ARTIST STATEMENT
TEXAS Trees, Sky & Sea is a very personal project showcasing the images I have captured over the past two years my family and I have lived in and explored this great state of Texas. I am excited to share Texas the way I see it through my lens. Some images were taken during trips where our family of six would all be piled together in the car on vacation, while some were taken when I was solo. Either way, I am always prepared to pull over on the side of the road at a moment’s notice to embrace the Texas terrain.
I discovered that the excessive heat here in Texas allows for a unique opportunity to showcase the use of infrared photography unlike any other place I have lived. The heat collects in trees, rocks, plants and clouds, creating an almost ethereal and unearthly feeling within the completed image. The large window of hot weather here in Texas that compounds over time has allowed me to truly see and feel the full effects of this medium. Many have captured our beautiful state in a variety of ways. I wanted to be one of the first to use infrared within this collection for the intrigue and wonder these images stir within their audience.
The Navy has provided our family with endless opportunities to travel to and live in many new places, and for this I am eternally grateful. In every new duty station, I make a concerted effort to give back to my community in various ways, forging an essential connection that allows me to call every place we have lived “home.” I have fallen in love with all of the beauty our quiet Padre Island has to offer, and I have been inspired by the Padre Island National Seashore (PINS) and the efforts they have made for decades to save the Kemp’s Ridley turtles and steward their essential habitat. Just as these resilient turtles return to lay their eggs on our beaches, I will be donating 15% of any profits to two charities near and dear to me; PINS, to give back to this place I now call home and the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society, as it is the Navy that has brought me here.
I have cherished the ways that Texas embraces its residents and its visitors. In turn, I have embraced Texas in an effort to grow both as a person and a photographic artist. My love for both photography and travel, in concert with the love and support of my husband, my four happy boys, parents, family and friends, has allowed me to create what I hope is an intriguing and stimulating collection that reflects many emotions and above all, gives hope.
As I celebrate the 15th Anniversary of my studio, I reflect on the people, travels and times that have collaborated over the years to create many unique moments, some grand and full of celebration while others quiet and moving. As I reflect back on my years as a photographer and the many lessons I have learned, I can truly say it is the little moments that mean the most, and I look forward to the many little moments to come.
-renée
October 2016