Intelligent & Conceptual Portrait Photography By Patty Maher

A high-end optimist, a wonderful dreamer, and an incredible artist. Patty Maher impresses us with some of the wonderful solitary portraits you will see. Most of them against a scenic background with a desperate silence to them, gloomy open spaces, and an arresting theme to enact the concept of photograph. These pictures show us certain elements of the story behind the photographer and its intention is obviously clear to be art-oriented.

She accepts that she doesn’t succeed always in doing this but when she strikes the right chord it is more often pure magic. Her knowledge and view towards art & photography is realistic and most ethical. Let us get to hear more from the photographer herself.

Few words about you?

I’m an optimist, a dreamer, and a realist. I like wide-open empty spaces and I love the sound of quiet. I get completely moved by small thoughtful actions, and I like quirky people best. I collect favorite moments, and I’ve recently discovered a surprising love of Brussel sprouts.

Why did you choose this medium of art?

I’ve always been a big fan of photography, but I think that this medium chose me rather than me choosing it. When I picked up a camera 4 years ago I also intended to try other mediums, but I fell almost instantly in love with photography and never looked back.

For Patty, What drives behind to create such pure art portraits?

I think the main driver of my portrait photography is the desire to capture a simple essence. I don’t always succeed in doing that, but when I do it’s pure magic. It’s a drive to make the intangible, tangible.

How do you plan your shoots, asking this since most of them are outdoor?

I mostly plan them by the weather. Right now it’s the middle of winter and shooting outside is hard (and a little dangerous) so I am spending most of my time thinking and writing and waiting for a break in the bitter cold. In other seasons I shoot a lot more, and I tend to favor moody skies and cloudy days. I also spend a fair bit of time scouting out locations and props to go with my ideas, although sometimes I just pick up my camera and randomly drive to a location with no idea at all and completely wing it.

Could you explain your process of post-processing?

When I process a photo it’s a very organic process. In a way, it’s like I let the photo guide me and see what it is asking for. Sometimes that’s just a few tweaks – and other times it’s quite a long and involved process.

Your gear?

I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark III. The main lenses I use are an 85mm 1.2 and a 50mm 1.2

Your Inspiration?

For me, inspiration can pretty much come from anywhere at any time.

Your favorite quote and the driving factor behind your passion?

One of my favorite quotes about art is by Michelangelo “I saw the Angel in the marble and I carved until I set him free”. I think the crux of what he is saying is what drives me – the idea that what you are creating is already there, and our job is to find it and to set it free from the plasma in which it already exists.

One thing you have learned or acquired in photography over the years?

Don’t get so caught up in your excitement of a photographic moment that you forget to make sure your tripod is stable. There is no sicker feeling than watching your camera fall straight into a mud puddle when you are too far away to save it.

Any final thoughts or advice for young aspirants?

My main advice is to create what you want to create. If it moves and inspires you, chances are it will move and inspire other people – and if not, you’ve still accomplished something important because it moves and inspires you. There is no ‘right way’ to do art or photography – each of us is a unique piece of this big puzzle and no one else can do ‘your art’. That’s your gift alone.

You can find Patty Maher on the Web :

Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted to Patty Maher. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.