My Story Part 3 by Frank J Casella

This is part 2 of the three part story about my photography. If you missed part 1 you can find that here ( https://fineartamerica.com/blogs/my-story-part-2-by-frank-j-casella.html ).

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Monochrome pictures I would say is my forte. There is Black and White photography, but Monochrome I am told is the Art form of Black and White. You would think from my childhood when my mother gave me swatches of fabric of every color that I would concentrate on color photography. I am told that my color photography is very good and balanced, however, the tonal range of a monochrome and the highlights and shadows have more 'color' to me than, well, a color photograph.

There is much personality to be found from a monochrome; it helps us concentrate on the story being told where the color often times becomes too distracting. In fact, the only time I use color in a photograph is when it brings color to the story telling, not just the picture. Such as the yellow in daffodils or the color of the sun in snow filled tree branches, and the color of vestments that a priest is wearing to show the time of the liturgical year. So, when I created my gallery of classic monochrome images of hand selected Art photographs, searched my archives from over the years. Many of the images on film I'm scanning one at a time, and the response has been tremendous … and surprising to me.

Speaking of the archives, one of my favorite things to do is to pull images from years past and either re-process it with the newest technology, or look for an image that I've not shared yet. For example, as I walk the streets of Chicago I make pictures of scenes that speak to me; these are just images for my soul. So, I don't usually do anything with them right away, but usually months later. I see something more in the moment than when I clicked the shutter, and that is when I craft it into something noteworthy.

Many photographers say they make images for sale, and then others for their soul. I find most of the images that I make for my soul later on are my best sellers. Chicago is well photographed, yet every day their is something new from the old. The light, the viewpoint, the emotion, the people, and of course the weather - as they say, in Chicago just wait five minutes and the weather with change. I am very fortunate to be raised in Chicagoland and to share this corner of humanity with the world, through my camera viewfinder.

I have mentioned in my previous articles here about the story telling element of my pictures. I like to look at my pictures as having a mission. Since I have worked for many non-profits they all have mission statements. A mission statement works like a sign on a bus. It tells a person what direction the bus is going, and helps a person do decided if they want to get on the bus or off. A mission statement also transforms good intentions into right-action. Many times I'm told that I make pictures people listen to. I want to believe this is because the mission of my pictures is to illustrate right-action and goodness to bring them hope from whatever life brings them, and they resolve from my imagery.

The most memorable one is from the early 1990's when a man in prison wrote me because he saw my pictures in print of a Catholic Mass on the streets in memory of children killed by gangs (this picture is locked in the archives of the Chicago Catholic Newspaper). He told me in the letter how these pictures are from the streets he lived and they transformed his life. Today that man serves the Church teaching children about the effects and consequences of belonging to gangs. But it doesn't have to be that dramatic; a simple moment of mine of a child in a fathers arms speaks to many about the security a father brings to his family. All of this is priceless to me.

I would like to close this article series about the story of my photography with a short list of my objectives going forward:

My ‘Why”: Pictures that give me hope of God’s love. My Audience: People say my images contain stillness, emotion, energy, service, hope, goodness, My Subjects/Markets: Trees & Shadows; Home Sweet Homewood 1 Day Project; Catholic Subjects; Catholic Men & Manhood; City of Chicago Documentary; Classic Black and White Art Photographs.

What I’m communicating is not an art form. It is not about art. It is about what the viewer takes from it. When asked what images do I have that says my ‘why’ I say people interacting or embracing. Not about the church, but about God’s love through expression, because this is what people long for. In other words, making distinctive Art is more successful to me than making lots of money, simply because the money wont last.

View the top 50 of my most interesting pictures ranked by Flickr https://flic.kr/s/aHskWhHhgr



PS. Now that you know something about me I would like to learn something about you, or contact me ( https://frankjcasella.pixels.com/contact.html ) to share what resonates with you and why.


Photo: Off To Golf We Go by Frank J. Casella,

Own This Print https://frankjcasella.pixels.com/featured/off-to-golf-we-go-frank-j-casella.html