Lab Gallery for August 2022: Thomas Kichenmaster

July 31, 2022

Project Statement

Having always been drawn to the wilderness I derive clarity from the mountain air, flow of water, and stillness of the forest. When I'm “out there” everything wrong about the world fades away as I am immersed in a world without time and enter, at least for a moment, a peaceful bliss.

Inspired by the depth Ansel Adams achieves within each of his compositions, I have shot my collection in B&W tones to exemplify the rich and dreamlike appreciation for every feature within my own compositions.

My hope is that viewers of my art will feel the same amount of awe and inspiration I do while standing in a creek or in a forest and experience the view as if you are actually there in your own little world, fully appreciating the depth within this dream.

Artist Statement

As a lifelong resident of Oregon I have always profoundly loved our natural beauty, now living in Portland I'm a skip away from Mount Hood, The Columbia River Gorge, and the cold but beautiful Pacific.

My first camera was a thirty dollar Fujifilm waterproof camera that actually broke soon after and the flash stopped working, because of this I really had to focus on my compositions to compensate for poor quality photos. Creating successful images with a cheap camera proved to me that the artist, the one behind the camera, is far more important than having only the best or most expensive camera and equipment.

My favorite compositions are those of landscapes and water. I have long avoided the use of black and white imagery and even editing of any kind, in an effort to share my work in the most raw form possible however, having been exposed to the work of Ansel Adams and the process through which he created images I have come to thoroughly enjoy the artistic liberty to create something that highlights the joy I feel while consuming views first hand.

The biggest challenge I face is to adequately capture my emotions, that of awe and wonder within a single photo or series. Though I may capture a small piece, I feel the enormity of such is so great I will always be in pursuit and that's why I love photography. A journey where each step takes me closer to and yet farther from my destination.

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Kichenmaster captured these photos with a Sony Alpha R2 using 16 and 50mm Prime and a 600mm zoom. Many of the compositions containing water include the use of a ND filter, tripod, and 2-30 second shutter speed.

Stop by the Lab Gallery for the month of August to see the show!