1978-12-01

Where some people see destruction and devastation, I find beauty. Whether it's man-made neglect or an act of nature, everything is stunning in it's own way. View your surroundings with more than just your eyes... look at things with your soul. That's the aspect I try to capture with my photography. I've been photographing on and off since I was 16, but only seriously for the last year, (after incessant pushing and encouragement from my family and friends).
Bela Morte' means beautiful death. I don't pay lip service to the concept of Bela Morte. It is a vital part of my existence. After Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast and New Orleans, the media became flooded with images of destruction. But that's not what I saw. I saw citizens, rich and poor, varied races and religions, coming together to help one another and rebuild a city that they all love equally.
There is faith in the destruction of the ornate. And that's what I photograph. Monuments, places which were once ornate, now crumbling and forgotten by both people and time. I want the ornate remembered and revered for what it once was, and respected for what it is now. This means my art isn't cookie cutter. I want to make you think, make you see things with more than just the naked eye. Ted Grant has said " When you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in black and white, you photograph their souls."
I photograph in black and white and color. I focus on the form, blemishes and structure. I don't heavily Photoshop to change the integrity of my work. I am not even functionally proficient in Photoshop, as it is not a necessity for my product. I currently shoot with a Nikon D3100 and my go-to lens is the Nikkor 55-200. It allows me to get up close and personal without having to encroach upon or disturb the beauty before me. I don't stage or change anything in my work, everything is as it truly is, down to the last pebble. Some of the shots I take are completely accidental.
I am a completely self taught photographer. There are many more places and things I want to bring attention to and showcase their unseen beauty, and I have just begun

Currently showing in the Emerging Artist Gallery at BAC

3187734464

2012 Alison Ave

Louisiana

Bossier City

United States

http://www.facebook.com/bayougirlphotography