Artist of the Month - Mark Hackmeier
I am a Colorado fine art landscape photographer. I recently moved to Massachusetts. I spent twenty years hiking through the beautiful Rocky Mountains trying to capture its beauty.
For over forty years I have traveled throughout the US as well as around the world. I have shown my work in art galleries and art shows. I am proud of the fact that I have won many awards. I do not take pictures to exactly look like the scene I am looking at. When I see a scene which moves me emotionally, my goal is to create an image which brings out a similar emotion in the viewer. My work is in black and white as well as in color.
What is Art for you?
For me, the beauty of art is trying to looking through an artist’s eyes. What did they see that captured their attention? What is the subject of their painting or photograph? How did they bring your eyes to the subject? Did they use lines, shape, tones etc.? Was the artist successful when their work was finished? All of course is subjective.
GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE
What are you currently working on?
Black and white and color images of New England’s woodlands and seacoasts.
GRACEFUL POSE
What’s your background? What is the experience that has influenced your work the most?
Living in Houston was not a place to find beautiful landscapes. After visiting the breathtaking Rocky Mountains, I would take pictures there and print and frame them back home. Sounds crazy but it was almost meditative to view them while living in a large Texas city. It started out as a hobby and as I progressed as a photographer, I started to show my work in galleries and shows.
PASTEL DREAM
Where do you find your inspiration?
The famous photographer Elliot Porter once said, “One can look down at your feet and see something to photograph.” Beauty is all around us. I am self taught . I have been inspired by iconic photographers such as Ansel Adams and workshops over the years given by nationally known great landscape photographers.
DEEP IN THE ASPENS
What is your creative process?
The scene that moves me is the foundation of my image. I visualize what the image will end up looking like. Taking that into consideration I take the picture. I then edit it in an attempt to create something that emotes in others the same emotions I felt when I viewed the scene. I often create an image that the human eye sometimes cannot see. I use several editing tools on my computer. The image in print completes the process.
TWILIGHT AT WALHALLA OVERLOOK AT THE GRAND CANYON
Did your style change over the years? In which way?
In my early years I took pictures in an attempt to perfectly show what the scene looked like. You might want to call it a postcard picture. That taught me how to use my camera but it is no longer my goal. I don’t always succeed but when someone says WOW, I consider I reached my goal. Techniques such as the use of color, black and white, and sometimes long exposures in an attempt to create what the naked eye does not often see or is not able to see.I keep in mind lines, shapes and tones.
NUBBLE LIGHTHOUSE STANDING TALL
What is the most challenging part about creating your artworks?
Patience and pre-visualizing the picture. What do I want the finished picture to look like before taking a picture.