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When viewing one of Kenneth Lane Smith's works, people
commonly inquire, "Is that a painting or a photograph?. For
him, it's the supreme compliment.
"That's tells me they're seeing what I see",
Smith explains. I don't have the skills to do this with a
pencil or brush, but with a camera, I can capture and present
images exactly as I see them.
Kenneth says he views the world as if wearing blinders. "I
only see what is directly in front of me," he says "but
I see it with great clarity. Somehow I often see what others do
not."
As a result, people will often look at one of his pieces and
remark, "I've passed that spot dozens of times and had
no idea it looked like that." To them, it did look
different. But through the lens of his camera - captured at the
right time, in the right light, and isolated from everything
around it - the image indeed looks completely different.
"I call this "Simplistic Order", Smith said.
"I believe there is a simplistic order to the world. You
just have to look for it. That is what I see and that is what I
try to present."
To Kenneth, snapshots are taken, while photographs are created.
"Good luck can only carry you so far in photography,"
he said. "That's why I go through a mental checklist
before taking a shot." The list includes some photography
fundamentals, but takes into account personal criteria too.
"For example, I rarely shoot from eye or chest level",
he said. "I feel that in order to see the world differently,
you have to look at it differently. That might mean kneeling down
in a stream, sitting in a snow drift, or lying on your back.
Whatever it takes."
More than anything though, Kenneth is influenced by the effects
of light and shadow. "My mood, energy level and sense of
awareness of my surroundings are directly impacted by the type of
light around me," he said. Most of his shooting is done just
before and up to two hours after sunrise. "I really like the
range of color between the cooler blue hour and softer warm light
during this brief period."
Finally, composition completes the image and brings all the
elements of subject, color and light together. "I try to
create pieces that have a sense of familiarity to them", he
says. "By this I would like to viewer to imagine or be
reminded, of a wonderful moment or place in their lives. I
definitely try to inspire a positive emotion."
Kenneth Lane Smith lives in the historic Niagara-on-the-Lake
region.
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