About the Photography of Weaver Cameron Barksdale
Photography has been my passion for more than half a century. Growing up in the 1950’s, I was strongly attracted to the wonderful photographs in Life and National Geographic magazines. Later on I discovered the photographers of the California School – Edward Weston, Ansel Adams and Brett Weston, among others.
While those great artists are generally thought of as “landscape” photographers, their bodies of work are actually quite eclectic. Few other photographers have equaled the sensuous beauty of Edward Weston’s still life compositions or his striking nudes. Ansel Adams made many compelling portraits even though he often received the complaint, “There are no people in your photographs.” Brett Weston was a pioneer in abstract photography and his work in that area has seldom been matched. Hence, the lesson that I learned from these artists is that photographers should photograph what they love.
Life was very hard for subsistence farmers, but in many ways living “hand to mouth” made their work meaningful and satisfying. Their lives were simple but there can be great beauty in simplicity and this is reflected in the rustic architecture, furniture, tools and handicrafts that were an important adjunct to their existence. The simple elegance of these objects resonates with something deep inside me and so it is that I greatly enjoy trying to capture the pioneer spirit of the Great Smoky Mountains or the grace and perfection for which the Shaker movement strove.
“I eagerly await new concepts and processes. I believe that the electronic image will be the next major advance.”
Digital printing also allows for far greater control over the final print than could be obtained using an enlarger. I do not use heavy computer manipulation in my prints, just the same selective darkening and lightening that I employed in the darkroom.
Finally, the new digital media promise longevity that exceeds comparable materials used in the chemical process. The result is a print that is truer to the artistic vision that I had when making the initial exposure and one that will endure for many generations to come.
“The most distinctive quality of art making is the investmentof the artist’s own humanity in the finished piece.”
