Ann Munster Photography: Exploring Through the Lens
Through My Lens
Artist Statement
I have long admired the paintings of the seventeenth century Dutch masters, and I visited the Rijksmuseum in 1971 to see some of the most famous Dutch paintings. The treatment of light is the key to their appeal. I have tried to achieve something similar in the images in this portfolio, using studio lighting. In most of them I have used painting with light—shining a flashlight on selected parts of the set-up with a long exposure. The subject matter is similar to the subjects painted by the masters—still lifes with flowers or food, with jewelry, shells, and other small objects. All of the images have dark backgrounds, like many of the Dutch paintings. The aperture used was f22, to achieve a similar level of detail. However, my images are sparser—containing far fewer items in the set-up, and the backgrounds are lighter. I am not trying to imitate the masters—just drawing inspiration from their work.
