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A cut is brutal, even if committed by the blade of a surgeon. So for Irving Penn the camera is an instrument that creates art through a precise form of violence- violence because, in order to achieve visual poetry, the photographer must use the camera like a knife, constantly making choices about what to cut from the world and what to keep.  

“I recognize it for the instrument that it is, part Stradivarius, part scalpel” Irving Penn  

The above words, not mine, stolen, plundered but precious, describe the camera’s true nature in the hands of the Photographer and PhotImagist.   The reality and the experience of the Photographer can be the same as the PhotImagist but I think mostly it is different. That’s just my subjective opinion.    Before getting to the nitty-gritty of stepping away from reality please indulge me for a moment and let me paint the picture in journey speak.    I’ve traveled all over the world, met the most amazing people. I get ex...

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It’s been more than 20 years now since I founded www.explorelight.com and gave up my day job to immerse myself fully in my photography. My work has been published in various magazines including Photo Art International and Outdoor Photographer. I have also featured in numerous radio and TV celebrations of the work created by myself and my son Peter, European Professional Photographer of the Year 2013. As I reflect on almost a lifetime of making images and teaching others to find their voice in photography I realize that unique self-expression and authenticity are the ultimate goals in this great medium. The changes that have taken place in these past 10 years motivate me to share my journey and in so doing provide insights so that others can learn to find their voice in photography.
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