ENVIRONMENTS

I like to think of Environments as micro-scapes. That which surrounds all living things.

I was walking along a cliff overlooking the Pacific in Point Reyes, CA. I happened on this old tree that has been exposed to the strong Pacific winds for its entire lifetime. A silent testament to a harsh environment and a beautiful graphic form.

Have you ever viewed a scene, with your own eyes, not a camera, and had a sense that what you were seeing was a fleeting moment in our existence, never to be repeated or viewed in exactly the same way by anyone else?

Do you find yourself noticing a small detail in a familiar setting that stands in sharp relief? Some fascinating, secret scene that separates itself from the big picture.

If you think like this, then you and I have a lot in common. I believe that a great photograph is an expression of a fleeting experience. More of a feeling than a “postcard.”  These are the images that I try to make.

Some are grand… mountains and vistas. Some are humble… small details and people in their own private moments. All of them leave you a little more positive after viewing them.

A photograph is a static view of an experience. I try to express the unseen. Leaving hints of what’s outside the frame or what happened before or after the exposure. And sometimes expressing simple, unchanging beauty.

Does nature create the best color pallettes or are we wired to see them that way because nature did it? Does it matter? Either way, some of the things we find that just formed all by themselves are delightful beyond description. These water lilies and plant reflections in a tranquil stream combine with the gentle ripples to soothe the soul.

This is less an image of water lilies and more of an abstract. As the tiny leaves float freely on the water, they form fascinating patterns. More of a texture, really, that makes your eye drift slowly over the image.

Photographed in the California desert, this small grass plant catches the low angle sunlight and expresses exquisite detail. The delicate form contrasts to the ruggedness of the greater desert landscape and presents an unusual interpretation of this environment. 

The Banyan is the embodiment of strength. The elephant of trees. It's many trunks form a great, immovable mass that draws you into is intertwined contours. It is it's own environment, with the outer trunks spreading out to cover a huge area. This is just the inner, main trunk and I find it fascinating. These beautiful lines formed over hundreds of years, and will form and re-form over many more centuries. Natural art and strength is what it's about. 

The Summer sky is reflected in a still lake in a Japanese garden. No meanings here. This image brings me peace and something to just contemplate. 

A stand of bamboo and a shaft of sunlight. Just a simple, contemplative composition.

See more of Jim Lipschutz's work here.