Tim Lucas – Otway Photographer

Tim Lucas – Otway Photographer

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Tim Lucas is part of the successful collaboration between four artists who established the Gellibrand River Gallery.

 

What inspires you as an artist?

My work is very influenced by the local environment wherever I happened to be, and it is this landscape that usually dictates what I capture on the day. However it is not unusual to direct my attention to very small parts within the environment, whether this be the structure of the timber on a typically Otway’s back track bridge to the unusual fungi found on a rotting log. When working with canvas prints one of the best compliments that a photographer can get is the uncertain looks a person gives whilst trying to figure out if an image is a photograph or a painting. It’s at this stage you know you have ‘got it right’.

Who inspires you as an artist?

Of the very early photographers Ansel Adams is certainly a name that springs to mind. His work from the 1920’s onwards showed just how much could be achieved with what (is now) very primitive equipment. Spending a lot of time in New Zealand two names come to mind Andris Apse and Simon East, but there are many others that I check up on from time to time.

How do you like to work?

Whilst I am comfortable working with others, I find that my usual mode of working is on my own. When working locally, I will generally make a ‘loose’ plan of what I am to capture and then take myself for a drive to capture the images. The first thing I will do upon my return is to take the images of the cards, into the computer and begin the sorting process. This takes several passes, after which I will then look at processing the images to achieve my desired goal.

Where photography involves travel the same process is undertaken, however I generally don’t do any serious processing of the images until I return home and have access to my calibrated monitor and controlled light conditions.

I do all my own printing on my 24 inch printer. Additionally framing and canvas stretching is also completed in my Barongarook based studio.  

 My normal processing workflow is:

  • Import images into Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
  • Cull images as required
  • Process images using Lightroom 
  • If need be work with other tools (Perfect Photo Suite, Nik software, Adobe Photoshop) to achieve the artist goals desired
  • Print and Frame/Stretch 

What’s next for you?

 There are several projects on the go at the moment, including:

  • Completing a series of photo books from trips to Scotland, New Zealand, Antarctica, Patagonia and Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Rapa Nui is ready for printing, with Patagonia to be commenced next
  • A short exhibition in the Ciderhouse, Tarndwarncourt as part of the Open Studio weekend (April XXXX). ‘Relics’ is a selection of images that will form part of a larger exhibition at a venue yet to be determined. The works represent items ranging from ‘retired’ farming equipment, trucks & cars – essentially anything that can be deemed as a ‘relic’
  • I am planning to host an invitation exhibition in July 2014, details of this event will become available early March .
  • Moving into 2015 I have an exhibition booked into COPACC that feature the Colac Botanic Gardens, this event is running in conjunction with other events in 2015 celebrating 150 years of the Colac Botanic Gardens

Travel wise the next trip was planned along with a local aid group ACKAPA – it was to be into Longechuk in South Sudan, however the recent civil war in this young country has made this seem unlikely, but it may well be refocussed to look at the life of refugees now living just outside the South Sudan border.

 What gear do you take with you?

On  a typical day I will have with me:

  • On a normal day my camera bag includes a small compact ‘point and shoot’, 2 DLSR’s, 4-5 lenses, a flash unit, various filters and other accessories.  Of course  I will have lots of cards with me Typically this bag comes in at bit under 10Kg
  • Depending on the time of day I will also have a tripod and monopod as well

 Where do you display your work?

A large selection of my work is on display at the Gellibrand River Gallery. Other locations include Future Café in Colac & Oakmoss florists. Works can be viewed on my web website digital nature.com.au and on Facebook, search for digitalnatureAU.

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