Nawfal Nur

Date:  19 September 2010

I put together a video presentation that shows, pictorially, what I photograph.  The Windows Movie File is around 13MB; it may take a little time to stream or download; but, it may be more entertaining than all the words down below.

I was never formally trained in photography or art, but I am happy to acknowledge that I have been a student of photography for the last 33-years.

It was back in Lincoln, Nebraska, my hometown, where I started my photography journey, tromping around in my grandmother’s flower gardens, taking macro photographs of anything in that magical place.  My first SLR camera was a PENTAX K1000 with a 50mm lens, and that was enough to spark the photography flame.

I graduated from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, in 1990, where I earned a Master of Community & Regional Planning. I spent some time working in City Planning and Computer Software while living in Lincoln.  My planning interests ranged from Planning in Areas with Limited Land Space (my thesis topic); Planning to deal with Hunger and Starvation in Developing Countries; and Planning for Special Populations.  In 1989, I traveled to Singapore to gather first-hand research data, interviewing and discussing with Planners at the HDB (Housing & Development Board - Singapore) about the techniques and strategies to deal with limited land space and development on an island.

In 1994, we moved to Malaysia.  Most people think that moving across town is a chore; well, try moving you and your ’stuff’ halfway around the world, that move for us was a gargantuan task.

I get a lot of inspiration from the Abstract Expressionism, Master Painters:  Abstract Expressionism is a painting style that I love, and I try to incorporate the feeling of this style when I do any Abstract Photography.  I incorporate a lot of abstraction in my “ETHEREAL VISIONS” smoke photography series. It is no small surprise that my favorite Abstract Expressionist painter is Jackson Pollock. 

Jackson said that ‘A good painter paints what he is,’ and I think this is a good place to start when it comes time to create a new art piece.  After all, if you are not following your own vision, then your work is not going to grow very much.

Many photographers have inspired me, but New York Commercial Photographer, Carl Fischer, is the one that comes to my mind first.  I had no idea at the time, that many of the magazine photographs from ESQUIRE and LOOK magazines I marveled at in my youth were Carl Fischer’s work.

Two photos by Fischer are especially memorable for me: Andy Warhol drowning in the can of Campbell’s Tomato Soup (1969); and, another important Fischer image is of world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, taken in 1967, he is depicted as the martyred St Sebastian. In the 60’s, these special effects photos took 3-days to complete, and all done by hand – no computer manipulation: I think this is totally amazing!

My single-most important photography reference is “Secrets of Studio Still Life Photography” by Gary Perweiler. 

Lately, I have been working on Still Life and Fine Art Photography and currently sell prints through Imagekind,

Θ   http://nawfalnur.imagekind.com/  | Here you can see and purchase my Art Photography. 

I was a featured photographer at the Digimarc Community Gallery website from 2005 thru 2009.  

Currently, I am editing a new PDF Photography EBook, titled, "Ethereal Dreams & Hope."  This book includes 31 of my smoke art photographs, and motivational quotes that accompany the general visual themes of each photograph.  I created this publication with hopes that it will help people who suffer from the very debilitating effects of depression due to some chronic, or long-term disease.

All in all, when I pick up a camera, any camera, my main goal is to create better photographs than the last time I picked up the camera, and that’s not such a bad goal to have.