Fragile

I am driven by an exploration of color and form. My objective is to create multi-layered images that depict the subtleties of the landscape around us. I am more concerned with portraying an interpretation than a literal representation of what I see before me. I used to paint, and I think as a consequence of this, I am drawn towards flat, abstract renditions. I have found a way of working using multiple exposures and intentional camera movement which helps me simplify the detail in a scene. It is a way of working which is controllable to a certain degree, but still has a great deal of unpredictability about it and it is this aspect which is both challenging and rewarding. There are a seemingly limitless combination of settings which can be employed - my camera will merge up to 2000 images into one file. This, together with varying shutter speeds, white balance settings, lenses, exposure values etc gives me an endlessly fascinating array of options when I work. Perhaps I am a rule breaker at heart. For me, nothing is more dispiriting and destructive to the creative spirit than conventional wisdom dictating that the rule of thirds, f/16 and a golden sunset must converge in perfect harmony in order for an image to be deemed successful. I am fascinated by all manner of contrasts and contradictions and the work in this book is an attempt to reconcile some of the conflicting aspects that are of interest to me in the landscape. In much the same way as a color will appear most luminous when placed next to a non-color, ie grey, or its opposing color in the color wheel, so it is in nature. The images here are an investigation into how the most fragile elements seem to have their very existence challenged and their vulnerability magnified when set against the strength and solidity of their surroundings. Fragility can be conveyed in many ways. It can be expressed with light or shape or color or movement and I hope this diversity is represented here. Paradoxically, fragile elements often appear to embody a tenacity and strength which refers back to the contradictions mentioned above. It is the embodiment of all these characteristics that I have tried to portray in this book.

Valda Bailey is a freelance photographer living in Sussex who first became passionate about photography when she was 14. Her approach to photography is greatly informed by her background in painting and her influences come as much from artists as photographers. She is largely motivated by color and form and the tension and dynamism that these components can bring to an image. Her objectives are to portray an interpretation of a scene rather than a literal representation. She makes her images using camera movement and multiple exposure - two techniques which help to create abstract shapes and blur extraneous detail. She has spent time in New York under the expert tutelage of noted street photographer Jay Maisel and has been greatly influenced by his teaching about light, color and gesture. Her work has been featured in broadsheet newspapers, national and international publications and she has recently been invited to teach for Light and Land Photographic Workshops run by Charlie Waite. She has exhibited most recently in London and last summer was the first woman to be invited to join six other photographers to exhibit at the biennial Masters of Vision in Southwell. She has images in private collections worldwide and her work has been purchased by notable members of the art and photographic community.