I am a photographer, touring bicyclist, Hammond organ and keyboard player, and a nurse. My hobbies and interests are varied. I utilize as many of my 5 senses as I possibly can in the exploration of my world. I have tried every cousine on the planet that I can get my tastebuds on. My flavor of music literally covers every genre possible. I like the physical texture of objects that surround me, and the smell after a rain or of an early morning before the sun rises. By constantly trying new foods, different smells, uncommon clothes, unique music and unfamiliar textures, I keep my mind open and limber.
I know a man who was born without arms - he doesn't even have stubs. He lives completely independently, combs his hair neater than I do, brushes his teeth, feeds himself, and ALWAYS has a cleaner shave than I have. How does he accomplish all his daily activities of living with only his feet? Think of how flexible a baby can be. They suck on their toes constantly. When they learn to be more dexterious with their hands, they quickly forget about using their feet for anything other than walking. The man without arms had no choice but to stay absolutely limber. He never had the choice to choose whether he wanted to use his hands or his feet (or his teeth!) to button up his shirt. Keeping limber from birth helps him to continue to live independently. In much the same manner, I never lost the curiosity of a child. I am a lot of things, but a carpenter or repair man isn't one of them. I can walk through a home improvement store, and think a thousand things I can do with electrical, plumbing and other products that were never meant to be. I am not jadded by that they are "supposed to be used for". I once made an office chair out of a 30 gallon metal trash can. This 'trash can chair' served as an office chair for 5 years, and was still in it's original condition when I passed it on.
Keeping the above diatribe in mind, my original interest in photography was to focus on and capture detail that might be overlooked as beautiful or interesting by my peers. When this detail is pointed out in a general scene, many viewers continue to fail to notice the beauty of this element in a scene. I have chosen to remove the subject of my photography from it's context, and placed it in a different environment - your home or office. In this manner, when properly framed and removed from the scene, several layers of paint splattered on a seasoned painter's pants might be reminiscent of a Jackson Pollock painting. Rust on an old fuel storage tank might resemble a canyon reflecing into a lake, and the list continues.
My camera equipment: I do not use a special camera or expensive equipment. The camera I use is completely affordable for anybody.
My awareness of these subjects began when I noted several years ago that rust, chipped paint, wear and tear, and many other facets of the deteroriation of man-made objects begins to take on very random, natural almost fractal forms. It is the arbitrary formation of rust and other elements that captures my attention. My only task is to remove my subjects from their surrounding distractions.
I was born a handicapped child: I have an arm that didn't function *at all * for the first few weeks of my life. This arm is now 4 inches shorter than the other. I have a foot that needed to be amputated for the first few years, and I am blind in one eye. Now for the other side: I can type 85 WPM, and play keyboards like a mad man. I bicycle over 25,000 miles per year, I like to use a camera. Considering that I can do all these things with what I was given, you definitely can do TWICE as much with what you were given. Going forward, I implore you to step out of your comfort zone, try a different cousine, put on an outfit that you normally would not, go to a place that you never previously contemplated, and please click on the galleries on the left of this screen to enjoy a different view.
- Michael J Keller |