I have taken photographs most of my life, but it is only in the past few years that I have come to think of myself as a photographer. I started with film, including doing my own black and white darkroom work, and after many years, transitioned to digital photography. The beauty of nature and the mountains were an early inspiration and remain a passion for me. I’m happiest hiking in a beautiful place with my camera (and often with my wife).
Taking pictures enables me to be fully present in a place, immersed in the details of the moment: the angle, color, and direction of the light, what’s illuminated, what’s in shadow, how the light is changing, the color, pattern, texture, and shape of the scene, how it makes me feel. While I enjoy capturing grand scenes, my favorite subjects are often smaller and more intimate. Sometimes they verge on abstract or ambiguous. Sand dunes, one of my favorite subjects, are a good example, which offer a variety of creative possibilities: the curve of a dune edge highlighted by a rising sun, the repeated undulating patterns of waves of sand, a delicate “spotlit” plant against the shadow of a dune. Water—still, frozen, or captured in motion—offers similar creative opportunities.
You can see more of my work on my website: https://cranechris.myportfolio.com/work. I also post on Instagram: @chrismcrane.
