Beauty is there, waiting to be found, in all things …
Striving for perfection at every point of the creative process, no aspect of the representation of an image is left to chance. In no other branch of the arts does an understanding of the physical and chemical processes involved play such an important role as with photography. However, many aspects contribute to a final image and, neither the motif itself nor the format and certainly not the atmosphere, the time of day or the resulting colours and their representation are left to chance. My initial photographic work is represented by my trademark wide panoramas of cities or landscapes. These hand stitched works, which really invite you to ‘step in’ and walk through the image, have found their way into many private and business collections. Nevertheless, it has always been the colours and structures to be found in nature, as well as the underlying chemical processes that lie behind these, which has fascinated me and nature photography is my opportunity to show the awe inspiring beauty of the natural world as I perceive it. Although I sometimes simply show this beauty as I find it, I always try and push the representation of an image to its artistic limits, perhaps even ending with an abstract work. Cropping tightly, contexts like shorelines and horizon are often removed allowing a creative focus on the details and sometimes vibrant colours that excite me. Just as a diamond needs light, so capturing the interplay of subject and light, is often key to achieving the effect I am looking for. This is never more present than when looking at water in its many forms and as such this is very much a preferred motif. I explore passionately the whole year round the boundless reservoir of motifs that nature has to offer: What I see; what I think and feel about what I see; and how this, and these emotions, can be represented in a final image.
In 2012 I returned to film photography (6 x 17cm medium format), being particularly taken by the rich colours from Fuji Velvia film. Searching for a digital equivalent to film, I discovered the Foveon X3 Direct Image sensor from SIGMA and was immediately captivated by the colour and detail that this could deliver. I now own and use a range of cameras from the house SIGMA as well as lenses from SIGMA, Carl Zeiss, Mamiya and Meyer Görlitz. I am a REFERENCE PHOTOGRAPHER for SIGMA Germany and a photographer for DEIN STERNENKIND.
CONTACT:Email: mark.blauvista@icloud.comPhone: +49 173 6857354
EXHIBITIONS:May 2001: Art Galerie MTZ, SulzbachSeptember 2001: Kunst und Rahmen Atelier, WiesbadenFebruary 2002: Sportpressball – Olympiastand Stadt FrankfurtFebruary 2004: St’Art, Foire d’Art Contemporain, StrasbourgMay 2004: FIS 10th International Fine Art ExhibitionFebruary 2005: St’Art, Foire d’Art Contemporain, StrasbourgMay 2005: FIS 11th International Fine Art ExhibitionMarch 2007: FIS 13th Internatinal Fine Art ExhibitionMay 2007: Komen Deutschland eVSeptember 2009: Galerie Sties, KronbergMay 2010: Bilder Hofmann Galerie Kunsthandlung, OberurselApril 2011: Galerie Sties, KronbergSeptember 2012: Galerie Sties, KronbergSeptember 2014: SIGMA Deutschland, Photokina, KölnNovember 2015: Agora Gallery, New York, “Illumination”January 2016: Galleria 360, Florence, “New Art”April 2016: Biennale Riviera Del Brenta, VeniceMay 2016: Tokyo International Art Fair, TokyoMay 2016: ATIM’s Top 60 Masters Of Contemporary ArtSeptember 2016: SIGMA Deutschland, Photokina, KölnNovember 2016: “Little Treasures 2016”, Bologna, ItalyDecember 2016: Spectrum Miami Art Show, USAFebruary 2017: Art In Florence, Galleria360, ItalyMarch 2017: International Biennale of Mediterranean Art, PalermoMarch 2017: Biennale D’Arte, Peschiera del Garda, ItalyMarch 2017: International Masters, Metropolitan Gallery Of Art, Las Vegas, USAJuly 2017: Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, New York, USASeptember 2017: SIGMA Deutschland, Photokina, KölnOctober 2017: Unique Realities, Ateneo de Madrid, Madrid, SpainOctober 2017: Pirmasener Fototage, GermanyNovember 2017: “Little Treasures 2017”, Bologna, ItalyMarch 2018: Norddeutsche Naturfototage: Lecture (with Ines Mondon)June 2018: #PHOTOGRAPHY #CITIES, Spazio Tadini Museum, Milan, ItalySeptember 2018: SIGMA Deutschland, Photokina, KölnNovember 2018: Exposicion de Arte Internacional, Ateneo de Madrid, Madrid, SpainSeptember 2019: Perspektiven Malente – Fototage zwischen den Seen: Lecture (with Ines Mondon)October 2019: SIGMA DAYS BERLIN 2019: LectureAugust 2020 to February 2021: ZINGST “Eine Augenweide – schön zu sehen, gut zu wissen” (Large Format Vernissage)
PUBLICATIONS AND PRIZES:ARTisSpectrum Vol. 34ProfiFoto Spezial 151, Sigma In Professionellen Händen (German)Leonardo da Vinci Prize, Universal Artist, Florence 2016Internationale Kunst Heute, 2016iBook: The SIGMA dp Quattro Cameras In Practice – Mark James Ford & Ines MondonWEBINAR: Lichtblick Wochenende (Datacolor Spyder) – Landschaftsfotografie mit Mark James FordATIM Masters Award 2016ATIM’s Top 60 Masters Of Contemporary ArtWorld Wide Art Books: Current Masters 2, Selected Modern ArtArtTour International Summer Issue 2016: Cover Story – The Fine Art Photography Of Mark James FordWorld Wide Art Books: International Contemporary Masters Volume 11, Page 76-79Art Journal Article: Little Treasures 2016, Background Image: “Two Stones”In recognition of artistic value: Little Treasures Award Of Excellence 2016ATIM Top 20 Photographers 2017: Cover StoryFür Die Farben Der Natur: Die Malerischen Bilder Von Ines Mondon Und Mark James Ford – Photo Presse 07/17In Der Natur Zu Hause – fotoPRO Herbst 2017Maximale Auflösung mit dem SIGMA SFD-Modus – SIGMA BLOGNaturfotografie Auf Hawaii – Naturfoto, Magazin für Naturfotografie, December 2018Cover WestJet In Flight Magazine May 2019Rheinwerk Verlag: FOTOGRAFIEREN IN DER NATUR (German)Amazon.de: FOTOGRAFIEREN IN DER NATUR (German)DigitalPHOTO – BILDGESTALTUNG IN DER PRAXISSIGMA Blog (German): Using the SIGMA fp with a field monitorClose-Up Photographer of the Year: Intimate Landscapes 2020
eBook 2021: WHAT DREAMS ARE THESE?On Landscape #293 (December 2023): Featured Photographer