James R. Swartzlander

Artist Statement

Photography is a powerful way to express that which might not otherwise be expressed, a way to share that which might not be shared. More simply, for me, it meets a need to say, “Hey look at this!”. Or, as Diane Arbus put it:

“I really believe there are things which nobody would see unless I photographed them.”

Generally, I expect it is better to photograph where one goes, not to go where one photographs. This is not to say, I don’t travel with a camera, I certainly do, or that I am all that unique. But, even in familiar places, it is best to capture that which we have not seen before. And one is most likely to find the interesting images in the surroundings of where you live and work, where one might stop and say, “He, look at this!”