A Boy and His Thoughts
Reflections on Downtown Los Angeles
Sneaker Tree at Moonrise
Carl Shubs
Artist Statement
I am a fine art photographer, based in Los Angeles. I prefer to shoot whatever catches my eye as I go out into the world, without studio setup or extra lighting. I call these photos found images, which is a combination of street photography and photojournalism, even when it may happen in a studio. Subject matter might be anything, including people, singular scenes like Ground Zero after 9/11, a boy in a lingerie shop, a tree in the middle of nowhere with sneakers hanging from it at moonrise, reflections off a window, or something about shapes, patterns, or colors. I call the latter urban abstract and urban graphics.
My work explores unique perspectives on events and objects in daily life that reveal truths or examine who we are and the world we live in. I’m drawn to images that spark an emotion, rouse my curiosity, or stir my intellect. My photos may inspire people to look beyond the mundane of everyday life and see the humanity and beauty that surrounds us.
I like to let each image speak for itself and elicit in the viewer whatever it might, in a Rorschach-like fashion. My photos are typically presented without compositing or major Photoshop manipulation, which I call “straight photography.