Photographer Profile: Dave Haas

My approach to nature has changed dramatically as a result of spending time in the field with Josh. His love of nature (as evidenced by his willingness to drive clear across the state just for a chance to view a Snowy Owl), his example of research to have an understanding of the species, its behavior, and its habitat, and his field craft have rubbed off on me. More and more I find myself being content to experience and document nature for what it is, letting it take center stage, rather than using nature only as a stepping stone to satisfy my desire to explore color, texture, light, composition and other purely artistic endeavors. I've missed so much of what was there because of my own narrow focus, but working with Josh in the field has greatly expanded my viewpoint.As a result of my formal training in art and design, I find myself relating to what I see as a designer. I always try to infuse my photographs with strong elements of design, composition and unique viewpoints. Images such as Green Leaves, American Alligator and Morning Mist are perfect examples of this. On other occasions I impose my will as a designer and artist in a stronger fashion, merging and compositing digital images from a variety of different sources to create entirely new images that merge the photographic with the power of human imagination. My series of butterflies are a perfect example of this. They are not so much about the butterflies, as they are about color, composition, texture and light. This is the inevitable result in my interest in design and a reflection of my interest in Adobe Photoshop and its powerful capabilities. In many cases now, I'm content to allow nature itself to function as the designer and artist, allowing the digital photograph to stand alone as art. Nature makes the statement, and I'm involved only to apply craftsmanship to the photographic and printing process. Morning Light (one of my "photo botanicals") is a perfect example of nature's ability to not only produce amazing design, but also wonderfully rich color schemes.