I am a fine arts photographer and visual artist out of the Richmond, Virginia area working in many diverse genres of traditional photography as well as photomanipulation work. Additional I do abstract art.
The photography portfolios showcase natural beauty by daylight, artificial light by night, and generally striking imagery with monochrome work, whereas the photo manipulations are experimental and often surreal in nature. In any instance, everything captured is shown in its best and most vivid light possible. My photography typically has a Gothic or otherworldly feel to it as a result of this.
Regarding my traditional work in color, the bulk of my body of work is nature photography, much of which is floral and forest photography and landscapes. though as time has gone on I’ve moved out of hedging myself into that given genre alone. I try to select color photographs that are particularly vivid or have a palette that is harmonious and striking. I do my best to use rules of composition that painters make use of in the images I create with my cameras.
In my monochrome work what is seen is mostly starker imagery; subject matter varies more in black and white, as I explore subjects and scenes I have not showcased as much in the past. The sharp rawness of the work is what matters to me when I work in black and white.
The photomanipulations show my style displayed in a more uninhibited fashion, as concern for accuracy is dropped in exchange for greater freedom of expression and intensity. I often tamper with lighting and color to achieve a variety of evocative images and effects.
My paintings largely fall into the realms of abstract imagery and so-called "automatic" drawings/paintings. While my abstracts range from experiments with alcohol ink and other physical media to entirely digital paintings and fractals, the automatic drawings- which can also be considered abstract- are made in a light trance state that I dip in and out of as I work on creating elaborate drawings for spiritual and aesthetic purposes. All of the above generally see some post-processing in Adobe Photoshop for enhancement or other reasons; I believe in putting my photographic retouching talents to use in my paintings, just as I apply my sense of painterly composition in my photography.
I find my subject matter through serendipity and exploration as I drift around physically or explore interactions of color and light. Overall, my efforts are geared towards creating works which highlight my subject matter in a manner that make them somewhat out of this world yet nonetheless true to life as I wander with my camera.
-Adam Shurte