The American Artists Gallery Interview 1/28/12
with Patrick Shourds...
...on IPhone photography, being a California artist, and his artistic Journey.
By Robbie Brown, Senior Editor - The American Artists Gallery
Artists have been using California as a subject for centuries. From
the paintings of Yosemite Valley by Thomas Hill and Joseph John
Engleheart, to the photography of Anne Brigman and Ansel Adams, art
depicting California is a genre all its own.
In this week’s American Artists Gallery Interview, I discussed the
creative process with a 21st century California artist, photographer
Patrick Shourds. From the San Francisco bay to the Sierra Nevada
Mountains to the dilapidated shacks of Bodie, Patrick’s shots are
incredible documentation of both the natural beauty and urban
grittiness of the Golden State.
American Artists Gallery: How long have you been an artist photographer, and how did you get your start?
Patrick Shourds: First of all, thanks Robbie for
the invite to American Artists Gallery. And thanks to all who
contribute, you guys rock with creative talent!
Wow, way back in High School, I started shooting Black and White
35mm film. I developed and printed my images in a small darkroom I
coerced my dad into building. I can still smell the chemicals! For the
next 30 years I used my camera mainly to record my Sierra climbing and
mountaineering adventures. I held on to film for a while, but gradually
sold all my film gear and dove into the digital revolution, around
2005. My artistic photography began with the advent of HDR, and other
creative Photoshop plugins in 2009.
AAG: Some of the photos you post are shot with an iPhone and you use apps to manipulate them.
PS: The iPhone has bumped my creative juices 10
fold. I bought my first phone in 2009, and stumbled onto a whole
community of talented iphoneographers on Twitter and Facebook. My
passion is landscape images, and the key to a good one is telling a
story, and moving the viewer’s eye through the frame. I have developed a
signature style, if you will, but no set recipes or formulas for
getting there. Each image is a unique endeavor. I am looking to set the
mood or an illusion that causes the viewer to explore, ponder and
wonder. And those apps allow me such marvelous creative control to do
just that! Some of my favorite apps are: Filterstorm, Photofx,
Photoforge2, Prohdr, Autostich, Snapseed, Shakeitphoto, Juxtaposer and
Artista Oil. You can shoot, create your artistic piece, and share it,
all on a device that fits in your pocket! What could be better than
that?
AAG: You are truly a California photographer and
your use of its locals as subject matter is very unique. Have you lived
here all your life?
PS: Yes, I am a home-grown California boy. I was
born and raised in Coronado, the small peninsula across the bay from
San Diego. I attended UCSB, and have been in San Barbara for all but 2
of the last 40 years. California’s Landscape is so wonderfully diverse;
it really is a photographer’s paradise. I do approach scenes often
looking for the “unconventional shot”. So, I always take the postcard
shots first, and then look for the real essence, to find my
storytelling images. It may not be an easy task, but it is a worthwhile
journey.
AAG: Thanks for taking us along with you, Patrick!
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