About Me | rae-ann-m-garrett

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My Artistic Journey

From as far back as I can remember, I have always been involved in the arts. A self-taught artist from the age of four, my creative journey began with pencils, pens, and pastels.

At seven, I began learning to play the piano, and by twelve, I was composing my own music. At twelve, I also picked up my first paintbrush and began working in oils and acrylics, painting my world and visions in the abstract.

In junior high, I began writing poetry and have continued writing ever since, eventually expanding from poetry into books.

After leaving my hometown of Cody, Wyoming, for college, I discovered sculpting in clay and photography.

My introduction to photography came through an old Pentax 35mm camera and many hours in the darkroom. I learned to wait for the right shot rather than waste a frame of film, a discipline that still shapes the way I photograph today. Even now, I can close my eyes and remember the unmistakable smell of darkroom chemicals.

For a time, I set photography aside and continued painting abstract art. That changed when I received my first digital camera. Armed with a new tool, I began capturing the beauty of the Earth and its creatures, particularly the wildlife and landscapes of the Rocky Mountain West.

As my interests and education grew, so did the ways I could create. I explored Digital Marketing, UX Design, Web Programming, Graphic Design, and Data Analytics, eventually bringing those disciplines together in my professional career. Each discipline gave me another way to understand composition, communication, technology, visual storytelling, and the relationship between creativity and information.

Photography has remained a constant since 1992.

What began with film, a 35mm camera, and a darkroom eventually evolved into digital photography, but the way I approach an image has never changed. I still wait for the right moment, looking for the balance of composition, light, timing, and perspective.

Much of my photography is inspired by the wildlife and landscapes of the Rocky Mountain West. Through my work, I hope to inspire others to slow down, look around, and become witnesses to the beauty that surrounds us.

For more than 40 years, I have continued to explore, learn, experiment, and create. The mediums have changed. The technology has changed. The tools have changed. But the impulse behind the work has remained remarkably constant.

Art is the journey the soul takes. I find this magic in the ordinary days