Joe Fikes
It surprises me when I hear others refer to me as an artist. I’ve never thought of myself in those terms. I simply keep my eyes open to see the beauty that surrounds us, particularly the things in nature that the Creator has made. I’ve never ceased to be astonished by His creativity, intellect, craftsmanship, and most of all, His deep, deep mercy and love. I also enjoy photographing the beautiful things that people have made… machinery, architecture, and gizmos – from simple, hand-made things all the way up to high-tech things. And I appreciate folks who plant trees or put flowers in their windows or gardens, for they add beauty to our lives.
If I contribute anything at all to this process, it’s through my little obsession with craftsmanship. It might sound simple, but I just like to get my subjects in focus. I try to expose them properly. I try to frame them well, and perhaps, from a fresh vantage point. And I look for surprises.
I’ve been playing with photography in a serious way for about 40 years, always as a hobby, not as a profession. With one exception, all of the images in this exhibit were taken within the last few years using Canon digital SLR cameras.
I always edit my images in Photoshop. No exceptions, ever! Sometimes it’s only to sharpen them slightly (to compensate for the digital sensor anti-aliasing filters). But I also adjust the brightness, contrast, color balance and saturation to give the images the visual impact I think they need. And occasionally I need to remove a stray power line or “Do Not Loiter” sign. Rarely, I’ll actually move or delete elements of the scene.
I hope you enjoy the exhibit! My best wishes to you.
email: joe@joefikes.com
website: joefikes.com
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