Laura M. Hagar — Innovative Visions Artist Statement Captured moments. Images to please. This is what I’d like people to see in my images. My goal is to capture moments in an animal’s short life, and then share those with people who, usually, do not get a chance to see the real animal. Too often people drive by animals and never see them, just as we pass thousands of people in our lives without noticing any of them. We drive over asphalt daily, yet how many of us actually see it? I want to stir curiosity in people by showing them what I see and how I see it, captured in my photographs. I was raised in rural Florida where we had many opportunities to study wildlife in natural settings before habitat destruction was ever thought of as an issue. Sitting with my parents on the small screened porch watching wild animals stroll through our yard just after dark was much more exciting than any media production (television) and taught me more values than I could ever glean from other sources. I have a great deal of appreciation and respect to those who taught me and for all of the wonderful animals that chose to share some of their existence with me. Photography has allowed me to explore not just my creativity but my curiosity about life on this planet. I find patterns in nature which are so dramatically different from those made by humans. I find this incredible world of tiny in flowers or fungi that are less than 4-inches in total size which have such a large affect on me when I examine my images of them. It is hard not to anthropomorphosize (apply human traits) to animals, but sometimes, it is inevitable and that’s where I get the most laughs. The pieces that I choose to display at shows demonstrate the combination of my talent as a photographer and those of my framer, Lana Phillips (RCF, Inc.). I don’t dictate to Lana, I let Lana decide how to matt and/or frame my images. She continually finds ways to bring out the textures and colors in my images making them all seem as real as being there at the moment the image was taken! I believe in complimentary relationships, and I’m very happy to have found a framer with such creativity. My creativity extends from making my images to putting them together into note cards, which are all handmade. I select specific images in my inventory that I feel would be nice to share with friends, match stationery with them, create the note cards, sign each photograph, and then package the note cards with the envelopes attractively for display. Several of my customers have shared with me that when they send one of my note cards to their friends, they receive thank you notes, because the recipients are so impressed with the image and the quality of the note card! At shows, I enjoy sharing stories with others about encounters with animals and exchanging ideas about creativity or places to go and photograph. Sometimes I get asked what equipment I use and whether I have made the move to digital photography. I began using a Kodak box camera as a child, then moved to a Polaroid as a teenager. Now, I have a Canon EOS3 film system with image stabilized lenses in which I only shoot slide film. I also have a small (barely palm-size) Nikon 995 (3 mega-pixel camera) that I use for digital imagery. But, my favorite cameras are my Pentax K-1000s. This camera taught me how to use ASA/ISO, shutter speeds, and depth of field scales to perfect my photography. These “tools” found on the older cameras and lenses are not found on all the newer models, which I believe insulates people who wish to learn photography from much of the complexities of photography. I enjoy all of the work of my film cameras to capture an image but, I also enjoy all the post processing of digital imagery. Currently, it’s a trade-off as to how much digital imagery costs versus using film. Until technology gives us the reliability of film in long-term storage solutions, my favorite medium will be film. One question that is difficult to deal with at shows is that of taking and selling images of captive animals. People have strong opinions either way. Some of my images are of captive animals. However, in looking at those images, it is difficult to ascertain that the animal is captive. This, I consider, is the gift of the interaction with the animal and the photographer as much as where the animal lives, and knowing the habitat of the animal. I prefer to work directly with refuges and wildlife rehabilitation organizations. My favorite refuge is Prairie Wind Animal Refuge (Agate, Colorado). I have also worked with the Raptor Rehab Center at Colorado State University in Ft Collins, Colorado). I give back a portion of my proceeds from the sales of images made of their animals to these worthy causes. Still, the experience of encountering an animal in the wild and having the animal accept my presence and allow me to capture its image is unmatched as is evidenced by my images of moose. At the end of the day, when I receive a letter or email from someone who has purchased one of my images in the past telling me how much they are still enjoying it, I feel I have accomplished my goal. And, when someone who has purchased one of my note cards of a specific animal, then goes out and gets to take their own image of that animal and comes back and tells me about it and shares their image with me, my excitement and creativity increases! One of the most flattering times of my creative life was learning that one of my customers had designed a house around a moose image they had purchased from me. I believe this demonstrates that my attempt at a partnership with an animal, to communicate a sense of spirit of the animal, is fulfilled. |