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Russ is an amateur photographer who has been making images for over 45 years, though he readily admits that his early photographs were not very good. In fact, he says it has only been in the last 10 years or so that his artistic vision, along with his technical skills, have begun to mature. For most of those 45+ years Russ was an analogue photographer, starting with 35mm and later medium format, which included developing his own film and prints in a home darkroom. He moved to digital just three years ago, which he says has substantially evolved his photographic capabilities and in turn his passion for photography.
From an artistic perspective, Russ says that “the initial act of finding, composing and capturing an image in the camera is the most enjoyable and creatively fulfilling aspect of the photographic process. The post-processing of the images – whether it be in a darkroom or a computer – is secondary and to some degree simply a measure of the success of the initial act. Of course, it is infinitely satisfying to produce a final photograph with which I am particularly happy and able to share with others.”
Russ’s photographic interests are varied, but he favors abstract, architectural and fine art photography, often producing monochrome images, a carry-over from his long history with B&W film. He is drawn to strong shadows, disrupted patterns, minimalistic scenes, forgotten and decaying buildings/objects, and other compositions that tend to invoke tension or unease. After a recent solo photo trip to Iceland, however, Russ has become more interested in landscape photography and is looking for opportunities to explore this genre further.
