Biography/Artist Statement
My collection of work focuses on Landscape Photography. I was born and raised in the South and felt the draw to the Colorado mountains in college. The sheer size and power that those peaks conveyed captivated me. I moved to Colorado in 1997 to fulfill a dream and I’ve been exploring and photographing the mountains by car and foot since. However, the past four years, I’ve grown an affinity for the Desert Southwest Landscape. I really enjoy the red and orange colors sprinkled over intricate rock formations. Composition opportunities seem to be endless. I’ve been exploring and photographing the desert landscape mainly in the winter and spring allowing the rest of the year to focus on Colorado with a break here and there for the Grand Tetons in Wyoming and the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina. Thus, my portfolio consists mainly of Colorado mountain photos along with a sizable collection of Desert Southwest, Grand Tetons, and Southeast photographs.
I have a deep passion for exploration and adventure. I aim to see and absorb new portions of the state each year. Most of the time I do it by foot. I enjoy being in the back country and enjoy the solitude. Often times, I make these treks alone and won’t see anyone for days. I find that life slows down and I’m able to connect with my surroundings which allows me to see things differently and enjoy God’s creation. The theme of my work centers on special light that helps transform ordinary scenes into something magical. Additionally, I focus on bold scenics and intimate landscapes utilizing patterns, lines, and layers accentuated by vivid colors.
The photographs have been captured with a combination of a high end Canon digital, Fuji digital medium format, and Pentax digital medium format bodies. I use the highest quality zoom lenses to capture the scenes. The zoom lens allows a lot of flexibility to modify compositions quickly. Additionally, I have a large assortment of Singh-Ray Gradual Density filters, Hoya Pro Polarizers, and a Velbon carbon fiber tripod with both a Benro pan and tilt head and an Acratech ball head. I haul my gear around using a LowePro Nature Trekker aw II backpack and when I want to go light (for day hikes) I use my Mountainsmith Borealis AT backpack. Lastly, I personally process all my images using Adobe Photoshop. It’s very important to me as an artist to have full control over the processing. I want the capability to fine tune and tweak the image so that it expresses my emotions and exhibits an artistic quality I aim to achieve.
The goal of my photography is to capture the beauty of nature around us. There is so much to see and I’m thankful for state and federal protection of so many wilderness areas. In these locations, I strive to capture those moments in such a way that it reminds me how it felt to be there. My hope is that my photographs will take you to each location, evoke an emotional response, and offer you an opportunity to experience the beauty of each scene and appreciate the land we live in and around.
Some awards and accomplishments include:
- Honorable Mention: Outdoor Photographer’s 2007 Your Favorite Places Photo Contest
- 3rd Place: Photography’s Your Best Shot Photo Contest
- Finalist: Outdoor Photographer’s 2008 Nature’s Colors Photo Contest
- Finalist: Outdoor Photographer’s 2008 Celebrate the Seasons Photo Contest
- Honorable mention 2009 Canon’s Photography in the Park’s Photo Contest
- Finalist: Outdoor Photographer’s 2012 5th Annual Nature’s Colors Photo Contest
- Multiple winners and finalists in Betterphoto's International Photo Contest
Additionally, my work has been published in Urban Climber Magazine, Colorado Life Magazine, multiple times in Outdoor Photographer Magazine, and multiple times in Backpacker Magazine. My work has also been included in multiple calendar projects too. My biggest client to date is Sony Bravia (Europe). I aim to create fine art landscape photographs. To me a fine art photograph is characterized by a balance of artistry and technical mastery. Art without technique leaves the viewer unfulfilled while technique without art leaves the viewer uninspired.
Lastly, you can also follow me at my blog:
Tad Bowman Photography Facebook
Should you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me. I will respond to all inquiries as soon as possible.
Thank you for visiting.