Russell J Young

Artist Statement

As fine art photographer I live a double life. A major portion of my time is in the field making photographs inspired by nature and quiet landscapes. The other half is in my studio where I create and photograph scenes that tell the stories of human relations.

In The Field: I’m drawn to settings that offer quiet contemplation. I seek subjects that will make a Fine Art Print that results in a destination, where the viewers is able to immerse themselves, where they are free to wander, a place that revels its wonders anew, time and time again, and each viewing is the first. For me the light is every bit as important as the subject. I find inspiration in adverse weather, dense fog, intense rain, sub-zero blizzards, often well before dawn, past the twilight, and into the depths of night, at times where landscapes are lighted solely by the Moon. In these conditions I see colors and mood that few see or look for.

In the Studio: I create stories and fairy tale style portraits with a heightened sense of realism. This is often done by building a scene with a costumed character, props, hand painted background, lighting the scene for mood, time of day and season. I’m particularly interested in stories that express nuances or human emotions, personal relations, secrets, and alter egos. This work is inspired by past and present relationships, life experience, stories I have been entrusted with, the work of other artist, literature, and the performing arts.

The end result is a cotton rag print often confused with other artistic mediums. The final stage of all my work is to produced a fine art print on cotton rag paper.

Studio