Diane is an award winning short fiction writer who has also had numerous photos published in national magazines and local newspapers. This year one of her canine photos was chosen for inclusion in the 2010 Art Book for Paws for Charity in support of breast cancer initiatives. Diane describes herself as a mother, grandm...other, wife, photographer, and cancer survivor. She and her husband live on a farm near Hythe, Alberta with their three dogs.

"I’ve always dabbled in a range of creative endeavours. Although my focus is on photography, since I was a little girl I’ve also loved creating using pencil or charcoal, an occasional sewing project, a life-long love affair with writing, and yet it’s the photography that really makes my heart sing.

As part of my work as a freelance writer, I was often required to provide accompanying photographs for my articles. Fortunately, this is what sparked my desire to focus my attention on improving my craft. Inspiration took hold like a hurricane and I’m revelling in the whirlwind of this photographic journey.

My subject matter varies because my eye surveys the details, angles, or the ordinary that needs to be captured through my lens. The unifying theme with most of my work tends toward the simple things in life – I refer to them as “life’s sweet ordinary”. There are always extraordinary moments that can be frozen with the camera but what stirs my soul are objects or moments often taken for granted. For instance, the smooth curves of a musical instrument, the ghostly footprints of wildlife in fresh snow, shadows cast by objects, morning dew on a spider web, or clothes drying on the line.

My colour photography tends toward the vivid and my black and white leans to the more classical high contrast. Now that I have switched from film to digital I’ve taught myself how to further develop my images in the digital darkroom. Although I struggled with the technical aspects in the beginning, I now embrace the technology, experimenting with layers and textures on some of my photographs.

When I’m photographing or processing my photography, time races by. Life’s sweet ordinary – that’s what my art is about." - Diane Schuller

 

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