Artist's Statement
My entry into photography occurred when I took a college course in the 1970's. Armed with my borrowed black & white film camera, I learned to calculate spreed and lighting manually and spent most of my time in my home darkroom watching my mistakes literally appear before my eyes. While my priority with that course was 3 credits toward my degree in psychology, it also sparked my interest in landscape photography.
Over the years, black & white changed to color and film turned to digital but one thing that remained constant throughout the years has been my attraction toward the beauty of landscapes. I am prone toward images that provide me with a sense of solitude and comfort in their beauty.
One thing you will rarely see in my photographs is people. There are times, of course, when I do take photographs of people such as at weddings, Olympic athletes in competition or even family just being family. However, when this occurs, the people actually become the landscape of the events. "Clean" landscape shots, however, take a great deal of patience for the photographer to spot the shot and to wait for that perfect moment when every person is out of the frame. Of course, when the moment occurs, you need to not hesitate and be quick enough to shoot it. I know that with today's technology, one can always call upon "Photoshop" but that's not my way. While I may crop a little or remove a blemish here or there, that's the extent of it because my goal is always to take a good picture not to make a good picture.
When I began to travel, my photography escalated to new heights (sometimes literally with many of the shots in Switzerland). Some of the photographs are taken off the beaten path of my trips while others are in the midst of the tourists at popular sites. One thing I have learned is to always look behind me, While all the tourists are looking in one direction I take the time to turn around and look behind me and even below me. As a result, I have taken some of my best pictures in those directions.
So, now it is time for you to flip through the pages, have patience and enjoy the view.
ANN M. WILLIAMS