Carl Shubs

My focus is on fine art photography, with occasional detours into other related branches that I find interesting. I'm drawn to images that capture my imagination, spark an emotion, rouse my curiosity, and stir my intellect.

My inclination is to let each image speak for itself and elicit in the viewer whatever it might, allowing it to stand alone in a Rorschach-like fashion. One of my joys is seeing or hearing whatever that might be as someone looks at it for the first time.

Some of my photos may feel somewhat disturbing to a viewer, and that tells me I've succeeded in evoking some emotional or psychological connection. Sometimes the response is not disturbing but more curiosity or puzzlement, as someone asks, "What is that?" when the image presented is actually as it came out of the camera and without any major Photoshop manipulation. My preference is to be shooting what I see as I go out into the world, without studio setup or extra lighting. In this sense, it is to be capturing what I sometimes call “found images,” which is more of a combination of street photography and photojournalism, even when it may happen in a studio.

I started taking photos during college. I began working with film, but discovering digital jumpstarted my becoming committed and dedicated. It freed me up to be more adventurous in following my being inspired by what I saw, without having to worry about costs of processing and buying film. Now I shoot digital only.

I began having photos shown in juried exhibitions in 2011. Since then, I have been in several juried exhibitions, and I have a solo exhibit now running.