Artist Statement
Artist Statement by Christopher Ryan
Louis Pasteur once said “chance favors the prepared mind.” This applies to photography as technical knowledge, experience, equipment, accessories, and sheer luck favors the art of photography. I believe there is much more to producing great photography than just a creative vision.
My vision lies in the reality of things: The decay of an abandoned, yet once beloved structure; the stench of poverty and homelessness; the jubilant expression of a barefoot child playing in the mud; the leathery face of a great grandfather. These are the real subjects that I love. However, their appeal varies with time and place. I will capture and freeze these feelings so they will not fade out like a lightening bug in a mason jar.
However, even more crucial than the perfect capture is a pleasant process. Days, perhaps months of daydreaming of a particular scene… Travel to a foreign land… Coaxing a certain expression out of a person… Waking up early to capture a certain light, or bundling up at night to shoot star trails in the desert… These are the real things that I love as much as the real subjects I photograph.