My first collection of digitally manipulated photographs. The interest in manipulating photographs goes back to student days in 1969 to 1970. My interest in using computers goes back to primitive graphics created in 1974 to 1976. The practical combining of these two interests lay dormant until 1992, when I attended the Kodak Center of Creative Imaging in Camden, Maine. An intense week that reset my life and photographic directions. There were still a few roadblocks, the principal being the lack of a reasonably priced printing device and some archival component to the ink. Both of these disappeared in 1998 with the release of Lyson inks for the Epson 3000 wide format printer. This was the beginning of the practical side of the digital imaging revolution. I purchased my printer in 1998 and was then faced with the question, "What do I create?" I eventually decided to produce prints that emulated, or echoed the look of traditional printmaking techniques. Almost all the manipulation took place in Photoshop, where I created multi layered documents, 40 to 70 different layers, each contributing to the final look of the print. These layers were all based on digital content extracted from the original image. I had a good success submitting prints to juried group shows, particularly those calling for all media; conversely, a very low level of acceptance in Photography calls to exhibit. "Outside the Box" is a symbolic title; referring to being outside of traditional art creation, outside of accepted photographic creation, outside the confines and strictures of traditional darkroom technique, and finally outside of the circle of art that still places a premium on hand craft as opposed to image content. Color, 42 images, 54 pages.
About the Author: About the author: The world presents itself and occasionally, I take the time to observe. There are times when the observation takes on the form of obsession, at other times it is the casual encounter. These moments become photographs. Believing that the normal needs to be elevated by exaggeration or simplification, I apply my skills to interpret these instances. My work, since 1998, has focused on computer manipulated photographs. I've exhibited in group and one person shows since 1969; exhibiting photographs, painting and prints. The prints have been exhibited extensively through 147 exhibitions, primarily in US University, College, and Community galleries. The exhibitions have been in; BC, Alberta, Ontario and in 31 American States. Also an exhibitor in 12 virtual web galleries, associated with academic conferences focused on digital imaging in Australia, China, Thailand, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. In 2006, I began publishing my completed projects as books, and have completed thirteen books to date, with three others in development to be published in 2010. Born and educated in Alberta, I have been living in Victoria, on Canada's West Coast, since 1984.