Nassima Rothacker says, "I use photography as a means of self-expression, as a way to connect reality, dreams and the in-between. I take photographs to express myself when words are not enough. The camera is my tool and I use it to gather and document the fragments and moments that I am moved by. 

I use the camera to open up the unexplored world, and to bring forth expressions of that enigma into the journey we are all experiencing. I’m drawn towards 
expressing the spiritual undertones within day-today life and the silent mystery that dwells within the visible world. 

The deep satisfaction I feel when I am able to communicate my understanding of my experiences and life through the medium of photography, has enabled me to grow and expand both in my photographic journey and my inner life. 

Creating a story through a myriad of images through my understanding of colour and light and telling my version of the story, I aspire to capture and preserve that feeling in the moment, giving me a voice without needing words.

Using slow- shutter speeds and out- of -focus techniques I develop a dreamlike quality on film that mimics my own true state of being. Be recreating my dreams through images, I create a mirror which reflects my awareness and reality. 

Through this experience a deeper understanding of myself is understood over time. It is my hope that my journey reflects back to those who view the series, a deeper understanding of themselves and encourages them to dive deeper into the unexplored realms if their own consciousness.

After shooting commercially for many years I am now focussing on my true love of Fine Art Photography.  Photography has been by chosen art-form and outlet for self-expression and creativity for over 15 years. It has been by muse, my guide and teacher.

Photography is ever guiding me to new panoramas of self-knowledge and self-reflection, my ever-present witness to the capturing of life’s glimpses of beauty and truth. I have recently been selected for a one year workshop with Margot Wallard & JH Engström in Paris."

Nassima completed her BA in Photography from RMIT University in 2008.  Since then she has been exhibiting regularly, including group shows at the Centre for Contemporary Photography, NGV Permissions Gallery, No Vacancy Gallery, New North Gallery, Brunswick Street Gallery, and the Perth Centre of Photography.

https://www.nassimarothacker.com/

Nina Collosi-Martinez says, "I transform images using a variety of apps using layers, textures, and buried words to stir the soul and invoke emotion."

Collosi-Martinez is a Northern California based photographer, mixed media artist and lover of nature.  She fell in love with photography after receiving her first (toy) camera at the age of 9 and happily photographed (and tormented her family with candid family photos) until she moved out of the house at 19.  It wasn’t until she was in her late 30’s longing for a creative practice did she make the decision to reignite her passion for photography and register for classes at her local recreation center.

After years of experimenting with different techniques from traditional b/w, & color film, dark room manipulation, to various transfer methods she discovered the world of photo apps .  The possibilities were endless!

Transforming photos into art satisfies her soul and hopes to engaged the soul and the imagination of the viewer. 

 

Review by Curator Emma Powell: "I found this image to be a particularly strong representation of the act of dreaming. The lack of external context, and closeness of the framing, separates the figure from her specific surroundings, implying an internal dream-space rather than literal environment.

The use of a warm black and white tones reinforces the image as a representation of dreaming rather than a window into reality. It is clear to me that the artist paid close attention to lighting, using delicate details such as illuminating the line of the chin to separate it from the dark shadow of the neck to emphasize the figure’s dimensionality.

The light also appears to be direct and angled in a way that suggests a spotlight adding, to the mystery of this image.
 
I find the swirling lines surrounding the face suggest the fog of sleep or the beginnings of waking. The movement of these lines implies the restlessness that can come with dreaming.

This image stood out above the artist’s other submissions because of the way the additional effects were used in the composition. In this case they are integrated in a way that looks natural and three dimensional.

While possibly not aware, the figure appears to be gently engaging with the movement of the lines. The addition of the hand adds slight depth to the image and helps to integrate the swirling lines. I was intrigued by the figure’s subconscious gesture.

The face alone appears to be almost too perfectly pretty and peaceful, yet the hand breaks the composition with an almost protective gesture. This could symbolize the vulnerability that comes with sleep.

The hand also suggests that this figure may be encountering something that she needs to protect herself from within her dream, asking the viewer to imagine what that dream might be. It is the juxtaposition between the soft expression and the subtly direct gesture of the hand that starts to hint at a deeper meaning.

This image continues to intrigue me the more I examine it, leaving me with more questions than answers.
 
Powell asks Mercer, "Did you have a specific emotion or story in mind for this image? When you were shooting the original portrait did you have specific effects in mind and is there an intentional goal or meaning behind how you are using lighting in these portraits?"
 
Mercer says, "The original concept for the photography session was to juxtapose the woman with nature, using a leaf as a prop. However, Rayanne’s dreamlike presence led me to consider utilizing light reflecting on water to enhance the ethereal quality. 

Although I did not have a literal story or narrative in mind when I produced the shoot, I approached the photography with a desire to depict humanity’s distinctiveness and integral role as part of the natural world. I wanted Rayanne to move within the picture’s ephemeral space, like light playing on water, analogous to how dreams fluidly move in psychological space.

In daydreams and slumber dreams anything is possible. Our meditative dream state invents a narrative and even calls ourselves into existence. The photograph invites the viewer to fall into the picture space like Alice into the rabbit hole. What happens next is the viewer’s own narrative and belongs to them alone. 

As a model, Rayanne had a quiet, centered, and contemplative manner of appearing to the camera. She perfectly embodied the dreamlike feeling I knew the final photographs should express. Her closed eyes and raised palm gesture allowed her to reveal her future (in as much as palmistry is prophetic) and simultaneously conceal her self. 

The lighting was a single narrow light source which complemented her face, had a moonlit quality, while creating mysterious shadows."

More about Mercer:

Mercer says, "Photographing my daughter’s first pregnancy and contemplating her beauty and the fullness of her potential, I had an epiphany.

In this illuminating awareness, I imagine her standing on a matrilineal continuum with a long line of women from her past, standing as an icon of her unfolding future.  It was like observing a timeline of human history. I suddenly had an intuitive understanding of women perpetuating humanity.

My own part in this, albeit in a supporting role, of son, husband, father, and grandfather became clearer. This was the revelation that stimulated my exploration of the feminine and these women as classic ideals for the Myths series.

Contemplating the form of my daughter’s body and her procreative potential encouraged research into the powerful archetypes of womanhood. Informative readings in anthropology, mythology, and religion helped me transform personal intuition into a more concrete understanding. 

Joseph Campbell’s brilliant and exhaustive study of archetypes gives credence to our innate knowledge that seems to well up from deep inside, like one’s awe of nature and the mysterious truth embodied in dreams.

The title “Myths” speaks to the allegorical nature of the stories depicted. The series seeks an innate understanding of my original epiphany. The female figure and the natural world provide the subject matter and the resulting compositions illuminate these stories of fantasy, memory, mystery, transformation, desire, and reverence. 

My process utilizes the camera and digital manipulation to visualize musings of the feminine archetype. Files, newly captured or harvested from the archive, are the raw material. The digital medium allows me extensive control over the visual product and the gratification of creating a compelling visual statement. The evidence of what I know and what I simply feel to be true is woven into the photographs."

Ralph Mercer is a New England native and an alumnus of Rhode Island School of Design (BFA, photography) and University of Massachusetts (MFA, visual design)

A former commercial photo-illustrator, he now specializes in creating fine art photography with an emphasis on the figurative and the landscape. His digital photo-collages have been published widely and exhibited in a variety of venues including a recent solo show at the The Griffin Museum of Photography in Wincester, MA and The Rhode Island Center for Photographic Art in Providence, RI. Ralph was a semifinalist in the Critical Mass competition 2016.

His photographs depict the human figure, nature, and the everyday environment, interpreted with his sense of visual poetry, whether they be figure studies or abstractions of the visible world.

www.ralphmercer.com

Robin Ay says, "Life and death have always fascinated me. Shortly after the loss of my father I felt a need to explore deeper, more personal themes by turning my attention inward. My instincts led me to scenes seen only in dreams which I recreated by posing dolls with carefully chosen props in natural light.

These constructed scenes became a catharsis, helping me to keep depression at bay. My process was organic and at times impulsive, creating symbolic images that expose my innermost self while releasing my grief."

Constructing images drawn from dreams, world news and personal experience, Robin Ay takes the viewer on a personal life journey. Robin, a Fine Art Photography graduate of Academy of Art University in San Francisco, was recently featured in Photo Place Gallery's "State of America" and "Legends, Myths and Dreams" exhibits in Middlebury, Vermont. Her most recent published works are found in Creative Quarterly v. 53 January 2019.

Career Highlights-

"Sweet 16" Sleeve/Album design for Ghetto Dolls 2019
Creative Quarterly v. 52 Fall/Winter 2018
Photographer's Forum "Best Photography 2018"
Creative Quarterly v. 50 Spring/Summer 2018

“That which is dreamed can never be lost, can never be undreamed.” ― Neil Gaiman,

Ry Sangalang says, "I recently flew over 4,000 miles to Peru. My first couple days I felt like I had the flu. I constantly woke up in the dark of night short of breath. I felt like throwing up.  The altitude sickness crept up on me like a wrecking ball to a glass house.  But it was all worth it. 

I meditated. I explored Machu Pichu.  I learned about shamanism and ancient medicines. And I had the most wonderful daydreams, night dreams and visions. Inspired I created this artwork.

The rest of the series can be found here:
 https://www.rysangalang.com/New-Visions/i-WwwPhVx

I’m a photographer that was born and raised in Los Angeles. When I was a kid my parents fought everyday. My Dad was unemployed. He beat my siblings and I regularly. When I turned 18 my parents kicked me out of the house, but I enrolled myself at UCSD. Because I had to work three jobs to make ends meet, I started failing university. All these challenges had their own lessons, but most importantly they taught me to be strong and to persist no matter what.

Eventually, I graduated with a Computer Science degree, and worked many years as a Cyber security engineer. Although I loved my job, I felt that something was missing. I was introduced to fine art photography and found a sense of completeness and balance. I learned that art could help me experience a sense of magic and wellness. Because of that, I now want to share that same feeling and energy with the world through art photography. It would be an honor to be featured in your publication.

Since starting my photography career I've been an art writer for international fine art magazine 'Beautiful Bizarre'. Last year, I exhibited at the Beverly Hills Art Show as well as Gallery 825 as a member of the Los Angeles Art Association. Finally, I started and continue to teach Fine Art Photography with a focus on Photo Compositing at the Los Angeles Center of Photography." 
 

Sharon Alagna says, "My photography has always been about what we see and what we obscure.

The parts of ourselves that we show to the world and the parts we try to keep hidden. I utilize long exposures and/or instant film to exaggerate those differences.

I use polaroids to create landscapes that are little bit foggy and slightly lonely, that exude a strange nostalgia. Like remembering a place you once visited in a dream. The natural imperfections of long exposure help create self portraits that are vulnerable, and a little sad, and quietly confrontational. The figure is visually effected by light and shadow and movement.

She’s always there in pieces, never fully solid, never fully still, never fully in perfect focus. Both techniques interpret light in ways I can only ever partially predict; because I never know how a photo is going to turn out every single shot is unique and unpredictable. There is a sense of searching and experimentation captured in each image. I think of my photography as a conversation between my internal self and the audience, the fight between a desire to be seen and understood by the world and a simultaneous wish to remain invisible."

Sharon Alagna is a fine art and editorial photographer based in Portland, OR. Utilizing long exposure while working with both digital photography and instant film, she creates beautifully haunting self portraits and surreal landscapes.

She spent a semester studying at Studio Art Centers International in Florence while earning a BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has worked as a professional photographer in Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, NYC, Connecticut, and Portland. Sharon’s photography has been published in (selected publications) LA Weekly, SF Weekly, Time Out New York, Splitsider, Variety.com, Backstage Magazine, McSweeney’s, The Boston Globe, ABC, MTV.com, Mxdwn.com, and IFC.

Recent Exhibitions:

2019 - Barrett Art Center, "Photowork 2019: 32nd Annual National Juried Photography Exhibition,” Poughkeepsie, NY

2016 - Las Laguna Gallery, “How I Identify - Myself,” Laguna Beach, CA
2016 ­ Rochester Riverside Hotel, “Regional Erotic Art Show and Sale,” Rochester, NY

2015 ­ Nerdmelt at Meltdown Comics, “G-G-GHOSTS! An Artistic Memorial For the Living Impaired,” Los Angeles, CA
2015 ­ Sanctuary LAX, “Micro Erotic Reading Room,” Los Angeles, CA.
2015 ­ Hive Gallery, “Collective Show,” Los Angeles, CA.

“Micro Erotica Vol 1.” February 2015.

Honors and Awards:
President's Choice. OPPA Open Image Competition 2018, Portland, OR. 2018.

Publications:

“Micro Erotica Vol 1.” February 2015.

Honors and Awards:
President's Choice. OPPA Open Image Competition 2018, Portland, OR. 2018.

alagnafineart.com

 “Distorted memories, melted colors” ongoing series – 


Sophie Huysentruyt says, "Do people’s memories deteriorate over time or have these recollections been changed due to actions that were more deliberate?

Memories change, fade, disappear, and merge with other memories. And when the mind changes our recollections in this way it is like changing parts of our identity. Flash-backs help us understand who we are and help inform us about decisions that we make. So, what does it mean to not have access to those remembrances that are so important?

I create composites and use color overlays to express my ideas. I alter details and identities by adding subtly attributes or bold geometric shapes. These are my family photographs, images of places I visited, friends I met along my journey of life. The photographs are my collection of nostalgia. Through composites I can overwrite my memories – erase people, add events I imagined and never took place.

What happens to all these important memories that no one might remember? Mundane memories of mindlessly following daily life routines, but also our important, life-changing occurrences. This is a question that will likely never find resolution."

Sophie Huysentruyt is based in Overijse, a suburb of Brussels - Belgium. She's an 
art-lover, particularly photography and painting. She has exhibited works in Botswana, Brasil and Belgium.

EMAIL; shuysentruyt@gmail.com

 

Traci Marie Lee says, "In her work she is interested in the implications and consequences of the Snapshot and the Constructed Image on memory construction and preservation.

The compulsion to excavate and curate leads to finding new methods of holding onto brief, constantly changing realities, as well as confronting her own tendencies and obsessive drive to collect, as a process of examining loss."

Traci Marie Lee is a graduate of the Corcoran College of Art + Design in Washington, D.C., with a BFA in Fine Art Photography, as well as a Master in Fine Arts graduate with an MFA in Photography and Integrated Media from Lesley University College of Art & Design in Cambridge, MA. 

Career Highlights - 

THE HANDMADE PHOTOGRAPH : CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHERS WORKING IN HISTORIC PROCESSES, El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe, Curated Group Exhibition, Bostick & Sullivan, Santa Fe, New MM, 2019

EXHIBITION OF ALTERNATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY, The Far Eastern Museum of Fine Art, Curated Group Exhibition, Khabarovsk, Russia, 2017 

WITCHING HOUR: IMAGERY FROM DARKNESS, Photosynthesis, LLC, Juried Group Exhibition, Manchester, CT, 2016 

BORDERLANDS, Lunder Arts Center, Group Exhibition, Cambridge, MA, 2016 

PORTRAITS AND PORTRAYALS, Photosynthesis, LLC, Juried Group Exhibition, Manchester, CT, 2016 

POP UP LUCAD - MFA PHOTOGRAPHY, Kathryn Schultz Gallery, Cambridge, MA, 2016

thread-photography.com tracimarielee.virb.com
 

----------------------------

DREAMS HOME:
https://www.laphotocurator.com/dreams-emma-powell

FIRST PLACE:
https://www.laphotocurator.com/dreams-emma-powell/first-place-ralph-mercer-rayanne-s-dream/1

SECOND PLACE:
https://www.laphotocurator.com/dreams-emma-powell/second-place-margo-reed-stress-dream-sharon-alagna-untitled-bed-self-portrait-3----/1

BEST SERIES:
https://www.laphotocurator.com/dreams-emma-powell/best-series-claudia-ruiz-gustafson/1

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
https://www.laphotocurator.com/dreams-emma-powell/honorable-mentions-gary-justis-below-harry-longstreet-almost-home-robin-ay-suffocation-traci-marie-lee-that-lumbered-all-the-way-josh-raftery-as-she-sleeps----/1


EXHIBITION #1:
https://www.laphotocurator.com/dreams-emma-powell/exhibition-1/1

EXHIBITION #2:
https://www.laphotocurator.com/dreams-emma-powell/exhibition-2/1