Denise Hawkins - Photography

Statement 

Denise’s photography work is centered around nature and the abandoned. In her nature and landscape photography, she aspires to capture the unusual in the usual, the extraordinary in the ordinary. Accentuated with natural lighting and strong compositional values, scenes and snippets of time are made permanent through the lens. Her work in photographing abandoned architecture stems from an interest and curiosity in history, architecture, and story-telling. The documentation of abandoned structures and vehicles offers her the satisfaction of historic preservation through the lens.

Bio 

Denise earned an Associate of Arts degree in Fine Art and an Associate of Applied Science degree in Drafting at Sheridan College in Sheridan, Wyoming. Denise also earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Regis University in Denver, graduating Magna Cum Laude. 

Denise’s photographic influences include the work of Ansel Adams, Margaret Bourke-White, Dorothea Lange, and Diane Arbus. As an art student, her influencers ranged from painters such as Georgia O’Keefe, Andrew Wyeth, Edward Hopper, and Claude Monet. She is fascinated by the field of architecture and the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, Philip Johnson, and Le Corbusier in particular. All of these artists have made a mark on her senses - how she sees compositions and form, translates sentiment, and uses light as well as line and geometric elements. 

How is your art Unique?

My art is unique in that I am always in search of the different view, the unusual perspective, the atypical presentation. Whether it’s a Western landscape or an abandoned ranch, my goal is to show the beauty of a scene in a way that looks new or fresh.

My strong compositions speak for themselves, but the care I take in photo preparation as well as finished presentation is very important to me. I shoot in RAW and minimally process my images in Lightroom. I use basic panel editing to accentuate form and light without the images looking over-saturated or “fake.”  Most wall art, save pieces larger than 40”, are custom-framed by my husband, who creates gorgeous one-of-a-kind float frames for the aluminum prints that work well with a myriad of decor. He also makes traditional frames with glass or acrylic for matted prints.