Photography should be approached as a daily mindfulness practice and a way of life, with the artist utilizing the camera as a tool for the cultivation of personal growth, and understanding. As receptivity grows and one progresses on this path, insight and meaningful moments present themselves with increasing frequency, while the search for particular subject matter becomes less and less important. Whether it be a rust encrustation on an iron beam in the heart of the city, the intricate grain of a twisted old tree high in the mountains or ice forming along the edge of a creek, the interconnected forms beneath the surface are the conveyor of the message and the harbingers of insight. The photograph then becomes a signpost amidst life’s ever thickening fog, and provides solace from the world's constant chaos.
Jare Israel is a photographic artist living and working in the Front range of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Originally from Nebraska’s Platte River basin, Jare recognized from an early age a deep love and reverence for the natural world along with a budding interest in the arts. Photography entered into his life at the age of eighteen followed closely by a serious accident resulting in a significant and longterm vision deficit in his right eye. Slowly learning to use this handicap to his benefit, he states “I close my left eye when composing, doing this strips the scene of all detail, to reveal the raw form beneath the surface”. He goes on to say, “My passion for photography has taught me to slow down and take a more contemplative approach to not only the making of a photograph, but more importantly the living of a life, and I have no doubt that working in photography has shaped me into a better person”.
