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Nancy Myer: The Making of a Photographer

I bought my first serious 35mm. camera in 1976–when I realized it would allow me to capture and share the beauty I saw around me. Photography increased my sensitivity to nuances of color, shape, texture, light and shadow and it provided a frame of reference for viewing my surroundings.

I have been active in and competed in local camera clubs in Albuquerque, NM and Denver, CO. I owe much to the willingness of fellow club members to share their photographic experience and expertise. Over the years, I have taken a variety of photographic workshops, seminars and classes. In 1999, I completed the New York Institute of Photography course.

Over time, my images improved as I learned the basic craft of photography, made photographs, listened to teachers and admired the work of photographic masters. In the beginning, I had no idea of the journey I would make by embracing photography!

I am especially indebted to Canadian photographers, Freeman Patterson and André Gallant, whose workshop I attended in 2003. Their teaching and examples sent me in new creative directions. When I first saw Freeman Patterson’s photography, I realized that he was doing something quite different from the photography I saw most often; he calls it Photo Impressionism.

I had begun to be bored with my photography but, under Freeman’s and André’s influence, my interest was rekindled and I began to consciously seek a new creative voice. Prior to this workshop I aspired to emulate the crispness and meticulous attention to detail of such photographic masters as Ansel Adams and Eliot Porter; I was not very successful in this aspiration! As I applied what I learned in the workshop to my work, I found that I was producing more images than ever that pleased me–so I have continued to build on this foundation.

Through all of this, I recognized photography as an art form but it has only been in the past 8-10 years that I have begun to consider myself a photographic artist.

Rear View Tulip

In my late teens, I developed an interest–unsupported by formal training–in the world of 2D and 3D visual arts. I found myself drawn to Impressionist works, with their vivid colors and their suggestion–rather than precise delineation–of details of the subject. But I am also drawn to the work of Georgia O’Keeffe–especially her strong, vibrant colors and her large-scale renditions of flowers. Also, I admire the whimsy in the works of artists such as Alexander Calder.

Following my retirement in 2001, I began entering my photographs in juried art shows in the Denver Metro area and, later, elsewhere in Colorado. Usually, at least one submitted image is accepted to hang in the shows I enter and I have won a number of awards in these shows.

In April 2006 I was invited to join The Photographers’ Gallery as an Associate. I remained with the gallery in Denver’s Cherry Creek North district until its closing in October 2008. The Gallery was an exclusively photography gallery specializing in fine art photography.

My favorite photographic subjects are flowers (especially close-ups of small flowers or details of larger ones), landscapes, animals and abstracts but I do photograph other subjects that catch my eye. I try to capture my subjects from perspectives the casual observer may not always see. And, in recent years, I have begun to experiment with a variety of digital manipulation techniques to give my work a fresh perspective.