ARTIST STATEMENT:
My main reason to be a photographer is to create Fine Art Photographs, which is where my passion lies. A Fine Art Photograph must be artistically inspired and convey some sort of emotional feeling and although technique is important, in the end it is secondary to an emotionally powerful image for the enjoyment of the viewer.
To make an exceptionally good piece of photographic art, I need to work on processing each one of my images, giving them the personal feelings I experienced while being on a certain location where I made that exposure. To accomplish this, I do every kind of adjustment I judge necessary like working on contrast and on individual colors to give every piece my signature color palette in order to give them a painterly feel, without taking away the aspect of being a photograph. To this end and to satisfy my creativity desire, printing a straight out-of-camera capture is not enough and, while technical aspects such as knowledge of manual exposure, choice of lens, lighting, and other kind of equipment are important, I think art is not a product of a machine but rather a product of a human being filled with emotions.
Sometimes I deliberately edit some aspects of the photograph, like removing minor elements I judge aesthetically unpleasing, but always avoid adding elements not found in the original framing as this, if done to a certain extent in my personal opinion, may disqualify the piece of work as a photograph and rather being in the realm of illustration. That said, to me some photographic techniques, like stitching several framings together to make a panorama or adding textures via digital layered work are valid as post- processing enhancements.
All that taken in consideration, my main goal is not to portray some scenery, be it natural or man-made, exactly as it’s presented to me. Instead, I aim to build a piece of art as I would like to envision that very same scenery and by that, invite the viewer to “walk around” inside each piece, thinking how would be like if it’s standing there feeling the warmth or coldness of the weather, the wind in his or her face, what has happened or will happen there. In other words, art pieces that makes the viewer feel like as a part of a story yet to be told.
Dijah Abreu Junior
2014
To make an exceptionally good piece of photographic art, I need to work on processing each one of my images, giving them the personal feelings I experienced while being on a certain location where I made that exposure. To accomplish this, I do every kind of adjustment I judge necessary like working on contrast and on individual colors to give every piece my signature color palette in order to give them a painterly feel, without taking away the aspect of being a photograph. To this end and to satisfy my creativity desire, printing a straight out-of-camera capture is not enough and, while technical aspects such as knowledge of manual exposure, choice of lens, lighting, and other kind of equipment are important, I think art is not a product of a machine but rather a product of a human being filled with emotions.
Sometimes I deliberately edit some aspects of the photograph, like removing minor elements I judge aesthetically unpleasing, but always avoid adding elements not found in the original framing as this, if done to a certain extent in my personal opinion, may disqualify the piece of work as a photograph and rather being in the realm of illustration. That said, to me some photographic techniques, like stitching several framings together to make a panorama or adding textures via digital layered work are valid as post- processing enhancements.
All that taken in consideration, my main goal is not to portray some scenery, be it natural or man-made, exactly as it’s presented to me. Instead, I aim to build a piece of art as I would like to envision that very same scenery and by that, invite the viewer to “walk around” inside each piece, thinking how would be like if it’s standing there feeling the warmth or coldness of the weather, the wind in his or her face, what has happened or will happen there. In other words, art pieces that makes the viewer feel like as a part of a story yet to be told.
Dijah Abreu Junior
2014
BIO:
I was born in a small town called Areia Branca, located at the Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil, Known for its production of Marine Salt. When I was about to complete Six Years old, my family moved to the state's capital, Natal, one of the host cities of Soccer World Cup 2014, Where I live since then. After finishing High School, I started Studying Architecture and during this course at a Federal University, I eventually came in contact with CAD programs, that made me focus my work on modeling and rendering 3d images for Construction companies for their marketing, although my real passion was authorial work, and as we always have to study no matter what field we are in, I used my study time to create 3d renders that earned me some awards, specially back in 2003 when one of my works was published in Ballistic Publishing's Exposé 3, the best annual for digital art and some minor awards on forums around here in Brazil and a few other international sites. Although my passion was authorial work, I had to make a living out of 3d modeling and rendering so I had to keep doing commercial jobs. Eventually, the programs I use became more and more advanced, with the inclusion of physical based lighting and cameras (with virtual control of shutter speed, iso and aperture), so I had to learn the basics of photography, that's when I came to have my first serious contact with photography. I became so fond of it that I find myself studying more and more about photography, compositions, known photographers...
Then came my first trip outside Brazil, to London - UK. By then I had a nice enthusiast camera kit. When I came back, I was still in the process of learning how to develop these raw files, but eventually I figured out on my own. I started posting these photos online. Some photographers liked how I photographed the architectural details and with different angles of several Historical Buildings in London and Oxford and then came the invitation to make my very first Exhibition: A collection of Photographs showing the abandonment of my city's historical buildings and how most of them are being neglected by the local government. I was not even planning to, but some o f these photographs were bought by some people who attended the exhibition.
My first contact with commercial photography was also due to this exhibition. Although the commercial job was rewarding, I still love to do authorial work, That's why I'm leaning towards the Fine Art Market. That requires more than capturing a moment of a scene. You have to put your personal vision and develop your personal style to stand out. I usually tend to think outside the box in terms of composition and post production. I usually say "If I don't do that, I'm just allowing my camera to think for me and, to a greater extent, the very same engineers who made and programmed that camera. Where's the creation of art in that?" and to me post processing my photos is as rewarding as observing and actually making an exposure. A fine art piece should withstand time. Should make the viewer “wander “and “travel” through it, tell a story, all that within a frame. That’s why I take my time before I press the shutter release, always thinking about the framing and/or different, unusual angles to capture.
I hope you enjoy your visit to my online gallery and enjoy my work. It was very satisfying making each one of these.
Relevant Publications:
f11 magazine issue 32:: may 2014
3ds max 9 Bible
Ballistic Publishing's Exposé 3
©Dijah Abreu Junior - All rights reserved - No copy, printing or selling without the author's prior consent.