Images of the Modern American West - Part 1 - by David Sharpe

My name is David Sharpe and among many other things, I’m a photographer.   I am a member of Garry Oak Gallery in Oak Harbor, and this is the first of what we hope will be a series of blog posts by Gallery artists telling the story behind our own art.  All art, whether it’s paintings, jewelry, glass art, woodwork or photographs have a story to tell.   In the case of my chosen craft, travel photographs tell of places both near and far, inviting the viewer to connect with the landscape and imagine themselves in that setting.  In some cases, it sparks memories of past visits and reminds us of the stunning beauty that surrounds us on this earth.

My current display in the gallery consists of a mix of local scenes (Coupeville, Oak Harbor, Deception Pass) and scenes from a recent RV trip my wife and I took.   We were on the road for two months exploring the American West as far as the Mississippi River and Great Lakes.  Along the way we had no real destination in mind, instead following our inspiration and stopping to visit many National and State Parks along the way.   This style of travel is very freeing - no deadlines, no rush to get to any particular destination.   Our motto in our little RV is “We’re already there.”  This allows plenty of time for me to practice my craft - I can wait for the best light in a given location instead of just taking a quick snapshot and hurrying on.  I’ve always thought it would be wonderful to spend a year in certain National Parks, capturing the essence of the location in all seasons of the year. 

But enough background - let’s take a look at some of the images I currently have on display in the gallery and I’ll tell you the story behind each of them.

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SPEED LIMIT  

In Northern Idaho we came across a collection of old cars and trucks stored in an old slate quarry.  We’d passed this scene by in prior trips, but this time stopped to spend an hour wandering around the property (with permission of the resident) to make some images.   This image depicts an old US Army Chevrolet truck.   I thought the speed limit sign at the quarry entrance made an amusing counterpoint to the dynamically balanced truck rusting on the hill behind it.

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MORRO BAY SUNRISE

We camped at a state park right on the beach at Morro Bay in Southern California.  I woke up early in the morning and grabbed my camera for a walk on the beach and captured the glorious dawn.   The birds on the pond in the foreground really added to the peacefulness of this scene.

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ST. LOUIS ARCH AT NIGHT​

​More properly known as the Gateway Arch, this St. Louis landmark houses the Museum of Westward Expansion.   I really wanted to capture a night-time image of the Arch and found my spot across the Mississippi River on the Illinois side.  There I found an elevated viewing platform that got me above the levee and the train tracks and industrial areas, leaving a spectacular view of the city, including the Old Courthouse framed by the legs of the Arch.

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Images of the American Modern West - Part 2 - Soon to come!