 |
|
FRED ROESSLER, PHOTOGRAPHER
For my personal artistic expression, I photograph animals, landscapes, and city scenes. When I photograph animals, I look for character and personality in the animals. When photographing nature or historical places, such as Heritage Grove or Willow Creek Ranch in Pescadero, I try to capture the character of older forgotten times viewing the world through a less-hurried and gentler pace. With my photography I try to emphasize the importance of protecting special places like the open areas within San Mateo County.
I work with traditional black and white film and have added various treatments to the finished prints. I have selenium or sepia toned my prints, and have hand painted images with a heavy-pigmented oil paint; a process now experiencing a new popularity. My goal is to produce a print that is true to the details of the original subject. I use novel techniques to reflect my vision of a subject. Printing in black and white reflects an honest sense of our environment and history, along with a sense of timelessness that current color printing processes sometimes lose. All of my prints are original which is a major benefit for the collector.
I enjoy making close-ups of details in plants, animals, and architectural elements. I also love the vastness of the ocean and foothills in my landscapes. Objects of vital detail and texture receive extra attention in my close-ups.
Fred often exhibits his work at the Pacific Art League in Palo Alto and in other venues in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Environmental Statement
The beaches and coastal forests I photograph are beautiful places. What interests me most about them is what they have revealed to me through long encounters over the years. The quiet beauty offers a steadiness and calmness that can only be experienced in these quite areas. When I am working with my camera in places like Butano Creek, I feel a renewal of energies, and a sharpness of vision that does not exist except in these places. I call this my “Zen of photography.” I hope that my images inspire people to want to experience this same renewal, whatever the area offers to them through the quiet and stillness of many long encounters.
Fred & Lexa 2003
Artist Affiliations
Rose in Black Vase