Artist’s statement
I’ve always been captivated by peeking through a kaleidoscope at the continuously shifting patterns, just as I am by looking through a camera lens. So you could say that I discovered and experimented with altered reality 20 years ago when I cut, pieced, and pasted pieces of 4×6 prints made by printing a set of mirrored images through each side of the negative; arranging them into a kaleidoscope-like pattern. I made 10 or 12 of these pieces which were shown at a local gallery.
I never went any further with creating these types of photographs. However, when I was sidelined by the pandemic last year, I explored techniques to transform photos from my archives into patterns and designs digitally. This created a whole new body of work.
How I got the shot
The original image used for my altered reality submission was photographed in 2007 in Death Valley National Park, overlooking Golden Canyon at Zabriskie Point. It was late morning and we were getting ready to hike down into the canyon. I remember being drawn to the folds in the rock and spent some time making abstract images of various color and angle compositions. One of these images became the “base image” for my altered reality entry 13 years after it was made! I chose to enter this shot because of its color, design, texture and 3-D appearance.
What I used
The base image for my altered reality image was made in 2007 with my Canon EOS 1D Mark II N with the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L USM lens. (8.5 MP!!!) It was shot at 67mm, 1/60 sec, f/11 in manual mode/pattern metering. The submitted image was created from the base image in 2020 using Photoshop CC.
About me
I am a part-time professional photographer currently living in Buckeye, Arizona. I have been interested in photography ever since I can remember and was the “unofficial” family photographer since high school. I became serious about photography after my husband gifted me with an Olympus OM-1 in the late 1980’s. This led me to enroll in local photo classes and photo workshops where I honed my photography skills. I have been photographing professionally ever since. Nature abstracts, macro, wildlife, reflections, shadows and travel/cultures are among my favorite subjects. My photo expertise has grown over the years allowing me to co-lead photo tours to Namibia, sharing my passion for photography and my knowledge with other like-minded people. Traveling through Namibia offers me the opportunity to photograph the full range of my favorite subjects, which is why it is one of my favorite photo destinations.
I am a registered nurse who worked in the newborn intensive care unit for six years before deciding to stay at home with our two girls, the youngest of whom was born with developmental disabilities. I took a lot of photos of them as they grew up, including monthly photos during their first year, documenting how quickly they grew and changed! Because of my passion for photography, we have so many wonderful family memories to look back on over the past 38 years. Our youngest is now 35, and I am still a full-time mother to her. Being outside in nature, with or without my camera, feeds my soul and rejuvenates me so that I can re-center myself to be the best mom I can be.
My photographic journey
I always loved looking through family photo albums and in high school, I experienced my first real photo class. It was after that black and white darkroom class that I fell in love with the medium and knew I would pursue it further somehow, someday. My first serious adult photo course was exploring the elements of design through photography, sharpening my observation and composition skills. That adult education class enhanced every photo class and workshop taken thereafter. To this day, when I am out and about in my daily life, I’m always making images, whether it is with a DSLR, my iPhone or just in my mind.
NANPA and me
I have been a member of NANPA since 2004 and have had been fortunate to have my images recognized in Showcase numerous times over the years
Learn more
Recent images can be seen on my web site: https://wendykaveney.smugmug.com/
My stock images can be viewed at: https://www.danitadelimont.com/results.asp?txtkeys1=Wendy%20Kaveney which include more of my montage and kaleidoscope images.
Professional updates are posted to my Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/throughwendyslens/
