Karen Joslin

ARTIST’S STATEMENT
My fine art photography often centers on nature, animals, and cemeteries. I find it vital to get out of man-made environments and to reconnect with the natural world; there I see beauty and divinity all around. I’m especially drawn to plants and other objects which reveal something unexpected. Interesting textures, dynamic forms, and brilliant colors are other things I look for. I’ve always loved animals, and my interactions with them have convinced me that animals are quite a bit like people. When photographing animals, my main goal is to capture their personalities and emotions. Much of my cemetery work focuses on statues, although some cemeteries also make for interesting landscapes. I’m also fascinated by the things people leave behind for their departed loved ones.

Stylistically, I experiment to find a style which enhances each individual image’s mood and subject matter. I’ve recently gravitated toward black and white images, particularly with selected areas of color, as in “The Greenman’s Mouth.” While some photographs look amazing in color, color can also distract from an image’s overall impact or draw attention away from its most important elements. Adding color selectively to a black and white photograph helps emphasize what I want and create a more compelling image. One of the most exciting aspects of digital photography is that it allows the artist an incredibly wide range of ways to manipulate images.

In the future, I plan to experiment more with photo montages. I also hope to incorporate other interests, such as my theater and film background, into my work.

BIOGRAPHY
Karen Joslin earned a B.A. in Theater at Northwestern University in 1990. After working in the entertainment industry, in 2001 she decided it was time for a career change. Having pursued photography as a hobby since childhood, she went back to school and studied photography at Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California. While in school, she worked as a freelance photographer’s assistant and for Bob Knight Photo. She also joined PPLAC (Professional Photographers of Los Angeles County), where her fine art print “Time Marches On” won a merit award. It was also published in Best of Photography Annual 2004 (Serbin Communications).

Currently, she owns and operates Karen Joslin Photography, specializing in fine art, as well as portraiture of pets and people. She is an active member of PPA (Professional Photographers of America) and TPPG (Tallahassee Professional Photographers Guild). In 2006, she served on TPPG's board and edited its monthly newsletter, The Contact Sheet. To stay updated on industry trends and techniques, she regularly attends photography seminars, workshops, and conventions. Garcia Galleries in Tallahassee showed a collection of her fine art prints as part of a group show in February and March, 2006. Karen has volunteered her photography services to WeMoon Spirit Center, a non-profit offering classes and events to women and the community at large. In addition to her photography business, she also writes content for travel websites at Interactive Internet Websites, Inc.

Find out more about Karen Joslin Photography at www.karenjoslin.net .