Karl Abbott

Artist Statement

I am a landscape and travel photographer based in Wake Forest, North Carolina.

In my travels, I seek out images that reflect the solace, peace, and beauty of the world that we live in. Even in cities, solitude and solace can be found when we stop for a moment to withdraw from the hustle and bustle.

The power of seeing an amazing landscape in person and experiencing the light shaping the land is really hard to beat. You never know if it’s going to look even more amazing in a few minutes or if the light will taper off. Either way, it’s a thrill to be out there trying to capture it in a photograph.

Capturing images on film adds to that thrill as there is no LCD screen to check and see if you “got the shot.” By developing my own film, sometimes I have to wait quite a while to see the final image. There is something absolutely amazing about pulling the negatives out of the tank to dry after development. Seeing the physical images for the first time days or weeks after they first entered your mind brings a rush of energy as the memories come flowing back. All of your second guessing and questions about whether or not you did everything right are answered at that moment.

After development I scan the negatives and invert them digitally, which allows for a lot of artistic control over the final result. My goal is not to create a documentary image of the scene, but rather to show you how I saw it.

Some of my key influences are Ansel Adams, David duChemin, Alain Briot, and Freeman Patterson. Through my continued study of their work and others, I am reminded that all photographers have their own unique vision that they express with their own voice. Practicing photography as art requires the continual refinement of one’s vision and to that end, I keep challenging myself to hone my craft to better understand and share the solace, peace, and beauty of this world.

Biography

Karl Abbott is a landscape photographer who works primarily in 35mm, 120, and large format (4×5) film mediums. His interest in photography started as a child when his grandfather gifted him a Minolta SRT-101 camera. This interest waned over time and was rediscovered in 2009 with the purchase of a digital SLR camera. In 2013, Karl returned to film photography after receiving a large format view camera.

Originally from Vicksburg, MS, Karl studied Computer Science at the University of Southern Mississippi, earning a BS in 2003. He has worked full-time in the software industry since 2005, pursuing photography in his free time.  Karl currently resides in Wake Forest, NC, with his wife Amanda and their son George.

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