Field of dreams

'Field of Dreams' is based on three colours, blue, white and black with a closely cropped horizon line, allowing the viewer to gaze over the abstract, somewhat mysterious bent corn stalks into a dreamy and luminous mid-summer sky. Some have likened the shapes of the stalks to cubist works or even many small Sidney Opera Houses, and I can see those comparisons. In addition, if one looks closely at the clouds and blue sky, it is possible to find nearly half of the alphabet's letters in these shapes and forms.

The abstract field, endless sky, and glowing clouds lull one into dreams, hopes, thoughts of the future, reflections on the past and indeed, evaluation of the present. As always, I hope these photographs provide viewers with a mirror into their inner thoughts, hopes, fears, joys, challenges, loves and much more.

Scott Mead

Journey into Blue

'Journey into Blue' conveys the visual and emotional feelings associated with the color blue. The image contains a wide range of blue tones created by the intense sunlight shimmering through abstract clouds, deep blue sky, mountain silhouettes and reflecting sea. It also brings to mind the enormity of nature relative to human activities. This is suggested by the boat in the lower right, a small presence in the dark blue sea and dwarfed by the mountains beyond.

Blue has often been associated with coldness but 'Journey into Blue' shows the true richness, warmth and depth of my favorite color. Over the ages, it has also been associated with melancholy ('the blues'), a feeling most people experience at some point and which certainly can be felt from this image with its simple and empty pureness and beauty, as well as a sense of solitude. Nevertheless, the shimmering light and glowing surface of the water seem to evoke feelings of hope and promise. While this image is more towards the darker scale of blue tones, in low light it seems to glow as if energized with the spirit of positive human energy and life.

Scott Mead

See the full series of 'Blue' here.

Autumn

'Autumn' expresses transition in the cycle of the seasons and of life. In this image, the structure of the gnarled and somewhat battered tree reflects the complex journey and directional changes which life often involves. The strong back lighting, illuminating the tree and its leaves, gives a positive sense of warmth and energy. The tree itself has begun to drop leaves and many, if not most, of its apples lie on the ground, suggesting the beginning of the tree's own transition towards winter. The overturned basket, perhaps soon to be filled with apples, hints at the possibility and fullness of the seasons, even in the face of approaching winter.

Scott Mead

'Autumn' is from the series 'Looking Back', see a further selection of images here.

Choices

'Choices' depicts tire tracks, footprints and other markings, all moving in different but upward directions, suggesting the progress of all of our lives - our hopes, dreams and goals, and the reflections and deliberations we all have before making life’s most important choices. No two tracks are the same, and many overlap with each other, alluding to the complexity and deliberations leading to life’s paths. The circle surrounding the photograph, into which all the tracks run and eventually disappear, provides a sense of closure to life, one which we all must eventually confront.

In the lower foreground, the distinct pattern of one set of tracks in particular is reminiscent of primitive stick drawings of people, or indeed some ancient language long since forgotten, suggesting the timelessness of the overall theme of this work.

The photograph was taken near the entrance to Walden Pond, in Concord, Massachusetts just outside Boston in the USA, where the writer and philosopher Henry David Thoreau spent large parts of 1845-47 living simply in a small cabin alone. From this experience, he wrote the classic “Walden, or Life in the Woods”, whose themes are, among others, individuality, self-sufficiency, and simplicity of life. Walden has been cited as an inspiration by many leading figures in all walks of life as providing them inspiration in charting their own life paths and beliefs.

Scott Mead

'Choices' is from the series 'Looking Back', see a further selection of images here.

Looking Back

'Looking Back' is about reflecting on life's experiences and contemplating the future. The winding road, leading to the large tree and disappearing out of sight, suggests the path of life's journey. And the centrally positioned and symmetrical tree could be seen as a "Tree of Life" motif bringing to mind the many ideas, directions and choices we consider or dismiss, and then explore and eventually decide to pursue. The "Tree of Life" has in similar forms been a subject expressed visually by many cultures over thousands of years, underscoring the commonality of the human experience over time, place and generations.

This image, along with all the works in the series of the same title, was made from a large format 8x10 inch film negative created with a lens whose projection does not entirely cover the negative. Therefore, this perspective, wide but not distorted, captures the entire field of what the lens and also the photographer's eye "sees", rather than being limited and defined by the more traditional rectangular or square format of a conventional camera or screen. The circle encourages the eye to remain within the image and not be distracted by edges or defined limits.

Scott Mead

'Looking Back' is from the series of the same title, see a further selection of images here.

The Other Half

'The Other Half' suggests to me that the most significant part of an experience - a person, a time of life, or a challenge - is often not recognized until something brings it into conscious perception. Here the late afternoon light elongates shadows that prove more significant visually and emotionally than the trees casting them. The shadows suggest questions, answers or thoughts beyond the trees themselves.

Scott Mead

'The Other Half' is from the series 'Looking Back', see a further selection of images here.

What Happened Next

'What Happened Next' captures a moment of uncertainty and tension. Has the truck hit the pig with mortal consequences? Or are they simply in the same photograph and unrelated to each other? This work questions the assumptions we all make when presented with what seems like an obvious cause and effect and logical outcome. In fact, if you look closely at the pig's ear, you will see a distinct clue. Could there be a slight blurring given the long shutter speed, with the hint and possible joyful conclusion that rather than an ending, there is in fact a beginning of sorts - a happily sleeping animal, who soon after this photograph got up, snorted, and jogged off. So much for what seems like the right and obvious assumption! And for the fact that what often seem like endings may well be new beginnings and journeys, with much to anticipate and look forward to.

Scott Mead

'What Happened Next' is from the series 'Looking Back', see a further selection of images here.