I was excited to photograph these guys all of whom are artists here in my hometown. Each one of them has different personalities, style and art.
Shooting women is a far different experience than shooting men on a number of levels one of which is that men tend to start asking if "we are done" after an hour or so while women may more often ask "we are done already?" after 2-3 hours of shooting. When shooting men I am trying to make them look rugged and masculine which lead me to choose a popular shooting locale that I knew had the right textures. Normally, if there is a popular spot that other photographers like to use...a lot...I tend to avoid it like the plague but in this case, I felt like we could make it cool without really revealing where we were shooting.
Follow @Inspero.Birmingham on Instagram and check their website Inspero.org for news on this and other upcoming shows and events.
Michael Whitten
Instagram:
@wmwhittenjr @alliancepublishing
Michael describes his art: My work is sculpture: figurative and abstract in nature. My art typically represents the gift of life thru creation, the beauty of life, ones struggles and victories faced in life and ultimately death. Materials: foam, plaster, wood, scrap metal, cast iron, bronze, aluminum.
Ty Smith
Instagram: TSmith02
www.tysmithart.com
Ty describes his art: Painting is engaging in a way that I find being among close friends and loved ones. It is a visual conversation, speaking and listening at the same time. Good painting connects to our sense of humanity and imagination. It presents something personal and public.
Matt Underwood
www.underwood-art.com
Matt describes his art: Primarily, I use acrylic, but I love to experiment with other materials and mediums to create texture on canvas. I have an on-going love affair with color and like my paintings to be bright and full of energy and passion. I am amazed by the creative process and I'm fascinated by what evolves on the canvas; the serendipitous quality of creating is very exciting to me. When people encounter my work, I am rewarded by the fact that this experience is not just a two dimensional experience, but can be a three dimensional by encompassing sight and touch.
Marty Balencie
Instagram: @freesoul_777
www.free-soul.net
www.thesignsoflife.org
Marty describes his art: An artist and photographer I experiment with new materials in order to create innovative portraits and pieces of art. Producing original works that can tell a story and leave the viewer in wonder can be a challenge, but being able to create is a form of therapy and meditation. I stumbled upon using blue painter's tape as a medium over the past year and seeing people's reactions inspires me to want to continue to grow in my craft.
E Bruce Phillips
www.ebrucephillipsjr.com
Bruce describes his art: A marriage of precise perspective with the mystery of the abstract. Vibrant or sultry colors mixed with palpable textures on an architectural framework of lines and spatial relationships. These are descriptions of my mixed media fine art. I want my art to evoke emotion and create a forum for dialogue that can only come when people bring their own experiences and openly share their perspectives with others.