Contact Information: David Higgins Studio Visits By Appointment 293 South Dyer Neck Road Newcastle ME 04553 (207) 586-5086  Email: d.higgins@mac.com

Biography:

Born in Portland, Dave is a lifelong resident of the state of Maine and has lived all over southern and central parts of the state. He is a graduate of Portland High School and Central Maine Vocational Technical School (Graphic Arts), the University of Southern Maine (BS in Vocational Education) and a Masters of Fine Arts - Visual Arts from Vermont College. Dave has been a photographer and educator for more than 30 years. Most of his teaching experience is in graphics arts, computers and traditional and digital photography.

Photography is his first love and his work covers a wide spectrum of interests. He works in both color and black-and-white; almost all of his current work is done digitally. Dave is currently working on a series of images which he calls "Working Boats" shot in harbors along the Midcoast. Many of these images are shot from a kayak which allows him to achieve a unique point of view of traditional subjects.
Dave now owns and operates Digital Imaging & Design Services specializing in a graphic design services, digital imaging and commercial photography. He also offers courses in digital imaging and fine arts photography in many locations around the state of Maine. His work has appeared in several national publications and has been exhibited nationally, regionally and locally.

In His own words -- Excerpted from a 2004 press release "Artistic Vision":

For some years now I have adopted a minimalist philosophy of "less is more". I describe my philosophy by saying, "It is often more important what you take out of an image than what you leave in." My work is more about subtle relationships than grand vistas or representations. I place emphasis on line, tone, form and compositional relationships. I explore the beauty of simple, small or ordinary subjects. People often tell me they find mywork more real to them than reality itself. This is because I strive to find the essence of the subject with which my viewers can connect and identify.

Photography has long since established its historical importance. I want my work to speak to that ability by describing the time and place that is Maine in the late 20th and early 21st century. I'm not so much interested in events as in the natural landscape. I'm very interested in historical images and the comparisons that can be made photographically to the same objects and locations as they are seen now. I want viewers to look at my images in some future time and to make some of those same sorts of comparisons. I want them to understand the beauty that was here.

I feel that I am working now in the most prolific and creative period of my artistic life. My time is more within my control and I can take advantage of it to shoot whenever a good opportunity arises or to spend the extra time required to perfect an image in my production studio. Currently I'm working on a series of images called "Working Boats" shot in harbors and waters along the Midcoast. "Heavy Weather" was shot off Pemequid in a storm surge. Many other images in this series, like "Foggy Bottom", were shot from a kayak which allows me to achieve a unique point of view of traditional subjects. Taken as a whole, this series speaks to the way we think about coastal Maine and to it's reality. Each image is an historical record of our changing waterfront.

I began my studies of photography as a black and white photographer. "Four Square" provides a good example of the digital black and white work that is built on a foundation of my traditional film work. Alternatively, the digital process allows greater freedom and manipulation of color in an image. Using layers and opacity adjustments I can cross a line between black and white and color renditions of an image. There are three examples in my Artistic Materials: muted color as in "Fisherman", spot color like the red fire station in the " Village in Winter", and just hint of bottle green in the wave of " Heavy Weather". "Blue Mist" is a minimalist monotone composition that uses color in a way that could not be captured entirely in either black and white or in color. All are images with a black and white feel that use color to make a point.

Seeing in color requires an entirely different vision than black and white. Composition is radically different; the color itself becomes a major element in the composition of the image. "Red and Yellow" is one of my first works that rely chiefly on color and not on composition. Since then, I see that red is an important color in my work and in my understanding of how color informs an image. Stone Arch, shot from a kayak on an overcast day, not only achieves a point of view that can not be done from land but also takes advantage of one of my favorite weather conditions. The light on an overcast day allows for a glowing saturation of color because the actual range of color is more compact and within the range that a camera can capture.

Two samples of close up photography are included in my Artistic Materials as examples of my work in this area. "Pears and Shadow" demonstrates my ideas of minimalist composition. Botanical subjects, like "Lilies" allow me to pursue my studies of form and color. Other frequent macro subject matter in my imaging include found objects in nature and a new series of antique tools. Not included in this sample are examples of abstracts, portraits, panoramas and architecturals.

Work in Other Galleries or Collections