Christie Warren Style Paragraphs

Ed Panar: Animals That Saw Me

• Ed Panar grew up Johnstown, PA, which is a small industrial town that fostered his interest in documenting "ordinary scenes" that hold the potential of greater meaning. Panar's book features photos in which he felt that animals were aware of him or even directly looking at him. However, the meaning behind his photos is much deeper than an animal simply seeing him. His style of photography challenges viewers to see animals as humans who can see and understand us, rather than as unknowing, blank minded creatures. Panar does so by catching animals in what most people would consider to be human-like stances: staring directly at the viewer, caught in a moment of embarrassment, straining to get a better look, etc. In an interview he said that he takes his photographs simply wandering around, noticing "the difference between our idea of the world and the world itself." Though this book is entirely in color, some of his work is in black and white, and it would seem that he chooses this based on the subject matter. He photographs mainly with two film cameras, but will also use his phone camera. Panar also says that he likes to photograph scenes that focus on what would still be here if humans were removed, stating that he believes his photos are still portraits, even though there are no humans in them. Panar hopes to bring an experience to viewers that allow them too to "be present and wander in the space with [him] for a moment."

John Pfahl: Picture Windows

• John Pfahl grew up in Wanaque, NJ, and is a modern landscape photographer, who takes a more analytic approach to his photos than many. Pfahl says about Picture Windows, "I came to think that every room was like a gigantic camera forever pointed at the same view," and states that his goal was to find these cameras that were in place and waiting to be found. While he shows interest in seeking out the best landscapes for his photos, he also interestingly says "pure and natural landscapes don't interest [him] at all," and he instead prefers to photograph landscapes that have been imprinted upon by humans. Pfahl is interested in viewing landscapes critically and almost academically, not simply emotionally. He often includes some sort of geometric aspect in his photos and is particularly drawn to grid systems. Picture Windows is perhaps the best example of this, and Pfahl comments on the grids in these photos, saying "I'm imposing a grid over the landscape as a way of reducing it to discrete parts that can be studied in isolation." The perspective he brings to landscape photography is not a common one, and certainly separates him from others in the field. Pfahl photographs in color with a field camera, and often uses a wide angle lens as well.

William Neill: Landscapes of the Spirit

• William Neill grew up in the Bay Area near San Fransisco, and did not set out to become a photographer, but his life experiences inspired a love of nature so strong that he made capturing it his living. Unlike Pfahl, Neill is very much driven to capture the pure beauty of nature and landscapes. After his only brother suddenly passed away while he was in college, Neill was consoled by and found healing in the beauty of the landscapes in Glacier National Park, where he worked at the time. He began photographing casually to document his travels, but soon found that his photographs contained something special that would inspire his career as a photographer: "a bond with the landscape." Landscapes of the Spirit is a collection of Neill's photos that capture the unadulterated beauty that he feels touches his soul and makes him "feel most connected to [himself] and to life itself."  Neill photographs in color, to reveal nature in the most honest light, and he uses a view camera to capture his images. He states that he is not interested in the style of landscape photography that aims to depict "the truth" of how humans have impacted nature, but rather strives to photograph the undeniable beauty and spirituality of untouched landscapes. In this book, none of Neill's photographs are named, simply titled by their plate number, showing his desire to truly claim no power over these landscapes. He does not claim to be knowledgeable about what he is photographing, nor does he impose metaphors upon the scenes.