About RWP Photography

It all started when I was about 5 or 6 years old and my parents gave me a well used Kodak Brownie Target Six-20. I would wander the neighborhood, carefully selecting the 12 exposures, and then run the roll of black and white 620 film to the Fotomat in the parking lot of the nearby grocery store to get it processed. I eventually progressed to a Kodak 110 Instamatic, that I earned by selling newspaper subscriptions, and then in 1977 my parents gave me an Olympus OM-1 SLR for Christmas.

The OM-1 opened up a whole new world for me. It was a real camera and felt solid in my hands, but it was also a completely manual camera. No autofocus. No autoexposure. It forced me to learn the relationship between shutter speeds and f-stops, how to control depth of field, stop action, or create motion blur. I had to think while using it and I learned to see the world around me through its viewfinder. More often than not the final result wasn't what I had envisioned but I knew that with practice I would learn how to transfer what I saw in my minds eye onto film. Even though the medium is no longer film after thirty-plus years I am still practicing and striving to improve.

My biggest influence has been the work of Ansel Adams. Even though his was the world of film and chemicals the photographic principles he developed and documented are in line with the digital world. In my opinion his sense of perspective and composition defined the art.

Over the years photography has become an escape from the pressures of the daily world. When I am out shooting photos the rest of the world slips away and my focus (pun intended) is on the subject in front of me. Even when I don't have a camera in my hands I find myself looking at scenes and objects, analyzing how I would photograph them.

I choose subjects to shoot based on what interests me. Aviation, maritime, ghost towns, old roads, and nature have all been staples of my shooting regimen. Sometimes I pick subjects for no other reason than to challenge my skills. The most difficult subject matter for me has been people and I feel fortunate when I am able to capture an image that both flatters and tells a story.

Thank you for looking and I hope you enjoy my work.

Rick Pisio