I really respect magnanimous people.  I truly dig seeing others try to do good, especially when the goal is to selflessly benefit those who are less fortunate.  That is how I first came to know Jacob.  I am a devout fan of the great people and products of Artistic Photo Canvas and was very interested when I saw them sponsor an auction with Jacob, featuring a 30″x40″ gallery-wrapped canvas print to help with the crisis in Haiti.  It was through this that I got to experience more of Jacob’s work and I told myself that I had to at least reach out and try to get to know him.  As it was, Jacob was visiting Boston and, while our schedules couldn’t jive for an impromptu photo walk, I was very happy that our friendship continued to grow.

There is something very pure about Jacob’s work.  You will find simplicity and elegance in even his most complex shots and I find myself very relaxed while browsing through his catalog.  As we have become closer friends, we have also begun critiquing each others shots before they ever get posted and I truly value the feedback that he provides.  I am glad to have the opportunity to know Jacob, and I’d like to give all of you the opportunity to share in that.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter, Facebook and his Blog

Writing With Light – Jacob F. Lucas

I think on some level I’ve always wanted to be a photographer. And I don’t mean photographer in the “Will you photograph my wedding” sense of the art. It’s much bigger than that. To me, it’s about the world transcending merely what is in our field of view, and preserving the moment or a scene that made me take a step back and say, “Wow!”. This may be a beautiful sunrise, a mountain view, or even a simple cup of coffee in the morning. It could be anything! The intrinsic beauty in the world is what captivates and motivates me every single day to pick up my camera and start shooting. This is a lot more involved than merely pointing and shooting what is in front of me in order to creative a provocative image. Everything matters – angles, shapes, subject matter, contrast (both in colour and in subject), background, foreground, composition, but most important of all — light!

I am a visual artist. The world is my canvas and the light of day and night are the inks on my palette. It is how I choose to blend these two inks together that produces a visible portrayal of my world view and, to this end, I am becoming more and more of the belief that HDR photography is the key to an accurate and meaningful portrayal. HDR allows me to more closely render what it is I’m actually seeing in front of me versus what appears in a single “correctly exposed” frame. The technique of combining (in some cases) several different exposures of a given scene to produce one singular, visually-accurate image is a really enjoyable and rewarding process for me. With HDR, I’m able to truly show the detail of what I’m seeing in the shadows, mid-tones, and highlights all in one, beautiful abridgment of pixels.

It’s interesting to think that before I moved to the US (and specifically, Seattle) I didn’t take many photographs but my interest in this field has always been there. It may have been dormant within me but it shone through in many ways. I will never forget going on various travels throughout Australia, before moving here, and just stopping to marvel at the world before me, composing my field of view into a photograph kept inside my mind. I cannot wait to return to and shoot the other areas of outback Western Australia, such as Margaret River or The Pinnacles of Cervantes (Google these!) in addition to the many other regions of Australia, amongst all the other cities on the globe.  I just can’t wait to show the world… as I see them.

To me, on some level, everything I shoot has a personal meaning and photography is my way to convey it, as well as to preserve memories of the places I’ve been. Learning HDR and talking/working with other photographers like Brian have been two major elements in the development of my photography. When I’m out shooting, I have what I’ve learned to date in my mind, smooth beats in my earphones and I’m detached from the rest of the world. I’m in my own element… writing with light.

I want to give a ripper shout-out to the man, Brian Matiash. Mate, thank you for giving me the chance to write a guest post on your blog. I “met” Brian on a recent trip to Boston via that beautiful god-send of a medium we fondly know as Twitter. Brian was kind enough to offer the opportunity of a photo walk (without having even met me in person) around the city of Boston and although our schedules (read “my schedule”) didn’t align, we kept in touch and have shared the enjoyment of HDR post-processing since. Brian’s images are stellar, and I’m stoked to have the opportunity to write this post on his blog about my interpretation and passion for the art of photography. Thanks, Brian!