About Me

My first camera had no film. It was a plastic Kodak, yellow and blue with a wrist rope on it. It did not work, maybe it just needed batteries, but I always took photos with it. Looking through the frame for the perfect shot with my face scrunched up like I just bit into a lemon (I still do this). When my left eye closed the only world that existed was trapped in that frame. All life and this massive world condensed. Suddenly the worlds smallest features became huge and important to keep us all moving ahead.

Whether a blade of grass, the Golden Gate Bridge, a relative or the texture of a stone, each element became such an important piece to keep the momentum moving. Ive always looked a photographs that way. The big and small parts filled that frame for someone, whether it is a horrific shot from the front lines of war or a panoramic image from somewhere in remote Indonesia, someone experienced the same thing I am. They felt it, framed it and shot it in the matter of seconds.

Location is only a small part of it (certainly one that can become the elephant in the room with its "where are we going? and why are we going there?" agenda) but I've found for me when its time to shoot I become calm relaxed and energized. I've always found taking photographs to be fascinating and emotional. Ive always thought that we are all so lucky to be able to engage in such a fun and curious activity. I think that's because we are constantly being bombarded with images and statements. Each of us try and grab a moment, any moment, so we can have it and keep it.

Ive always thought of my images as a way to share my view in the hopes that you'll take a moment to stop and relax. Condense the busy world and find a part within you that is simple and pure. Imagine Ansel Adams carrying his 6 x 8-1/2 glass plate camera and the additional 100 pounds of gear for days in the remote wilderness for one shot. It is the endless wondering that creates beautiful images, and a lifetime long game of cat and mouse.

When I shoot a photograph, in addition to allowing my expression to come out, I find comfort in the positioning of the frame. I generally walk around and let the area choose me. My eye scans every bit of the frame as fast as possible and I exhale during every shot for stability. A trick we all know as photographers, but isn't it nice that a technique used for meditation is used in every shot, good or bad? It's these little things that allow me to find my place as a photographer. Its a life that has chosen me and no matter what equipment I lug around or camera I use, I'm just happy to be able to be a part of it.


-Clayton James Humphries Photographer