Robert Harrison, submitted artwork
Robert Harrison
Visual Art
Huntsville Alabama
My artistic background is largely self-taught. Professionally, I have a BS in Biophysics from The Pennsylvania State University and a PhD in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University. I recently became an emeritus professors of computer science from Georgia State University and am now free to pursue my long-standing passion for photography. My over 200 publications include papers on image science and phase retrieval. I was the illustrator and artist for my publications and talks. While I am in the first stages of my artistic career, I have exhibited at the Double Decker show in Oxford Mississippi and an invited display at Atrium Health in Centre Alabama. I am a member of the Professional Photographers of America. I am helping Arts Alliance Inc (Marietta) to apply for NEH and other funding. I exhibit at the Huntsville Art League Gallery at the Lowe Art Center and am currently accepted at the “Art in the Pass” and “Magic City Art Connection” shows for Spring 2024. I will be an artist in residence at the Lee and Woods Bay South Carolina State Park this summer.
Works
Robert Harrison, submitted artwork
I photograph nature, the environment, and the interactions of humans with them. I bring a novel vision to the world, the animals and plants in it, and to life in general. Recently, I have become interested in street and urban photography as well as nature photography. I aim to produce an emotional response in my imagery. While you might ask, “which emotion?” I leave that to the viewer. I have also been exploring the use of deliberately long exposures where the motion of parts of the image are blurred. This ghostly effect, where some people are mostly blurred while others are clear, gives the image a surreal feeling. I am highly influenced by Henri Cartier-Bresson’s philosophy of photography: capture the decisive moment and use the entire image with minimal photomanipulation. While I will restore color vibrancy and correct technical defects in my images, I aim to let the camera and not the software tell the story. Mind you, I'm not above a little photomanipulation when it makes the picture work. I have been an active photographer since my teens. Back then it was fun to experiment with different types of film and developer formulations, but today everything is electronic. I tend to be a “pixel pusher” who aims for sharp clear images. Being unobtrusive and having good wilderness skills is essential for my work. Wildlife photography takes a combination of luck, knowledge, skill, patience, and a whopping great lens.
