Featured Artist Andy Crawford

Andy Crawford’s inspirational photography captures the beauty and magnificence of nature. Enjoy the following selection from his portfolio and visit his website to see more.

 

 

My passion for nature photography can be traced to my youth, when I first came across a selection of Ansel Adams photos.

 

 

The ability to capture the amazing beauty of nature captivated me, sparking a desire to share the wonders of nature with others.

 

 

This passion for photography has joined with my long-held belief that nature is absolute proof of God’s creative powers. The beauty of a waterfall. The amazing colors of a sunrise or sunset. The stark landscape of the desert Southwest. They all show the ongoing work of a mighty Creator.

 

 

I travel the United States in search of photographs that go beyond simple snapshots. I want to create images that inspire others to experience the world as I do, that call them to take a break from the hectic schedule of their lives and spend time outdoors.

 

 

The goal remains the same, whether I’m slogging through the swamps near my Louisiana home, capturing another amazing sunrise in the Smoky Mountains or clambering down a mountain to find just the right angle for a waterfall photo—produce an image that inspires.

 

 

This process begins in the outdoors, and often requires backpacking twenty or more pounds of equipment for miles to get the right shot. I’m often up hours before daybreak or out late into the night. I spend time at each location, learning the best angles to depict the scene in front of me.

 

 

I have to make myriad decisions. Should I use a higher or lower camera position? Should I use maximum depth of field to show the entire scene in focus, or employ a very shallow focus to draw the eye to one portion of the scene? Is a wide-angle capture the best, or do I need to really tighten in on one or two aspects?

 

 

Opening the camera’s shutter is only the beginning of my work, however. I complete the creative process in my studio, using a variety of software programs to tease out colors and detail, to bring up light here and turn down exposure there. I print all my work in various sizes and media, including metal print, paper, acrylic and gallery canvas wrapped.

 

 

Every decision makes subtle changes to the image. But each of these tweaks has one primary goal—to reproduce the wonders of the scene as I see it, with all the richness inherent in nature.

 

 

The results are photographs I believe represent God’s artistic mastery and that, hopefully, transport others to that unique place and time.

 

Artist Andy Crawford invites you to follow him on Instagram and Facebook.

 

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