Travis Baker is a Cincinnati based photographer and electronic media student. He is a skilled photographer, videographer, and web designer. He is actively pursuing a career in electronic communications.
Artist Statement
Photography being a medium dependent on light, I have attempted to make a study of the effects of light on form, dimension, texture, and color. Throughout much of my work I have varied the types and amount of light to suit each individual photograph beginning with natural sunlight and progressing to various types of artificial light. Much of the work involved multiple and mixed sources of light combined with various forms of diffusion, reflection, and alteration.
In making portraits I found that natural light combined with some type of reflected bounce worked well. When I did use artificial lighting for portraits I attempted to recreate the look of natural lighting whenever possible. The effect was a flat, even illumination that seemed to work well. In other cases, I tried to use artificial lighting to dramatic effect by concentrating directional light from the side rather than the front of the subject. Though this light was less flattering to the subject it did add an emotional element that was absent in the flat light portraits.
When shooting inanimate objects, I found that directional lighting gave them structure and dimensionality. Flat lighting lived up to its name by making the objects look flat. In these cases, I used depth of field and selective focus to achieve a more three-dimensional look.
In some cases where the subject was photographed against a busy or distracting background I used tonality as well as selective focus to separate them. In the case of the butterflies and many of the portraits I used reflected bounce to brighten the foreground and exposure compensation to subtly dim the background to good effect.
In grouping this collection into a portfolio, I have attempted to arrange the photos in a specific order to accentuate mood and relationship. In many cases I have grouped them in order from darkest to lightest or lightest to darkest to give them an overall sense of balance. In some cases, they are arranged by only the slightest connection in shape or form giving a mere hint of relationship. In all cases I have tried to enhance their meaning by their placement.
Photography, literally translated, means drawing with light. I have tried to capture this sentiment in my work by creating the images with light rather than just documenting the subjects. In each image, I’ve attempted to start with a strong, well-defined subject and add only those elements which give it form and meaning. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do.