Page 8 Ray Barlow

The Concept of Art by Raymond Barlow

Hi everyone, I am the person responsible for putting together the project we know as NIOM. It has been very interesting, and an enjoyable experience. I have made good connections with several photographers from around the world, and we have put on quite the show here on this website. As of right now, we have about 6,000 unique viewers, and over 23,000 page-views.

So thanks to everyone for all the support, the writers / photographers for their excellent articles, and to you for your continued visits to this site., it all helps!

On to the article! My passion for photography started when I was very young, and finally after I turned 46, I decided to take this seriously. Getting involved in forums, and hanging out with some great photographers here in the Toronto / Niagara area really helped me learn the value and impact of good photography.

People describe the steps in learning as "taking it to the next level". We start by learning the technical aspects of shutter speeds, apertures, ISO, and focus, and we practice putting these skills together with the idea of creating something that appeals to a persons emotion .. the "wow effect"!

The last "level" it seems, is to take your technical skills and merge them with your creative side, and your heart. Creativity is something people have inside, this is something that comes natural to some people, and others need to work at it. In photography, we all enjoy operating something as fascinating as a camera., with digital, the fascination is multiplied with the instant reward on your cameras monitor!

To take your camera skills, and your desire to create art, using nature as your subject is not an easy task. Creating a record shot of a bird, animal, scene is not all that difficult. Making it art is the fun! Taking a picture of a rock is easy... but as you see in the image of my Maria, the rock is involved in a story, that tells of a little girls fun in throwing the rock into the water.

With birds, I enjoy trying to not only to record their beauty, but also their environment, their activities, odd poses, hunting, collecting, flights, diving, and so many different moments in their lifestyle. People are fascinated by how birds survive in the wilderness, the miracle of flight, and the extraordinary beauty of the wondrous species we have close to home, and around the world.

One of the best ways to learn the art of nature photography is to study forums., we have a list here on this page with many excellent forums and 1,000's of images and stories for you to study. This is an excellent learning opportunity. Also camera clubs, workshops, and hanging around the local "hot spots" where many photographers chat about their experiences.

So record the moment, and try to think about creating art while your there!

Please post this site on your blog, twitter, facebook, and email it to your friends... we all do this for the love of sharing, and your help will be appreciated!

Raymond Barlow / NIOM Publisher