Craig Scoffone is a fine art photographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has been shooting for 30 years, and has had his works published and exhibited both domestically and internationally. In addition to his artistic pursuits of both the local and regional landscape, Craig has also amassed an extensive collection of compelling works
of the figure.
For the duration of Craig's career as a photographer, he has also been an accomplished portrait and commercial photographer, having provided his skills to many ' Silicon Valley ' clients. But Craig's true and longest lasting interest in photography, has most certainly been his pursuit of fine art compositions. There is a wide ranging approach, in both technique and style, of the various themes, Craig chooses to photograph. This has resulted in a body of work, that has profound diversity, not normally associated to the works of a single artist.
' It keeps me interested in creating new works ', Craig says, in referring to the variety of techniques, and the resulting diversity in styles that result, in reviewing various samples of his work. Craig is not interested in being considered, ' a one trick pony ', in terms of being associated with just one, single, identifiable ' style '. Just appreciating not just the variety of styles, but the compelling quality of individual compositions - from soft and painterly, to bold, vivid abstractions, is a valid strategy when taking in the works of this contemporary artist.
of the figure.
For the duration of Craig's career as a photographer, he has also been an accomplished portrait and commercial photographer, having provided his skills to many ' Silicon Valley ' clients. But Craig's true and longest lasting interest in photography, has most certainly been his pursuit of fine art compositions. There is a wide ranging approach, in both technique and style, of the various themes, Craig chooses to photograph. This has resulted in a body of work, that has profound diversity, not normally associated to the works of a single artist.
' It keeps me interested in creating new works ', Craig says, in referring to the variety of techniques, and the resulting diversity in styles that result, in reviewing various samples of his work. Craig is not interested in being considered, ' a one trick pony ', in terms of being associated with just one, single, identifiable ' style '. Just appreciating not just the variety of styles, but the compelling quality of individual compositions - from soft and painterly, to bold, vivid abstractions, is a valid strategy when taking in the works of this contemporary artist.
... in the artist's own words
landscapes
When I’m out on a hike, always with my camera, what compels me to photograph a composition, is balance. An easily recognized interplay of contrasts, of shapes, textures and tones. A scene ready for recording with my camera has achieved a sense of balance that keeps the viewer’s eye squarely within the frame of the finished piece. Not to disappoint, but there is no intellectual angst or emotional turmoil that drives my art, or my need to create it. I just enjoy the beauty of the outdoors very much, and recording it in an artful and creative way brings me great pleasure. The challenge to try to do something different, within the frame work of solid compositional principles, is what I also enjoy in the process of creating this work. I’m constantly thinking of different ways to create a photographic image – that’s why my portfolio as a whole is so diverse. I need to do things this way to keep myself interested in creating new work.
Sometimes, I’ll be on a hike, and there may not be that many compelling compositions that present themselves to me, but that’s o.k. Interesting compositions are worth the hunt. But just by being in the beautiful outdoors, I’m already ahead of the game. Finding compositions worth recording, I view as icing on the cake. This mind set keeps the ratio of images worth working on in post production, from the total taken, as a very high percentage of images made from a given shoot.
Sometimes, I’ll be on a hike, and there may not be that many compelling compositions that present themselves to me, but that’s o.k. Interesting compositions are worth the hunt. But just by being in the beautiful outdoors, I’m already ahead of the game. Finding compositions worth recording, I view as icing on the cake. This mind set keeps the ratio of images worth working on in post production, from the total taken, as a very high percentage of images made from a given shoot.
The Figure
I have chosen the human form, and in particular, that of the female nude, as the common thread throughout most of my fine-art work. My choice of techniques, of different lighting, film, and processes, and now, in digital format, different filtration techniques, and approaches to images in post production, is constantly changing.
As a work in progress, I feel it appropriate that I not only choose a common denominator as a theme throughout, but also one that interests me personally, and has, and I suppose always will have, a strong emotional bond with the viewer. The challenge to me is how do I make my figurative studies unique, but also, how do I compensate for, or effectively rival, the very eroticism of my subject matter. The end result should not just be that of universal interest and intrigue, but a statement of high art. A statement that I hope is, visually speaking, concise, and appreciated, long after I'm gone.
As a work in progress, I feel it appropriate that I not only choose a common denominator as a theme throughout, but also one that interests me personally, and has, and I suppose always will have, a strong emotional bond with the viewer. The challenge to me is how do I make my figurative studies unique, but also, how do I compensate for, or effectively rival, the very eroticism of my subject matter. The end result should not just be that of universal interest and intrigue, but a statement of high art. A statement that I hope is, visually speaking, concise, and appreciated, long after I'm gone.