ARTIST STATEMENT

It’s easy to force photography. You have so much control these days. But in reality, you really don’t have much of any. Life develops at its own rythym and pace. As a location photographer, it’s my job to capture it as it happens. That’s not always easy.

Each subject requires it’s own time to understand, and to reveal itself. That’s why personal projects are so rewarding to me. You have the time to explore a people or location, to begin to understand them. To let things unfold. Photo tip!

When I first began my series of journeys across the USA in 1992 (over 250,000 miles in total), it would be easy to say I did not fully appreciate what I would experience at the time. Yet, “being there” was most important to me. For my life and for my work. And for the book that would follow.

Yes, I became disillusioned at times, but I couldn’t let go of my dreams. I couldn’t let go of my belief that the work of Edward Weston, Gene Smith, Ernst Haas, and Sam Abell stood for something important to me in my photography.

P.S. Here’s a book cover that I spotted today in Barnes & Noble. Thanks, Getty.

Update 1/5/12:

ARTIST STATEMENT: I participate in the moment, finding new ways to capture America. As an outdoor photographer influenced by color pioneer Ernst Haas, my approach is an intuitive one. My imagination is fueled by a search for new discoveries. I embrace the freedom of creative expression always striving to exceed my own expectations.

Randy Wells