At first glance, you will undoubtedly notice the visual simplicity in Curtis’s latest work, titled “The Coastal Series” – a collection of fine art photography, skillfully captured off Vancouver Island’s coast. Salty oceanic structures are transformed into breathtaking graceful statues, organic representations which enlighten viewers to experience some of life’s more complex reactions; sorrow and contentedness, pain and satisfaction, emotions as fragmented as the subject matter itself. Each photograph captures a delicate and crucial moment.
This series of long exposure photographs represents not only the beauty of where he’s from, but a time in a person’s life. It’s not so much about the coast, the water, the mountains or the landscapes. It’s about a guy trying to keep it together while everything’s falling apart. Life, love, sex and the ever-looking presence of the grim reaper. It’s about men, women, husbands, daughters and fathers. Charles Bukowski meets Judy Blume. Dark swirling chaos and the white picket fence playing a cruel game of tug of war. A beautiful mixture of place and time that embraces the value of stillness and captures the feeling of romanticism, sadness and hope. Without flowery additions, walking a line between Zen practice and the art of who gives a fuck.
Curtis’s work can make the seemingly insignificant, explode with presence and simultaneously cause your heart to swell nearly as big. Thoughtful and easy going, Curtis’s demeanor emanates through his personal work documenting a passing moment, exposing simple truths and engaging the art form that hides beneath them. Similarly, as a wedding photographer, Curtis has an innate ability to wrap himself around his subject’s most intimate characteristics.
A nervous smile or a tear-filled glance, a fleeting moment which creates the most opportune atmosphere for empathetic familiarity, a visual depiction in its honest nature. With a natural capacity to take charge during a shoot, Curtis leads his clients, guiding them comfortably into a position which builds upon his incredible work ethic and adds an element of serenity during an otherwise emotionally charged event.
Seeing life and time in the colours they are, and aren’t. A shiny blue sea, that appears black as night. A bleak rainy wedding, that screams with colour through the joy and love. The disingenuous looks traded at social gatherings that bring out the best and worst in all. Curtis shoots it all the same … he tells the truth. The rest is just noise.
Photo Credits
All Photographs Are © Curtis Pelletier
Curtis Pelletier Photographer Bio
Curtis Pelletier, a wedding photographer and accomplished artist who resides in Victoria, BC, is recognized for his unique ability to capture the beauty of a moment in its true raw form. A self-described risk-taker, Curtis is unafraid of allowing his work to expose an underlying personal component; often thought-provoking with a hint of mystery, which leaves the viewer to appreciate his honest and clear love for the art that he creates.
Blog / Website: Curtis Pelletier
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Hi Curtis,
Great pics! I absolutely love the second photo of the picnic table. I could look at that for a long time!
Thanks!
Cheers,
Gil