Defining One’s Muse for Creating Art

If I do have a muse it is in the form of Mother Nature.

Starting as a child of 11, when my parents gave me a home darkroom kit, I spent most of my time shooting and printing captures of Mother Nature’s creations around where we lived. That has continued throughout my life.

My photography is defined in the way I capture light and shadow and endeavor to do so in the way those elements are created in natural scenes, be they landscapes or seascapes, night or day.

Fenwick Island Dunes and Waves
Fenwick Island Dunes and Waves and Sea and Sand in the Afternoon Sun

I could not say why I “create as I do” but I know that if something out there catches my eye, I will go and take a look. Someplace in my mind I like to think that my photography attempts to capture some of the beauty seen in nature. No matter what medium or the camera used, I have tried to capture the essence of what is seen in nature through the camera. Being able to do so allows me to enjoy every shoot and, as a result, my camera becomes an extension of my eyes.

It is true that the architectural endeavors of mankind are also creative and beautiful and at night they may need artificial light (man-made) to be seen. However, during the day it is Mother Nature that brings out the designs, forms and textures of that architectural “masterpiece.”

Historic Waccamaw River Bridge in Black and White
Mother Nature sets the stage for the creations of man, the bridge and the pier are surrounded by the texture, light and shading that sets this scene apart from normal – especially in a black and white presentation.

My goal or wish, through my photography and writing, is to share with you the view of Nature that I have come to know over the last half century. Just as a painter strives to find unique ways in capturing and creating images, I too am always searching for a variety of creative outlets in photography and, occasionally, in writing.

Photography with its many disciplines is vast, it has been said that there are as many definitions as photographers. My photographs may not be for everyone, but if someone wants to see my work I invite them to do so at:

Link to: My Full Gallery at Pictorem

Link to: My Ocean City Gallery at Pictorem

Link to: My Full Gallery at Fine Art America

Link: Fenwick Island Dunes and Waves Panorama

Link: Waccamaw River Memorial Bridge at Conway in Black and White

The world is full of photographers, the ubiquitous cell phone camera has made sure of that, and anyone can look at the creations of others and say to themselves, “I could do that.” But do they (or we) really have the “eye” to see it? The creative eye that takes something out of nothing and creates a work of art? What does one need to do in order to create art? I have been striving to answer that answer for a very, very long time.

What I am seeking is what my Muse gives me when I visit her throughout the wonder of Creation’s pathways. What is within me seeks expression in the form of capturing a feeling or mood which often resides in the compositions that appear before me. For me it starts with an idea and evolves into the moment of commitment to an image. That is what I endeavor to share with my viewers and buyers.

Camera Screen with a Scene of the Indian River Bridge at Sunset

Photography & Business Goals for the New Year

Foreseeable, attainable and lofty goals to move my business forward.

A wise man, Benjamin Franklin, once said, “If you fail to plan you are planning to fail.” With that in mind, I’ve been looking at a few marketing goals for my Bill Swartwout Photography business for the coming year.

Attainable goal: A couple weeks ago I started back at my earliest upload folder and began making black and white versions of images where B&W actually “works” well. In doing that, I am updating (cleaning, culling, rearranging) keywords and adjusting descriptions as needed. I have been selling a few black and white images and, with a greatly increased inventory, hope to sell even more in 2021. That project will likely add 500 +/- images to my current gallery total at USPictures.com.

Attainable goal #2: Increase my web presence of individual sites (blog and image style) that support my better-selling themes/collections.
Examples: https://www.FortMcHenry.nethttps://www.IndianRiverBridge.comhttps://www.MyPhoneography.com.

Attainable goal #3: Redefine my personal website to better focus on photography. I’m trying to be/act (more) retired – so I want to eliminate all old affiliate marketing “stuff” and clean out extraneous and obviously dated posts/articles.

Lofty goal: Double my current inventory by the end of 2021.

But – first and foremost – my photography must remain fun.

YOUR THOUGHTS? Please leave a comment…