Fine Art - About
‘A different way of looking at life’s simplicities’ is how Belinda has previously described her work. Her muse the beautiful coasts and caves of Wales, the artist chooses to ignore traditional ideas of allure, embracing the aberration, the crookedness, and the uncertainty of nature. Where the natural world fails to be flawless is where Belinda is her most inspired, fervent in her intent of capturing ‘inadequacies’, beautiful in their own right – encapsulating the enriched and dramatic atmosphere of the Welsh coast. Belinda’s art, in its portrayal of landscapes bearing the scars of time with pride, tells the enthralling tale of a country renowned for its myth and its mystery. It is not hard to see, when observing her work, the power and strength of the simple and often over-looked; in Belinda’s monochrome depiction of Pembrokeshire and beyond, time stands still, view her art to see Cymru in an entrancing light.
Her work exhibited at numerous venues around the country, a lecturer of photography for over sixteen years and possessing a Master’s Degree in Photography, Belinda is a Pembrokeshire based photographer specialising in fine art and event photography of a highly professional quality. Photographic work is available to purchase; prints, canvases and cards. Also offered by the artist are a vast range of photographic tuition courses, tailored to either individuals or small groups.
From The Photographer
What drives me as a photographer is the ability to capture the beauty of light, form, texture, composition and shape. With my camera I am able to instantly capture a moment in time, a moment as I have seen it through the lens. I believe that by using light, form, composition and tonal contrast as the central vocabulary of my work, the aesthetics of an image is of higher importance than the concept. When I photograph something, I try to look beyond the surface. I repeatedly revisit locations because nothing ever feels closed and there are always new possibilities.
A formal description of my practice would include the aesthetic and tactile quality of the photographs. Creating pictures around repeating elements or patterns provides picture unity and structure. Pattern repetition creates rhythm that the eye can comfortably follow. When lines, shapes and colours within a picture occur in an orderly way they create patterns that often enhance the aesthetic quality of a photograph. Due to this, my work is taken over many locations from beaches to cities.
More often than not the subjects that I photograph are not intrinsically beautiful, but by observing shapes and patterns I can create something more interesting. I achieve this is by extracting the meaning from the subject; what has been photographed is not always apparent to the viewer and is not important. Therefore, it is not significant what subject I photograph, but what compels me to take the picture. With the importance on aesthetics there is no wrong response to the images; be it positive or negative the work responds to something within the viewer.
A factor that is very important in my work is selecting the right moment, something that can be lost in a fraction of a second. Due to the constant changes in nature and life which are not fixed, our skill must be one of prediction and patience. The design element in nature and light, acts as my constant passion or drive to take a photograph. Therefore, the moment for taking a picture is crucial to the success of an image. I believe the power of photography is within the capture of a moment.
I love photographing the moment, from nature and landscape, through to architecture and urban, across fine art and modern photography. I capture anything and everything that gets my attention, spikes my emotions or captures my curiosity.
by Belinda Bean BA(hons), PGCE, MA, CPC
by Belinda Bean BA(hons), PGCE, MA, CPC