Rich Turk

Growing up in a high-rise housing project in Brooklyn I rarely saw any birds, animals or greenery.  Most of my early photographs were of family members or street scenes, and I learned how to use a camera by reading magazines like “Popular Photography”.  Sometime after moving to the not too far- out suburbs of Boston I took up bird watching, which led to bird photography, which led to animal photography and so on.

Although I never intentionally developed an artistic style, in hindsight, my photos try to evoke the peaceful, tranquil side of living things and our environment.  Recently I’ve shifted my focus towards New England scenery such as covered bridges, lighthouses, barns and harbors.

I‘ve come to the belief that anyone can learn photography if they really want to, because in my own experience, no good shot has ever come easy.  My primary techniques are “trial and error” in the field, followed by fine-tuning of light, color and composition on the PC.  I study the work of great nature photographers including Arthur Morris, John Shaw and Franz Lanting for ideas on how to frame a wildlife image.  Paintings of Hudson River School artists like Thomas Cole and Albert Bierstad are teaching me lessons about landscapes.  These artists set out to show the great beauty of our continent without making political statements.  I try to do that through my photos.

Some of my shots can be seen at www.richturkphotos.com