ragman

Profile

City: Kearney
Country: Ireland

Joined: Jan 2008

Ragman’s Riches

Some have studios and engage in set-ups, some take to field or shore, whilst others seek for less and some for even more.

I normally don’t know what I am going to capture when I go out with my camera the only plan being a structure of the type of photograph following the lines of my favoured ‘Black and Light’ format; and seeking to find images formed by lines and shapes that add feeling to an image whether they be Horizontals, Verticals, Diagonals and Radicals such as Slandiculars.

Of course the ‘rules’ of composition etc. are inbuilt in my head and my eye for a picture is tuned in; thus mood and form plays an important part in whether we achieve a desired result. Thus I rely on a spirit and not on a subject, trusting that a scene, study or subject will be waiting for me stirred by emotion and or reason.

Add to that the most important element of all ~ light, for if there is no light to illuminate then I won’t be able to see or capture.

We come across things on our journey normally things which others have not seen or neglected or passed over them. I am but a ragman, picking up things that others have discarded or overlooked, and in collecting and recording revive them and hopefully add a sparkle. The above thoughts are mine drawn from my own experience, but the quote below I emphasise with, and truly encapsulates what takes place. [the words written above are ascribed to Henri Cartier-Bresson]

Ragman’s Riches

Photographs – mere nothings – thrice times mere nothings ~ domestic jottings, reminders of appointments, memory joggers, unimportant meetings, small facts of little interest.

Moments in the momentous lives of ordinary people – that these moments existed is never in doubt, but their unimportance within the grand scheme of things is significant only within its insignificance.

They are but ragman’s riches – discarded but snatched and revived – discovered as art implements – mere artefacts.

The ragman or ragpicker goes out and collects things which others have discarded (or ignored) and through his sense of beauty in the common things turns them into ragman’s riches.

Ragman announces a set of Images to watch for
2 August 2009:

xnattyx ~ wishing on the clouds
Kasia d ~ Light on the Past
Debbie Black ~ Sandal Season
goodluckserrano ~ like an old dream script
Silvia Ganora ~ shadows all around you
James Coard ~ aurora
Elizarose ~ fountain
ErinG ~ dream man
Gail Anderson ~ crossing

1 July 2009:

1chick1 ~ warrior
so75 ~ untitled
juvenile A ~ “*“
Jayne Logan ~ Avantgarde
Nordicsoul ~ Surrender
Jerri Johnson ~ jetaime
Cathy Middleton ~ Love
Marsub ~ Dragonslane
Melodee Miller ~ the end in detail

Ragman art has been viewed online by over 100,000 visitors. Sales are powered by RedBubble.com. Since February 2007, RedBubble has shipped more than 240,000 premium-quality works of art and t-shirts to over 70 countries worldwide. RedBubble offers a simple money-back guarantee, gold star customer service, and assures safe online transactions by using 128-bit SSL encryption – an industry standard. RedBubble accepts five different currencies including USD, AUD, CAD, EUR and GBP, and accepts credit cards as well as PayPal