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| Octopus |
Greetings!
Today's feature goes to Zahner Photo, aka, Terence Zahner and his captivating land and sea photography.
Zahner's artistic goals lay in, "preserving fragile, fleeting moments of natural beauty." While his main focus is on underwater photography-gained by ten years of scuba experience- he has also captured a variety of land based flora and fauna as well. Not to mention a darker series on gargoyles (see bottom of page).
Zahner's inspiration comes from tiny overlooked creatures, shadows and natural patterns. These natural patterns can be found in many of his subjects from wildlife to coral.
For example, in his image Abstract Anemone (below), Zahner captures the natural occuring patterns within nature. Yet these patterns carry the chaotic feel of life; an organized chaos at best. The colors in the image are stunning and carry a certain level of sheen. Gold and silver play off each other as dark patches break up the image to form a cohesive picture. The anemone itself is a mixture of curving tendrils and odd circles. It seems frozen in time with the potential to start waving again at any moment.
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| Abstract Anemone |
Zahner not only has a talent for capturing color underwater-an extremely difficult task-he also has a gift for black and white photography. The contrasts in Squid (below) are strong without becoming overly-dramatic. The result is a single subject against a plain background that captures the movement and feel of the cephalopod. Even the little specks of color stand out strong upon the squid's head. The eye stands out bodly as the lightest part of the image. The pupil seems alien compared to our own, but is shaped as such to allow the squid to see better at deep depths. As Zahner describes, "you can sense a squid's intelligence as they watch you," and it feels like he captured a glimpse of it in the squid's eye. It might have just been a chance meeting, fleeting and brief, but the moment Zahner shares with the viewer is timeless.
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| Squid |
In Zahner's series on gargoyles (below), he shares the guardians of Paris with the viewer. There is a potent feeling of loneliness in each image as the subject is captured by itself against a plain background. The gargoyles watch over the city, hunched upon their pedestals; forced to watch but never be a part of. The use of black and white photography serves as an enhancer to the overwhelming sense of separation. It becomes easy to see the gargoyle as a living creature, and thus something to be pitied in its isolation.
Zahner's ability to capture life in the lifeless, or alive as we hardly understand it (i.e. coral) is impressive. To get the viewer to feel something for a statue is nearly impossible, and yet he does. It's a testament to the power of a photographer with vision, and who has something to share.
To see more of Zahner's photography, stop by his Etsy store here: www.etsy.com/shop/zahnerphoto
Like his Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/zahnerphoto
And be sure to follow his Twitter here: www.twitter.com/zahnerphoto
Be Creative today!
~Squirrel Creek Creations
Our Etsy store: www.etsy.com/shop/squirrelcrkcreations
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