Stair Grass #1
Leon StrembitskyThis bottle and dried grass sits at the top of the landing to the second floor of our home. For years I’ve passed by it, noticed the often wonderful light on it and said to myself that I really must photograph it someday. I never did it while I was shooting 4x5 film because it was just too difficult logistically to get the camera in the right position on the narrow, steep stairs. Once I started shooting with a smaller digital camera it was possible to get what I wanted.
Information
-
Media
photography -
Subject
still life -
Artwork Type
photography -
Dimensions (framed)
25" x 24"
Cost
Leon Strembitsky
My first love is black and white photography. That probably has to do with the fact that I started out many years ago sloshing around in a makeshift darkroom set up in my parent's basement bathroom. In the last few years I’ve transitioned from shooting large format film, almost exclusively black and white, to a digital slr which allows me to produce colour as well. Regardless, whether the final image will be black and white or colour, I'm always drawn to scenes with strong compositional elements and strong lighting. Most of my images are manipulated and often times quite different from what a literal translation of the scene would show. I do, however, strive to maintain the believability of the image. So, even though there may be a great deal of manipulation, it isn't readily obvious.
People often ask me why I photograph and after much consideration the one thing that I come up with is this...it gives me joy. To find exciting things all around, sometimes in the most familiar places, fascinates me. Showing it to others is my way of sharing that joy. That's all there is to it, no drawn out explanations, no spiritual intervention, no existential undercurrents, just good, strong photographs! After all, when I'm not here to explain it, there will only be the work so it has to be able to stand on its own.