Who am I ?

Good question...

First, I believe that everyone who is called or gifted to create should  do so. Gifts are given to be used. Even if the product of such gifts  would not be considered great by any usual standards, that creative  expression should be given life. Whether it touches or inspires many or  few, it should be given a life beyond the mind in which it was  conceived. And so, I place the products of my creative work on the table  for others to see, to hear, to consider, and to find what they may in  that encounter.

Second, I contend that the thoughts, ideas, beliefs, feelings, and  experiences I express in words and images are important. They are, at  least, important to me. 

I never compose a poem or song, write an article or story, paint a  picture, or create an image just for the sake of creating that  particular type of work. I never stop during the day and say to myself, "I  think I'll write a poem."  Or, "I think I'll create an interesting  image."  The starting point of any of my creative work is an encounter  with some aspect of life that touches, inspires, moves, or troubles me.  Not infrequently, the thoughts and  feelings that spring from such an  encounter coalesce to form a meaningful  idea, question, proposition,  understanding, or conclusion that I feel compelled to express.  That  compulsion to express almost always comes attached to  a particular form  of expression: a poem, a song, an essay, or an image. 

As a photographer...

I am a hopeless artist and designer.  Whether I am traveling, attending a social event, or even watching a movie, I look at everything from the standpoint of art and design.  As a designer, I look at color, texture, form, line, and pattern.  As an artist, I look at feeling, mood, and meaning.  I look at the elements of a scene in isolation, as well as in communion.  I consider each element discretely, as well as its interaction with everything else that comprises the scene.  I look more for the subjective impression conveyed, than for the technical qualities reflected.  I look for the beauty, the emotion, the story, the impact, the thought evoked. 

As a photographer, I try to capture that subjective impression.  I try to reflect, in the final image, what moved, or inspired, or touched me.  My goal in this is not to produce a good photograph.  My goal is to help others see what they might otherwise not see, notice what they might otherwise ignore, appreciate what they might otherwise dismiss, and perhaps feel what otherwise might have eluded them.  Certainly, these goals are not all reflected or achieved in any one work.  And, some may argue that some of my work achieves none of these goals.  In any event, this is what drives and motivates my work with a camera, and with the images I capture.

As a photographer, I am an artist first – with photography as part of the set of tools, techniques, and principles I draw upon in creating a final image.  The image is the point – along with all it inspires, conveys, or evokes.  Sometimes the process begins and ends entirely within the realm of photography.  Sometimes the photograph is only the starting point.  Sometimes, I will render the final image as a painting – if doing so will better reflect the thought and feeling the subject has stirred in me.

There is so much to be seen and encountered in the world that is beautiful, interesting, compelling, inspiring, and challenging.  There are moments, and scenes, and events that will never occur in exactly the same way again.  Some great, some small. Some striking, some subtle.   Here for an instant, then gone.  My purpose is to first see, then capture, and finally create – so that others may see.   And finally, in doing so,  I hope to work to add to the richness, the beauty, and the goodness of life. 

 ~Joseph Weilenbeck