Why Altered Visions?
I have been making photographs since the age of six, but my serious immersion in this art form began with an introductory class in film photography. I had no idea how a 35 mm camera worked and I arrived at my first class with a camera still in its box. On the day that I developed my first roll of film and printed a photograph in the darkroom, I was completely hooked. In the following years I transitioned from black and white to color before making the switch to digital. I also transitioned from being a public school teacher to earning a living as a free-lance commercial and event photographer as well as a photography instructor.
My early work was greatly influenced by a gifted professor and mentor, as well as by the photographic artists that I admired and studied. My life-long surroundings, that of the east coast and large cities, also influenced my style and tastes. The great photojournalists of the twentieth century along with my interest in social issues sparked my desire to photograph people from many different backgrounds, ethnicities and life styles, but at the same time the pressure and stress of my “day job” caused me to lose interest in photography as an art form.
When I relocated to the southwest, the dramatic light, vivid colors and unique imagery reignited my enthusiasm but completely changed my style and subject matter. I soon realized, however, that the incredible beauty I saw before me had been photographed by thousands of others, both past a present. When I began to use extreme digital manipulations to drastically transform my images, I realized that this was a way for me to see the same things in a very different way.
Often I have no idea what I want my finished work will look like. There is no typical formula. I work intuitively and instinctively, knowing when each piece is complete, yet sometimes I will go back to a finished image and rework it entirely. Simply put, the camera is only my starting place – much like a brush is to canvas or a chisel is to stone. It is a way to take what I see, re-interpret it, and create something new.
My early work was greatly influenced by a gifted professor and mentor, as well as by the photographic artists that I admired and studied. My life-long surroundings, that of the east coast and large cities, also influenced my style and tastes. The great photojournalists of the twentieth century along with my interest in social issues sparked my desire to photograph people from many different backgrounds, ethnicities and life styles, but at the same time the pressure and stress of my “day job” caused me to lose interest in photography as an art form.
When I relocated to the southwest, the dramatic light, vivid colors and unique imagery reignited my enthusiasm but completely changed my style and subject matter. I soon realized, however, that the incredible beauty I saw before me had been photographed by thousands of others, both past a present. When I began to use extreme digital manipulations to drastically transform my images, I realized that this was a way for me to see the same things in a very different way.
Often I have no idea what I want my finished work will look like. There is no typical formula. I work intuitively and instinctively, knowing when each piece is complete, yet sometimes I will go back to a finished image and rework it entirely. Simply put, the camera is only my starting place – much like a brush is to canvas or a chisel is to stone. It is a way to take what I see, re-interpret it, and create something new.
All images © Marlene Barnes. All rights reserved.
