Ocean (2009 - current)

Needing a place to just be, I discovered the surf. The constancy of ocean meeting shore gives me solace. Though I relish the sameness, I see the differences as well, like the way the colors of the waves reflect the changing colors of the sky. So much more is going on than the big blue curls that surf photographers depict.

It was not long before I was taking pictures. I strive to capture not grand vistas but seemingly unpretentious interactions. Using a long image-stabilized lens, stopped way down for maximum depth of field, I sometimes spend hours focused on just one small area of surf, ready to click the shutter when the moment seems magical. The slow shutter speed combined with the movements of the waves gives the images an abstract quality.

The whole process strengthens my understanding of the world of nature and steadies me to interact with the world of humans.

 

Bodie (1990-94)

Bodie was a gold mining town of 80,000 in its heyday, abandoned, then preserved in a state of arrested decay by the State of California. Some of the interiors look very much like the inhabitants just got up and walked away, leaving their lives behind.

 

Fort Ord (1995-97)

From 1917 to 1994, Fort Ord, near Monterey, California, was used extensively for training purposes by the U.S. Army. My father trained there in 1941 and my best friend in 1972. I documented the Fort right after it closed, to honor its existence.

 

Dogs Project (2003-current)

I looked for a venture that my cherished dog Angie could participate in, and found myself photographing dog sports. The same elegance and beauty as human sports was revealed.

 

Bicycle Messengers of San Francisco Project (1990-2000)

I was attracted to the freedom-loving spirit of this fringe element in San Francisco. Braving the congested streets with no protection save nimbleness and speed, these messengers are relentless in their commitment to deliver the goods.

 

Liquid Canvas Abstracts (2010-current)

No longer confining myself to interpreting with a camera, I now create using paints and brushes. A liquid canvas abstract is a floating painting -- an expression of color and form on a liquid substrate using oil-based pigments. The evanescent image is preserved photographically in high resolution. I received First Prize, Professional Section, Abstracts-Portfolio, at the 2010 WPGA (World Photography Gala Awards) Annual Pollux Awards, a competition juried by Philip Brookman, curator for the Corocoran Gallery in Washington D.C. See richarttoddartist.com., for galleries of images.

 

 

St. Louis (1989-99)

Being from California, I was struck by how complacent the residents of St. Louis are about the historic nature of their gateway city. Buildings that would be on the historic register if they were in California seem to go unnoticed. I began by recording the outstanding architecture, but the project soon turned into recording what exists today at the locations of historic moments and social events.

 

Sports Project (1997-2005)

Isadora Duncan said that all movement is dance. This idea set in motion my photographic survey of 48 different amateur sports. I chose black and white as the medium, to avoid losing the impact of the moment in the often overly saturated colors of the sports garb. I looked for moments that spoke to the human condition. But it was the elegance and grace of the human body in motion that intrigued me.

 

Landscapes (1982-2010)

My natural inclination is to find solace in nature.  When I photograph the natural world, each click of the shutter seems to afford a momentary spiritual connection.  Seeing the images, even years later, revives me.

 

Cycling Project (2009-current)