Nigels Photographic Web Site

My name is Nigel Aves. I’m an Englishman, but I live in Longmont, Colorado, USA. By way of Norway, Belgium, Holland and France, technically. Photography is my passion, and the thing that will undoubtedly drive me insane someday (though many would argue it already has). I don’t photograph subjects. I photograph the way they make me feel. Admittedly, it’s a bit of a strange concept. But it’s honest – and it’s probably the best way to describe my approach to the craft and art. I wrestle with every image I shoot, I try to imagine what was possible when I was closeted in a darkroom and working with many a fine toxic chemical (this could of course help explain the insanity aspect!). I assume perfection is possible and I want to wring it out of every picture. If that’s all you ever know about me, it’s enough to say you know me very, very well indeed.

When it comes to commissioned work I believe in working with you from the beginning, to create images that standout and add a taste of art to every photograph.

I believe in creating portraits that are prettier than the everyday life, but capture the essence of the person. But I also believe that capturing an image in a 1/120th of a second is the slightest slice of life that will exist forever.

Sometimes the realism of life never needs to be anything else.

There are three quotes that I have always believed every photographer should follow, one related to photography, one related to who you are and one related to the entire state of humanity.

"No man has the right to dictate what other men should perceive, create or produce, but all should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their perceptions and emotions, and to build confidence in the creative spirit." - Ansel Adams

"The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over." - Hunter S Thompson.

“Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go and do that, because what the world needs are people who have come alive.” - Harold Whitman

Photography is a democratic medium, in this modern day and age of digital photography and cell phones with cameras everyone can take photographs. They may not be great photographs but the process of taking pictures has become exceedingly easy.

This is both good and bad.

It is good because it allows anyone with a creative mind to express her or his ideas without being bogged down with technique, like learning how to paint. This will present a great opportunity to those creative individuals. On the other hand, everyone snapping another picture, to clutter the closet, or more recently, the computer storage takes a little wind out of the photographic sail. This apparent ease of making pictures erroneously creates the impression that photographic art is easy.

Quite the contrary.