I've always admired the exploration of the old medium of photography and new applications that people are creating in processing their digital images. One such person in my circle who has been discovering his own fresh perspective, is Ryan Foster, creator of "Glowing Designs" based in the Gloucester area of Virginia.
His work is infused with a rendering that reminds me of velvet black lit posters that the boys used to have in their rooms when I was in college. But there is a bit more maturity in the images he is gathering into his portfolio. Foster is still relatively new to being an artist, but has been shooting photos for almost 4 years now.
Today, we sat at the local Starbucks in Newport News and brainstormed for our upcoming "ArtInspired Artist Meet and Greet" to be held on December 15th, 2008. It was very productive and also allowed for a one-on-one discussion on Foster's vision. Below is my series of questions that were discussed:
Why are you doing photography these days?
“It relaxes me… I even like editing a lot.”
What catches your eye?
“Nature… animals… my design creations are for you to look at the world in a different way. Normal people see the world as they are. The editing abstracts the common view almost like an optical illusion."
Where are your locations that you shoot for your landscape?
“My backyard, different piers, the side of the road... anywhere I usually go. I also like to go to parks and beaches. These hikes and excursions are a normal thing for me but sometimes things just appear, like the big and wild mushrooms that were in my front yard.”
Is there a subject matter that you haven't yet shot?
“Lighthouses, other parks, other points of nature perhaps even that is not in Virginia. I'm on the lookout for different flowers and landscapes that I haven't seen. What would be nice is to be on a boat during the sunrise. To me a sunrise is beautiful because all you see is the open horizon, water for miles, and the sunrise in the distance. Not a lot of people get to see that. I also like to shoot things with clouds in the background.”
Posted with permission by artist Ryan Foster. All rights reserved. Copyright 2008.
Why did you start selling your art?
“One day I printed out a couple of shots and took it to work with me so that I can show them off to my boss and co-workers at Olivia’s at the Point. They saw it and right away suggested that I sell them. I was a bit self-conscious and had not shown them to anyone up until that point. For some reason, I had wanted to wait until my life was a little more settled where I was able to get away from old habits that used to hold me back. Now I'm all about taking more pictures and I have more focus on my art.”
Where do you see yourself in a year?
“I hopefully would have done more art shows, displayed my work in galleries. I have a goal of making more of a name in the art community and getting more exposure for the work I'm doing.”
