Photos To Inspire: Andrew Dykeman--It's a Small World

From Photoworkshop.com

Photos to Inspire
Photos To Inspire: Andrew Dykeman--It's a Small World
By Lynne Eodice
Apr 1, 2008

TO SEE A GALLERY OF ANDREW DYKEMAN'S IMAGES, CLICK HERE

All images © Andrew Dykeman

Green Apple

This is another in a series of Photos To Inspire features in which we highlight the work of a Photoworkshop.com member.

For as long as he can remember, Andrew Dykeman says he’s been interested in photography. “I remember when I was little, I had a Brownie and then a 110 Instamatic. I got a Rollei 35mm when I was 12 or so.” His father was a camera buff who always had a camera hanging around his neck, and Dykeman remembers spending time in the darkroom with him. In the past few years, he adds, he’s gotten a little more serious about photography. And although he wasn’t a photo major in college, he’s taken several courses throughout the years, both in the classroom and online.

When asked about his favorite subjects to shoot, he responds, “Anything close-up—anything at all. I’m always looking around for small, interesting objects with interesting lines that I can create a nice composition with.” Dykeman moved to New York City about eight years ago, mainly because he had met his wife Suzanne, an abstract artist who has a Masters degree in Fine Art. “Being from a small town in upstate New York, I wasn’t exposed to art a whole lot,” he explains. “I moved here when I met her, and this really opened my eyes. I learned to see things in a different way.”

Soon after meeting Suzanne, he says, she took him to her studio and showed him paintings that were very abstract. “They weren’t pictures of things, but rather, interesting lines and color.” Initially, he says he found them nice, “but I just didn’t get it.” After more exposure to abstract art and trips to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and MOMA, however, his eye started to develop. Dykeman says that more than making just a pleasing image, he likes the lines, color interaction, and the way light hits an object. “I think the average person can maybe recognize a nice photograph,” he says, “but they don’t know why they like it. Once you’re exposed to different art forms, you start realizing why you like a pretty picture.”

CPU Abstract

His membership in Photoworkshop.com is approaching its third year anniversary. When asked whether his involvement with this site has helped him photographically, Dykeman quickly says, “Absolutely. I remember posting my first few images and getting feedback for the first time. I was so excited that someone was actually looking at my photos and liked them.” He also remembers the first not-so-positive critique, and having a bit of a bruised ego. “Now I look back at that photograph and I think, wow, that guy was right!” Recently however, he has gotten more accolades and recognition for his work than negative feedback. Last year, Wiley Publishing selected a number of Dykeman’s images for Photos That Inspire Photo Workshop, which appeared in chapters on Botanical, Macro & Close-Up and Still Life Photography. One of his images was selected for Photoworkshop.com’s Selection of the Week, and his photo, “Green Apple,” was used in a PWS promotion. One of the members has also purchased several prints of his work. “This has been great for my confidence and makes me want to keep shooting,” he says. In his day job, Dykeman is a Manager of Vendor Services for Western Union—although, as he puts it, “Photography is what I need to feed my soul.”

Andrew Dykeman’s Camera Gear, Computer & Software:

• Canon EOS Rebel Xti D-SLR w/Battery Grip
• Canon EF 18–55mm f/3.5, 28–135mm f/3.5, 70–200mm f/2.8L, and 100mm f/2.8 Macro lenses
• Canon 2X Extender
• Canon 500D Close-Up Lens
• Manfrotto 055MF3 Tripod and 490RC4 Ball Head
• PC (3.0GHz, 2GB)
• Lacie 320 LCD
• Adobe Photoshop CS2

To see more of Andrew Dykeman’s work, visit
http://andrewdykeman.photoworkshop.com

TO SEE A GALLERY OF ANDREW DYKEMAN'S IMAGES, CLICK HERE