Giclée prints by William Ahearn

My first successful photograph was a portrait of our airedale, Mickey, taken when I was in tenth grade with my father's Rollieflex, a twin lens box camera. This camera yielded a 2-1/4 square negative and rather sharp prints, as only a 4x enlargement produced an 8x10 print. The framed print was a gift to my sister, and I recall feeling that making something myself and giving it to her seemed as much a gift to me as well. As things turned out, I put the camera away for many years. Ten years ago, I developed a serious urge to sketch and draw. For a short period of time, I copied pictures of people and landscapes from books and magazines. I felt a need for original material and borrowed a neighbor's camera. When I photographed I was trying to take a picture that would make a good sketch.

I discovered that I could get some pretty good pictures right out of the camera, and never did get back to my sketching. Working in a catalog photography studio and taking workshops with my favorite photographic artists enabled me to work competently with the camera and photographic materials. I spend more time looking for images that move me than I do recording them. Nature is sometimes aesthetically imperfect, growing and changing in random ways that are somewhat contrary to our sense of rationality. Harmonious arrangements of natural subjects are rare and must first be seen to be appreciated. One solution to this problem lies with careful composition. By deliberately assembling the frame after choosing the best position for the camera, it is possible to capture an image with a feeling of design or intention.

To my way of thinking, the best pictures are so for their content alone, revealing little of the photographer or technique employed. You might say a good picture is like a walk in the park. You start out in familiar territory, but when you get there you notice something new or different, and the return home is somehow more enjoyable because of it.

		stock number:	11501
		title:	Autumn Leaves
		image size:	16 x 20 inches
		support:	Somerset Velvet, 250 gsm
		edition size:	500
Click thumbnail for enlarged view		price:	$145
(same as above)		stock number:	11502
		title:	Autumn Leaves
		image size:	8 x 10 inches
		support:	Somerset Velvet, 250 gsm
		edition size:	Open
		price:	$45
		stock number:	11503
		title:	Bougainvillea
		image size:	16 x 20 inches
		support:	Somerset Velvet, 250 gsm
		edition size:	500
Click thumbnail for enlarged view		price:	$145
(same as above)		stock number:	11504
		title:	Bougainvillea
		image size:	8 x 10 inches
		support:	Somerset Velvet, 250 gsm
		edition size:	Open
		price:	$45