Ambient–Biomorphic Art

After a discussion with a friend I found out that I have been creating biomorphic art. So, my moment of doing something that was completely original and new is now gone.

Biomorphic art focuses on the power of natural life and uses organic shapes, with shapeless and vaguely spherical hints of the forms of biology.

I will probably just continuo to call the project ambient?

Photography Side Projects

I have not been doing much of my photography side projects as of late.

My “Ambient Art” series has come to a close, 5yrs in creating that body of work. Time to step away, bring it to a close and move towards a new subject. The Ambient series has been an important creative outlet. Side projects make me a better photographer on game day.

It seems lately every time I have a conversation or read about photography the subject moves towards taking lots and lots of photos of a single subject and or theme. Simply press down on the shutter and rattling off 8 shots per second and then edit to select the best.

I’ve struggled with the idea that photography is a volume sport. Intentionally creating a photo is where it's at for me, not spraying through volumes of photos to pick the best.

I do understand that this is a personal process for the photographer on how they choose to create. I need to be quiet and selective before pressing the shutter. Creative moments live in the breath for me, not in the aftermath.

This brings me to a new side project and I am considering putting some time into: Abstract Wind is the project that I’ll be working on. I have this vision of capturing patterns in the wind, provided by dust, leaves, debris, cloud patterns and birds. This project has me bowing down to Mother Nature and shooting quick to capture as many frames as possible to find that perfect line and form that I wish to capture. So, I argue with myself on that maybe photography can be a volume sport.

It comes down to how you wish to "Do The Work". In the end the creative process is only about doing the work, those who wait for inspiration.....wait.

Does a photographer have to have a philosophy

Does a photographer have to have a philosophy when it comes taking a photograph?

“You don’t take a photograph, you make it” – Ansel Adams

One of the questions asked in the book Image Makers, Image Takers by Anne Jaeqer was “Do you have a philosophy?” The question got me thinking if I have a personal philosophy towards my photographic approach. In Jaeqer’s book the question was not answered well or plainly by any of the interviewees. It is a hard question to answer. Being philosophical or extenstential is easy. All you have to do is question and ponder anyone else’s view. What you get in return is either really good dinner conversation or really bad dinner conversation. Influence from a philosopher is easy. You find a philosopher you like, read their book and interject their views in to your life.

Living, defining and explaining your own outlook on photography and philosophy is a daunting undertaking. What I did was to quickly write down my thoughts; free associations to see what would come out of me. This is what I wrote:

Expressing and communicating
Life is surreal enough, document it
Mistakes equal experience
Immerse yourself in different worldviews; this is where perspective comes from.
Style happens, don’t think about it
Know where you want to go professionally
Shoot the light
Crop in camera
Photograph what you enjoy: Weddings, City landscape, abstract nature
Work with what you have
Don’t think outside the box. Cut the box in half and do something creative with that.

To answer my original question, I would have to say that my photographic philosophy is:

It’s all about the ambient and the art of seeing.

If philosophy is the study of the fundamental nature of existence, then noticing the ambient has to be the philosophy for photography. In the end the practices of the art of seeing is why a photographer raises a camera to their eye.

Photo of the Week ~ Ambient Art

Ambient Art - Mosaic

Photo of the Week ~ Ambient Art