Artists are everywhere. They are in the symphonies, and the dirty downtown back alleys, they are in the small town theatre company and the million dollar art galleries. The creative urge rises in us and we feel this powerful instinct to make something new, interesting, thoughtful. Something that arises out of who we are and what are place in the world is. It gives us a sense of fulfillment and belonging, as if to say this world is different now because I was here. There is more here here. We have, out of whole cloth, made something new and the divine creative spark has ignited something wonderful in the world around us.
My wife and I were wandering around downtown Portland on a lazy Sunday afternoon and we walked past a parking garage that was covered in graffiti. Much of it was absolutely remarkable and I love to photograph it so I went in and asked the artist if I could photograph him while he worked. We talked for a little while and he was fine with this so I started. I got some standard images but was looking for a photo that told more of his story so I laid down on the floor and put the paint cans in the foreground. I had to arrange them a little to get the image I wanted but once I had it I was very happy. I had the aperture dialed all the way open to f/4 to get him into a bit of background blur. I really wanted the spray cans to dominate the image and I was happy with the way it turned out. I just wish I hadn't gotten the bit of lens flare from the window.
-Russell Berg