Someone recently asked me how it was that I “see” what some do not “see” when there are standing in front of the very same photographic subject that I am staring at with them, particularly once they saw the results of my post-processing. Well, I explained, everyone has their own built-in mental optic through which each of us filters the reality before us. And, I added, I am often convinced that the more you have peered into the abyss (either by choice or by other circumstances) the more likely it is that you will tend to bring some of that raw emotion to your work; after all, I want others to see what I feel at the moment I click my camera’s shutter, surrounded by the light and darkness battling within me. Sure, I could probably go out and shoot flowers and other pretty things, but I’d still “see” it in a different way than you do, and I’d have to post-process it accordingly: textured and dark. That’s why I love URBEX! The canvas of my mind is there, and all I have to do is paint it with my heart and soul!
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