Born: 1953
Died: TBA
Mission Statement:
“I want my work to reach into the soul of the believer; the mind of the doubter; into the hearts of all.”
My work is simple and clean, not overly produced in the ways of some. As a prototypical photographer, I shoot what I see in my mind's eye, and that’s that. I try not to overthink my work.
Anyway, you might find image associations with moments in my life. I’m old enough to be able to do that. My physical body in one direction, my mind in the other. My ‘Flashbacks’ are day to day events and observations. Some psychological or intellectual, some spiritual interpretations from a 12 year Catholic school stint only to fade to near nothingness over time. Finally, some emotional adventures in life such as love and loss. At heart, I’m watching my life pass before my eyes, before I actually watch my life pass before my eyes I guess you can say.
Ever so slightly off topic, a little something about my chip off the old block daughter. Rebecca is a Beauty/Fashion photographer currently living in Los Angeles, CA. You can see her work here - https://www.rebeccagrantphoto.com/
Make sure to stop by, It’s well worth the time.
There’s a running joke I like to tell people about the creative relationship I have with my daughter, And it goes something like this, “She gets them when they’re alive, I get them when they’re dead.” Ouch!
Finally, a snippet from my first and only published book of work to date,
“Final Thoughts: eternal beauty in stone.”
“The only sacred trust is our mortality. in the end, it has taken the greater part of this man’s lifetime to come to understand that essence of being. The moments do not slip so quietly away without notice now.”
email - Jtgrant19@gmail.com
Some News:
Of course I’m still reworking some of my photos. Things change in my head, so things will change in my gallery. to those students of photography that are thinking about contacting me for pending school projects, as many have done, art is personal and I really haven’t a clue as to why I look at things the way I do, I just do. But I will always try to explain. You must find your own gift, and you must share it with all.
Memberships: Griffin Museum of Photography - Winchester, Massachusetts Rocky Neck Art Colony - Gloucester, Massachusetts
Exhibitions: 2012 - Solo Exhibitions Cahoon Museum of American Art, Cotuit, MA. Vanover Fine Arts Gallery, Springville, NY. 2022 - Group Exhibitions October - Arts Center East, Vernon, CT - Thinning of the Veil December - RAA&M National - Rockport Art Assoc. & Museum - Rockport, Massachusetts Winter Solstice 2022 - Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, MA 2023 - Group Exhibitions Rocky Neck Now 2023 - Show #1 - February 16 – March 19 Art on the Rocks - Bass Rocks Golf Club, Gloucester - currently running 2024 - Group Exhibitions Rocky Neck Now 2024 - Show #1 - February 18 – March 31 Teravarna LA Exhibition - Finalist Award - 5th Water - “A Light in the Mist”
Projects & Awards:
Creator/Producer: Cape Ann TV
"All Things Victorian w/ Victoriana Lady Lisa" ATV Awards: 2014 - 16th Annual ACM Northeast Video Festival - First Place Profile Talk Show 2015 - National - Hometown Media Awards - Best of Entertainment & Arts Series - Producer 2015 - National - Hometown Media Awards - Best of Informational Talk Show - Single Episode - Steampunk 2015 - National - Hometown Media Awards - Best of Instructional/Training - The Queen’s Kitchen
Awards: 2013:
Best in Show for Photography - Newburyport Art Association - Fall Members Juried Show, pt. 2
Honorable Mention – 2nd Summer Show – Rockport Art Assoc.
Honorable Mention – Spring Photography Exhibition – Rockport Art Association
Honorable Mention - “The Fine Art of Photography” Plymouth Center of the Arts, Plymouth, Massachusetts
Honorable Mention - “Photography Now” South Shore Art Center, Cohasset, Massachusetts 2014:
Highly Commended – USA Landscape Photography Contest - International
Honorable Mention – seARTS - “Art Loan at Bass Rocks 2024 - Teravarna LA - Finalist Award - 5th Water - “A Light in the Mist”
My Little Masterclass
The cameras I use, and used, are as follows: Mamiya NC1000 (film) Olympus C3100Z (digital) Nikon D300 (digital) - Nikkor 18-200 lens Canon EOS 5D Mark II 9 (digital) - Canon 24-105 lens Sometimes a tripod and/or a reflector and white board.
Processing with Adobe Photoshop
1. Photographing a cemetery comes with its own unique set of circumstances. Did you ever try to get a headstone to pose for you? You, my friends, are at the mercy of age, materials, and light, all rather restrictive forces. Is the stone tilting one way or the other? Are you 100 years too early, or too late? And where the hell is the sun anyway, and where is it going?! Would this capture be best in the winter, spring, summer, or fall? Is it all out of your control? Maybe not. Maybe you showed up at the right place at the right time. In any event, what you do hope to have in your tool box are commitment, a good eye, and patience. With these three qualities you can get that stone to pose for you. Trust me, I know.
Lighting and Environment
2. Insofar as lighting is concerned, I prefer diffuse lighting - or cloudy days - for the Real World. For cemart I prefer sharp lighting on a cloudless day. There’s nothing like a properly placed ray of sunlight, or contrasting light across a winged skull. LOL! However, I can work with diffuse lighting in a cemetery too. Sharp lighting, unless you’re a lucky SOB, must come with a bit of patience. Perhaps this is where astronomy, meteorology, with a smattering of botany come into play? You bet! After taking an account of sky conditions - wind, clouds, sun direction, and size and height of surrounding trees - I’ve gone for coffee, to return to a visually magical experience - as was the case with, Precious Georgie, at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, NY. If you really want that capture you must commit! Resistance is Futile!
If I can, I’ll try seasonal visits to some of my favorite subjects. You’ll see that with a few of the locations that are local to me. The suns position changes. Plant life changes. I change. You never know.
The Fixer
3. I like to keep things simple in my art. I’m not, nor do I try to be, fancy. I’m truly a minimalist. However, sometimes I have to fix things. Take this photo, for instance - The Search Family of Shickshinny. Shickshinny is in Pennsylvania, and main Route 11 runs through it. This family plot is just north of town and Route 11 runs through it! As you can see in the duopic, in the lower raw image Route 11 is flat but observable, protective railings along Route 11, several poles with wiring running across the whole image. Around the cemetery itself is a 2 level railing with cement posts, and to top it off, a wooden bench. It all had to go. I sat for hours attaching the tiniest of limbs and branches. I was determined, and I think it came out pretty good. I later added some oil paint to smooth it a bit. I also added some saturation across the spectrum, and highlighted the color white. Voila!
A little side note relating to Lighting and Environment. This cemetery is not observable from Route 11 (ahead and below the white tree) in the spring or summer due to the overgrowth. Only in the fall and winter can you see it from the highway. I shot this late October/early November.
Focus & Resolve
4. I’m not one to pop off a lot of shots in the hopes that one of them strikes gold. I make all best efforts to strike gold in my mind’s eye before lifting the camera into position. Take, for instance, my local capture - Motif & Gull. How much more perfect can a days sunset get? I wanted this shot. And I wanted the gull, resting near the chimney, in it. And I wanted the gull to fly towards me. And what were the chances of that happening in my world? Not much by my reckon. Anyway, I was focused on capturing the fleeting environmental conditions - the motif, blue sky, red motif w/reflection, and the sunset.
WAIT! What do all we animals have in common? No not that, I don’t take those kind of pictures. We have to eat! And I just so happened to have a mini bag of pretzels with me. Now, a gull will not pass up on a free meal when one is offered, and they’re not fussy. A pretzel is as good as a clam to a hungry gull. I decided to dole out a share of my snack to my new feathered model. I flicked a few in the water and whoosh! Down it came and having made all my settings prior to the engagement, I was ready.
In the end, I focused on the big picture and resolved to get the gull in it with a bribe of pretzels. Whatever works.
Stories in Stone
5. What can you gather from these two photos? They tell a story, at least to me they do - One of Love, One of Reflection. They speak of me and you. The fundamental codes and behaviors of our humanity are exactly what I look for in the field, and in my cemetery art. Basically, I get my harden models to pose. Funny story with the top one - Eternal Love. Note the Husband leaning shoulder to shoulder with his seemingly strong, loving, and supportive wife. True affection don’t you think? Well, I had an option. As you might have expected, there is a tree to the left of the husband pushing him grudgingly in her direction. I left that part out. I strove for positive reinforcement of our human values, not a comedic indictment of our emotional weakness; though, I must admit, option 2 did bring a chuckle at the time. I think it is safe to say that most all of us have pondered our existence to some degree. The little cherub pose conveys that to me. At my age there’s more to ponder on what was, than to wonder on what will, or could, be. In the end, I’m truly in a zone when it’s just me, a camera, and the silent majority.
The Observer
6. I’m always reviewing past works. Always trying to regain the emotion of the moment. Always trying to inspire the Mo-Jo if you will. And sometimes I find something to fix. Most artists, I believe, will never find perfect in their work, but we try.
I’ll review the works of others just to see what’s happening out there. I like to see what inspires others.
As an introvert, I’m more of an observer than a participant, a quiet and curious observer. Ha! I’m much more comfortable in a cemetery than a party; though some would admit otherwise. That said, I did spend most of my adult life in the music business so go figure. With the passing years I became more of a observer.
FYI, I’m not big on ghosts, gods, or little green men; though, with the discovery of so many exoplanets I’m leaving more and more wiggle room for little green men. I’m not possessed as some have asked. Got it?!
My real world photography is substantially different. I just shoot what I see, what I like. It’s a whole lot easier.
The meaning of life is to find your special gift. The purpose of life is to share it with everyone. Happy & Healthy!