Abstract nature images have been a large part of my fine art photographic work  for quite some time. This abstract seascape entitled Ocean Tones was mentioned in a blog  post on Erinn•V•Style.

Erinn Valencich is a world class designer who has appeared on many television programs including the View and HGTV.

You can read  her comments about the image here: http://bit.ly/xkXzy8. Erinn’s showroom in California is exquisite and we are honored to be a part of it. Below is a photograph of the image framed and hanging in the showroom.

Stay tuned over the next few days we think you are going to like it!!

Today is National Nature Photography Day. Enjoy our natural world in person and in pictures.

Image #20101030-68 Reflections of fall in the river

It is now common knowledge that nature images in healthcare facilities are an essential element to the well being of patients and contribute positively to the mental state of visitors. Once you accept these facts, the next logical step in the thought process is the realization that nature images can contribute to the mental and physical well being of the population in general. If a beautiful image of nature helps a patient in the hospital by lowering stress levels, blood pressure and speeding the healing process, doesn’t it stand to reason that such images can have positive benefits on our lives in environments other than just hospitals and clinics? What about retirement communities, corporate offices, government offices, schools and of course our homes? These are all places where the therapeutic effect of fine art nature photographs would be welcomed.  It is exciting to think that fine art nature photographs may have such a positive affect on our emotional and physical well being that they may in fact help to make our trips to the doctor less frequent and our daily lives less stressful.

Image #6622 Morning sunlight streaming through trees

I am pleased to announce the opening of my latest show entitled Missing Nature on March 26th! Below is a copy of the press release for the show:

Parthenon and Nature Conservancy Team for Nature Photography Exhibit

Byron Jorjorian’s Photographs to Feature Areas Protected by Conservancy

Nashville, TN — The Parthenon will host an exhibit of large-scale color nature photography by nationally prominent nature photographer Byron Jorjorian in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy, March 26 – August 20. Titled Missing Nature, the exhibit in the Parthenon’s East Gallery will feature locations in Tennessee that have been protected by The Nature Conservancy.

The exhibit’s title is meant to be a play on words that describes both Jorjorian’s work in general and this particular collection of photographs, all taken in Tennessee. On one hand, Jorjorian frequently sees the minute details of nature that many of us miss in passing by. On the other hand, he is documenting the creatures and special places that all of us would miss if The Nature Conservancy had not protected them.

As Parthenon curator Susan Shockley puts it: “Jorjorian hikes to these habitats where he photographs both the wildlife and the land.  But Jorjorian creates much more than a simple record of a rural hike. His eye notices the yellow leaf just fallen from the tree, the spider’s web drenched in dew, or the swirl that water creates around a rock. He isolates, selects, and captures a vision of the world. His photographs generate a new habitat for his subjects, and he enables his viewers to see moments we might otherwise miss.”

Now recognized as one of America’s premier nature photographers, Jorjorian has been a longtime supporter and friend of The Nature Conservancy, a leading conservation organization which has protected nearly 120 million acres around the world for people and nature. Since 1990, Jorjorian has been donating his time and photography to The Nature Conservancy’s cause, particularly in Tennessee where he resides. Many of his most arresting photographs, whether close-ups of delicate coneflowers or panoramic vistas of foggy mountaintops, were taken on lands acquired and protected by The Nature Conservancy.

“In my photographs, I am always trying to reveal details in nature that others might overlook,” says Jorjorian. “When people look at my work, what I hope they see first is a work of art (usually abstract) and then the actual subject matter of that art — the place or living thing I’ve photographed. Ideally, the viewer experiences a mental shift back and forth between the colorful patterns and textures of my art to the ‘a-ha’ revelation of the subject that I’ve captured.

“The images I create grow from what I like to call ‘emotional discovery,’” Jorjorian adds. “This is the discovery of previously unseen patterns and arrangements of colors and shapes in nature that create a strong emotional state within us when we notice them. Each image is made unique by the integration of lighting and conditions that come together at the moment of the photograph’s conception. It is here in the space created by natural conditions and emotional discovery that my images take shape. My time spent in nature instills a great sense of childlike wonder, harmony and oneness in me, and though my photographs I hope to share that special feeling.”

The Parthenon, surrounded by the beautiful gardens and landscape of Centennial Park, is an ideal setting for this exhibit. Nashville’s parks bring nature into urban environments, giving the city’s residents increased access to nature and recreational activities out-of-doors.

Missing Nature will be on display at The Parthenon in Nashville from March 26 to August 20, 2011. The Parthenon is open Tuesday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults; $4 for seniors 62 and over, and $4 for children 4-17. Children under 4 are admitted free.

Nature art heals. We all know this intuitively but now scientific evidence is accumulating to support these claims.

Thousands of years ago, the ancient Greeks knew it and designed temples that surrounded patients with nature, music, and art to restore harmony and promote healing. A number of studies have presented strong evidence that even a few minutes of contact with nature can significantly decrease stress, reduce anger and fear, and increase pleasant feelings. This calming effect can be achieved by providing views to the outside, interior gardens or aquariums, or artwork with a nature theme..

As a fine art nature photographer I find this particularly interesting and rewarding. When I have been in the field for several days I come back exhausted but renewed from my experience in the outdoors. The fact that viewing my art can impart this feeling of renewal and healing to others is satisfying.

Sources:
Parsons R, Hartig T. Environmental Psycholphysiology. In Handbook of Psychophysiology, 2nd ed. New York: Cambridge University Press;2000:815-46.
Van den Berg A, Koole SL, Van der Wulp NY. Environmental preference and restoration: how are they related? J Environ Psychol. 2003;23(2):135-46.

“I love the lotus because while growing from mud, it is unstained.” Confucian scholar Zhou Duny

I have mentioned before, I am drawn to photograph water lotus and water lilies flowers and leaves. In preparing some lotus images for a client I decided to do a little research on the water lotus and discovered some interesting facts:

The plant is an aquatic perennial. Under favorable circumstances its seeds may remain viable for many years, with the oldest recorded lotus germination being from that of seeds 1300 years old recovered from a dry lakebed in northeastern China. It is often mistaken for a water lily. The lotus is a completely different plant unrelated to the water lily.

In has many uses for food. In Asian cultures the roots, leaves, and flowers are used in many recipes as garnishes, teas, medicines and soups, just to name a few.

From ancient times the lotus flower has been a divine symbol in many Asian traditions.

We all have a sense of the restorative and healing powers of being in the outdoors and experiencing nature. But can simply viewing art that depicts nature aid in healing our bodies? As a fine art nature photographer it is certainly an intriguing concept. One of my motivations when I create a fine art photograph is to help uplift and inspire people. It  appears that there may be some physical healing that can take place from viewing art images of nature.  Now there is evidence that looking at art that depicts nature can actually have a healing effect on our bodies. Here are some recent findings:

“In Harmony with Nature’s Blueprint” published in Interior Expressions (February 2000), Jain Malkin writes the “effect of nature on humans has been thoroughly studied… humans have physiological and emotional responses to nature.”

In recent years, Roger Ulrich, Ph.D., environmental psychologist, director of the Center for Health Systems and Design, College of Architecture, Texas A&M University, and a leading authority in the field has expounded his “Theory of Supportive Design.” Access to nature is central to this theory. The underlying premise is that “improved medical outcomes are linked to environments’ effectiveness in facilitating stress coping and restoration. Supportive design tries to eliminate stress factors and to include features that reduce stress, calm patients, strengthen coping resources… including access to nature.”

Ulrich has cited numerous studies showing that “viewing nature can produce significant recovery from stress, which in turn, can lead to cost-savings, by improving medical outcomes,” going as far back as a 1984 Science paper which stated: “patients with bedside views of nature had briefer hospital stays and needed less medication.” In a September 2000 presentation titled “Evidence-based Environmental Design for Improving Medical Outcomes,” Ulrich argued that “exposure to nature produces significant recovery.” Both psychological and physiological stress reduction are noted, as measured by “less anxiety, calmness, reduced blood pressure, muscle tension, heart and respiratory rates.”

Interesting…..

I have recently tested and added into the mix of papers that I offer for my prints, a new paper which is made from sugar cane pulp. It has the textured surface of a fine art paper and it adds a slight warmth to the photograph. The sugar cane paper that I am using is a heavy weight natural white paper. It is made from 75% sugar cane (bagasse) fiber, which is a by-product of sugar cane processing and 25% recycled cotton fibers. Bagasse fiber is an eco-friendly resource endorsed by many environmental organizations worldwide. Since it is made from the leftover material of the sugar making process it saves trees and helps to maximize the use of materials that are consumed when sugar is produced. In addition to it’s environmentally friendly properties it shows off prints beautifully!!

Sometimes when I am working on projects for clients I will run across images that I feel should be added to the web site. I have added five such images this morning. You can view them in the New Images gallery. This particular image was made while I was on Sanibel Island a few years ago. The colors of the ocean sky and beach were so beautiful that I decided to create an abstract image  in which the bands of color themselves were the subject and the combination of colors would reveal the location and the subject of the photograph.