The genesis of Art1095 grew out of our personal photography work first recognized in the October 2009 Fine Art issue of Rangefinder magazine. Rangefinder is an award-winning monthly photography magazine that presents the most creative, inspiring and innovative work for an international readership.
Rangefinder Fine Art Issue Excerpt
Father-and-son photography team David and Luke Edmonson have a different commission in 2009—one the pair gave themselves.
“We have 40 self-assignments in fine art this year,” says David Edmonson. “We’re bringing in our models, and makeup artists, bringing in our sets and building things just for us. We’re our clients. We’re heavily investing in the whole fine art aspect of the business.”
Their fine art influence is especially evident in their exquisite wedding photography resulting in numerous WPPI awards and accolades. In 2016, David is a Triple Master of WPPI and Luke is a Double Master of WPPI.
Keeping the Creative Juices Flowing
As a highly successful wedding photographer team, David and Luke sought other outlets to sustain their creativity. Their goal of 40 fine art self-assignments is a project to ensure that they would always be on the hunt for the next great image.
“The self-assignments are what keep us sharp, growing and satisfied as artists,” David says. “It’s very easy to get stuck, especially in the wedding business, because you have so many clients, that you can get away with doing cookie cutter stuff if you wanted to.”
A Family Affair
David originally started Edmonson & Father Photography back in 1983 in Dallas, TX, with his father, Red. Luke represents the third generation of the Edmonson family to become a photographer, although they didn’t plan it that way.
A life-drawing class contained valuable lessons Luke still uses today.
“Rembrandt taught us that sometimes it’s just as important what you don’t show as it is what you do show, and trying to find the area of emphasis where you’re drawing the viewer’s eye. A photographer is painting with light.”
“Photography, like other kinds of visual art, is visual problem solving,” Luke says. “Creative thinkers all do the same thing just we do it in different mediums.”
David says,
“I have ideas pop into my brain regularly. I probably have a list of 150 things or ideas that I want to work on.”
These self-assignments are the genesis of the Art1095 Fine Art Photography project.
The original writer of this article is Heath Hooper.
