Bob Burns
157 Seckner Road Ilion, NY 13357 (315-525-4212)

I became fascinated with photography in high school and bought my first 35mm camera in the early 1970's. A few years later, I took a black and white darkroom class at a local art school and during that class found out about a photographer’s position at Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, NY. I have retired after a 36 year career as the staff biomedical photographer there. This job involved making photographs of surgical procedures, portraits, public relations work, architectural documentation, prints for publication, video interviews and much more.

Largely self-taught, I have studied books, journals and the works of the masters at galleries for many years. I have been fortunate to have worked with some excellent teachers: Fred Picker, John Sexton and Moose Peterson. My passion is pursuing nature/landscape photography. Some of my favorite places I have visited to make photographs are Southwest England, Ireland, the American Southwest, New England and the Adirondack Park.

I have always been an explorer. I love to travel to new places to experience new vistas. These travels can involve a flight across a continent or ocean or just finding something new on a walk in the woods in my backyard. I’m constantly searching for the way light plays on the planet. Making photographs gives me a way to share my experiences. When I make a photograph that I think is worthy of sharing with others I have an emotional investment in that image and I hope you will experience some of that feeling as well.

The natural landscape has always fascinated me. Roaming the hills of central NY during my childhood took me on many adventures. This naturally led to a feeling of wanting to be able to capture a small part of those experiences. For me, making photographs is a perfect way to achieve that. I have been on that photographic journey for over 40 years. It is a constant learning process.

Photography has always been in a state of change, new methods and processes have been the hallmark of this art form since it's inception in the 1840's. New tools like digital cameras and the digital “lightroom” have changed this process dramatically, but the goal is always the same. I’m constantly looking for new images and learning to use the current tools to express the feelings that arise when I encounter beautiful light.