Artist's Influence Map 2010

Everyone has been making these on DeviantART and I thought it was high time to make one for myself.

Influence maps are meant to show the things that have influenced me as a photographer and artist, and at the current time, these are mine. They are in no particular order, the larger the size the larger the influence!



An Explanation of Influences

1. Lisa Kristine - Lisa Kristine is an amazing photographer, and was the first photographer to inspire me enough to take my own photos. The things she has had the privilege to see and take part in astound me. Her photographic and printing techniques are beyond words.

2. Olivia Wilde - Aside from being an incredibly beautiful woman and very talented actress, I was caught by her presence in the world of activism. Working with schools in Haiti, supporting a vegan diet and promoting responsibility as a species are just a few of the things that make her amazing.

3. Lois Van Baarle - This very famous and wonderfully talented digital artist and animator is featured on the influence maps of many, and she certainly deserves a place on mine. Her knowledge of CSS and well-thought out layouts inspired me to dabble in the art of web development to an extent I never thought I would. Much of what I have learned about being an artist in the public eye was developed from studying her techniques.

4. Earth - This should speak for itself. Earth is so beautiful, and so magnificently captured on film, that it has always been an influence in any art form I practice.

5. Peace - It is my ultimate hope to inspire peace among nations with photographs that allow us to become interested and understand one another as a species.

6. Digital - Digital technology is ultimately what made me interested in photography at all. I have absolutely zero experience with film, and also zero interest. I work out of a computer background, and until beginning photography school knew little about cameras at all.

7. Planet Care - I am heavily influenced by the concept of reducing first, then reusing, and finally recycling. Whether or not global warming is being debated as a reality, we are responsible for our garbage and we produce way too much as it is. The least we can do is minimize it.

8. Culture - Varying planet-wide cultures are so interesting to me. I hope as a planet we always remain unique and traditional in our native habitats, simply because many of our customs are so beautiful. Dances, clothing, food and rituals are all inspiring events that I hope to capture in my career.

9. Color - I am not a black and white photographer. I only convert a photo to greyscale when I just can't make it work in color. I rarely shoot anything intending for it to be greyscale in the end, and usually leave this technique to portraits as a whole. Color makes me feel like the scene is alive and vibrant. Greyscale always makes me feel sad, empty or bored.

10. DeviantART - How could I leave this out? DeviantART and the community here made me develop a sense of pride for my photos. The critiques, community involvement and positive feedback all made me want to invest in photography as more than a hobby. The talents and contributions of other amazing artists here keep me inspired on a daily basis, and their influence will always remain the reason I try new techniques.

11. Steve Bloom - Another amazing photographer whose work with elephants, tribes and other elements of Africa continually shows me what I hope my efforts will lead to. These are, ultimately, the same things I hope to work with at least once in my career.

_{Posted: September 21, 2010}