Meats Print

Thomas is a photographer with five decades of image-making experience, including a period of printmaking (mainly lithography). Having worked over the years in all formats using 35mm to 8x10 view cameras, and various processes (primarily standard silver processing) Thomas' technique today is relatively simple and straightforward digital photography and pigment ink jet printing. Thomas is based in southwest Michigan, USA. WHY I PHOTOGRAPH The vast majority of my pictures are of people, and not for public consumption. What I consider my "fine art" images are rooted in a formalist aesthetic -- a picture is firstly an arrangement of line, shape and color on a flat surface. Sometimes, I'm trying for an arrangement that's restful and calm, like Matisse's comfortable chair. But sometimes I like to try for a composition that elicits a different kind of response due to its dynamism or simple subject selection. Although I transitioned years ago from the darkroom and analog photo processes, I now work with digital capture. In all cases, however, my post-processing is held to a minimum; any composites are "in camera" and not "photoshopped", and my goal is an object for display. It's what used to be called "straight photography." My approach to a scene or subject is usually intuitive, with visualization in real time. Sometimes, though, I'll get an idea that requires planning and placement. Most recently, I've become enamored of the cinemascope format [2.4 to 1] and exploring its potential for dynamic composition, and emotional states. Cinema and still photography have had a symbiotic relationship over the years, and I feel this part of my work is heavily influenced by the films I've admired the most. I've also been working to develop a personal inconography, but (aspen log, chairs, clouds) but this seems to lead for now toward less accessible images.