Thomas Camp

Artist Statement

In 1971, seeing the photographs of Ansel Adams motivated me to pursue photography. However, at that moment in time, I found that I was more drawn to street photography, than to the landscape. So I started shooting with my newly purchased 35mm Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL camera, developing TRI-X negatives, and learning to print along the way. In this regard, it was Adam's devotion to craft that has always stayed with me. My inspirations, along with Adams, include Henri Cartier- Bresson, Andre Kertesz, W. Eugene Smith, and Paul Caponigro. Throughout my 50 years of shooting, I've concentrated on subjects with historical significance, primarily in South Jersey and Philadelphia. They include: The Edward Payson Weston Six-Day Race,Pennsauken, N.J., 1986 (an ultra-marathon race that began in 1868 and was resurrected in 1983); Cowtown Rodeo ( the oldest active rodeo in the country), Woodstown, N.J., 1991; The Philadelphia Boxing Club, 1992 ( now a beauty salon) ; Little Hooves Sheep Farm, Moorestown, N.J., 2013; The Windows of St. Mary Church, Bordentown, N.J., 2014 (37 color prints of stained-glass windows over 100 years old); Shore Town: Ocean City, N.J., 2017.