Welcome
This blog is about a philosophy of life that is seen through images and words. I hope this blog will give you insight into my photographic thought process. I hope to share with you some exciting photographic images as well as the philosophy that goes into the image.
With my camera along the Coeur d’Alene Trail
I have been an avid photographer for 60 years. I began as a young boy by mixing my own chemicals to process my film. I would experiment with different mixes to see the various results that could be achieved.
In the 60’s and early 70’s I had a photography studio in Seattle. I began experimenting with painting photo emulsion on canvas and driftwood to create exciting portraits. I was also laminating prints onto wire brushed wood to show the texture of the wood through the image.
Today, I use the modern tools of photography to create art that is interpretive and impressionistic. It is interpretive because I look at each scene through the camera, through the eye and through the heart. I listen to what the scene tells me and then I interpret that information. I like to create impressionistic images in the style of Cézanne, Gauguin and Monet. I do this because I love the way they used color, texture and subject matter. Some photographers add filters or blur an image to create an “impressionistic photograph”. I use selective filters, blended layers and textures to different areas of the image to interpret the scene and convey what the image wants to tell us.
The words of the great photographer, Ansel Adams, inspire me, “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” As Adams took time in his darkroom to make his photographs, I sit at my computer listening to what the scene has been telling me and try to create a photographic work of art.
My life experiences have all contributed to the emotion that goes into my work. I was born and raised in Hawai’i with its multicultural influences. Born into a Catholic family, I was also influenced by native Hawaiian spirituality and love of the land. For eight years I took Jujitsu with instruction that was very Buddhist in its format. Through all this, I was surrounded by the beautiful colors of many races and nationalities in my family and friends.
I have had the privilege to learn much in my religious studies courses at Gonzaga University. Through their continuing education and masters program, I have gained much in my understanding of Scripture and theology. My Greek classes helped me to read the New Testament in the original language. There I learned about the thought process of the original writers and those who subsequently copied and edited the original work.
It’s a new world.
I have loved the study of ancient religions and their writings that preceded the writing of the Hebrew Scriptures. Now my studies have taken me into ancient beliefs that have preserved archetypal images that influence all of us. Through the encouragement of my wife, I have come to learn more about the wonderful discoveries and theories of Quantum Mechanics. Here the possibilities presented to humankind are endless and will help shape the future of our beliefs in creation and the meaning of life.
I believe that everything is sacred. The ancients had much to tell us about the sacredness of the sky, the earth and life. We have lost much of this wisdom in Western society. Journey with me as I look at the beliefs of the ancients and see how they can influence our lives today.
These are the the things that stir my soul. These are the things that influence my art.
I have been gifted with a Hawaiian name, Kaʻimiloa. This name implies one who searches with passion. The name was given to me because I am always searching, asking questions and exploring. This blog is a way to share with you the search for the new the beauty of our world and in photographic art.
Herman Kaʻimiloa Marciel