Bruce Norman will be the featured artist in the Parker Artists Guild's March Newsletter. Since childhood Bruce has been fascinated with photography but it was only in the late 1980s that he began to pursue it as more than a part time hobby, attending workshops with some of the best photographers, most notably Rich Clarkson - former director of photography for National Geographic.

"Photography for me," Bruce says, "is primarily about the experience. It is the desire to capture an image that has spurred me to travel to scenic places and brave the pre-dawn chill."

Recently Bruce has experimented with some new and created techniques for photographing smoke. He suggests that one way to stay creative and keep out of the bitter cold and pre-dawn chill is to sit back, relax, enjoy a nice home fire and watch the smoke. Grab your camera and take a few shots.

"OK," he confesses, "that's not really how it's done." Smoke photography requires some very strong light source(s) and a dark background. The best source he has found for smoke photography is incense. Just light up and start shooting. Using colored gels can add nice tones to the images. Photoshop is used to enhance the contrast, choose pleasing colors, and invert the images when a white background is desired. A few of his remarkable images of smoke are shown here. Pick your way through the billowing smoke photos to find Bruce with one of his more traditional photographs of a horse.

Bruce has been a member of PAG since 2004, where he puts his former career experience as a software engineer to work in maintaining the 200+ Membership Directory and mailing lists. He is also a founding member of the Greater Castle Rock Artists Guild (2006).

In his home office/studio Bruce has the capability to print, mount and frame his own digital photographs, assuring quality from start to finish. Aside from his exceptional talent, Bruce has a self-deprecating sense of humor and a willingness to share his knowledge with others.

To view Bruce's images go to www.brucenorman.com.