D. Buckner Photography

Artist Statement

My general approach to photography is to capture colors, tones, textures, lighting, subjects and aesthetics that appeal to me. I am particularly fond of how lighting affects an image down to the shadows, grey areas and even the color temperature. I also love capturing scenes that have high contrast and typically use black and white film for that purpose. These things are what I try to convey in what I capture, it might be in your face or it might be subtle and you have to look for it. I often take photos of mundane things just because of the texture, the color or how the light is falling upon it. Flora is one of my favorite subjects because you get all of that. Flowers have amazing colors and textures, and with macro lenses you can really get in close to see those details. From afar with the right lighting, you get depth, tones, and shadow that enhance the flower. These are the things I try to capture in my photos.

Biography

Photography has been something I have enjoyed for decades, but here in the past year or so it has become a passion. It started with me finding my old Canon A-1 film camera that I've had since I was 12. I dusted it off and got some film for it and down the rabbit hole I went! I still use my trust Canon A-1 but mostly shoot medium format on my Pentax 67 and Hasselblad 500c. Film appeals to me for two specific reasons. One, is that it allows me to use old analog cameras which I really enjoy. There is something special about using a fully mechanical camera and having to plan and think about your exposure and the story you are trying to tell. Not to say you can not do the same with digital, which I do, but with older film cameras without automatic settings or priority settings or even a light meter, you are forced to. Second, I love the physical aspect of film. I enjoy having a tangle item from my photography outside of a print. I also enjoy the esthetic you can get from film that is often replicated but it is not always the same. My journey with film and photography as a whole has forced me to be more creative and be more technical which appeals to the engineering side of me. I capture the world around me, focusing on light and shadow, depth and texture. I don't think I have really niched down but landscape and nature photography is what I do most of and enjoy the most, especially macro. I plan on dabbling and have started to try my hand in other areas such as street and portrait photography. In the end, I do all of this for the enjoyment of it and the peace it brings me.

Exhibition History (CV)