Desert Rose

Fine art photo of a desert rose flower, photo by Craig Stocks

I don’t consider myself a flower photographer but occasionally I find something that I just can’t pass by.

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Star Trails on a Moonlit Night

Star trails over a small Midwest lake under moonlight - Fine art photo by Craig Stocks

I’m always fascinated by star trails. It’s amazing to me how much the stars actually move across the sky even though they seem to be standing still. This image shows their progress in one hour on a cold November night in the Midwest.

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An Ode to Jackson Pollock

Fine art photo of fluorescent paint on the nude torso of a woman under a black light, photo by Craig Stocks

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The Model’s Message is More Powerful than the Image

Black and white fine art photograph depicting a woman's struggle as a survivor of domestic violence

I love collaborating with models and other artists to create fine art photography and this is a fantastic example of why I love the process so much. This model’s insight into this  photograph completely changed how I think and feel about the image.

This particular image really resonated with the model but I didn’t understand why until a couple months later when she asked me to prepare a framed print. It was going to be donated to a charity auction in Chicago to support domestic violence awareness.

She suggested the title for the piece, “Breaking Free.” Then she wrote the artistic statement that will accompany the piece:

The model in this photograph is a survivor of 25 years of domestic violence. She believes the piece poignantly captures the residual internal strife which remains to date, several years later.

The dark lines represent the prison bars and shackles, as she felt imprisoned in the relationship. Her hidden face is emphasized by crossed hands and raised legs, which appear an attempt to shield her from harm. The mottled shadowed areas at the rib cage, hip and underside of the arm resemble the physical bruises once endured.

The brightly lit areas represent present life. The absence of clothing is a sign of both rebirth and renewed strength.

It is the model’s hope that “Breaking Free” will raise awareness of the lingering emotional impacts of domestic violence. Additional, she hopes this piece will simultaneously provide encouragement to current victims that there is beauty and new life in survival.

Now I understand.

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Emerging

Fine art photo with digital paint effects of a woman wrapped in white cloth against a blue background. Photo by Craig Stocks

Post processing in Photoshop is a significant part of my artistic process. I use my camera and photographic skills to record a scene as it appears but it never seems to truly capture my vision. For that I turn to tools like Photoshop where I can bring my vision to life and present the scene the way I envisioned it.

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