Joan Miller

Joan began using a camera when she was about 8 or 9. Her dad was always taking pictures and she’s sure it rubbed off on her. Joan shot on family vacations and around the neighborhood. Later, in college, she studied photography, while majoring in journalism. That’s where she received her darkroom training and that’s when her passion really took hold. Later, as a journalist, Joan would occasionally do photography for various publications. Over the decades, Joan continued to build her skills through seminars and classes. She particularly enjoyed experimenting with hand coloring and alternative printing techniques.

“I am inspired by many things: nature, light, colors, shapes, other artists and their work. The act of creating something is so satisfying. The past few years I’ve been caught up in the digital world, and that’s not a bad thing. But my goal is to get back in the darkroom to process and print piles of black and white negatives that I continue to shoot. I love the purity of the art form, the magic of working with light and film, the tonality. When I look at the work of the masters – Henri Cartier-Bresson, Ansel Adams, Margaret Bourke-White, Minor White, and even Vivian Maier -- that’s the inspiration to do more, to do it better. I just plan to keep creating, keep learning, keep experimenting. Art is so personal and subjective. I find that I am attracted to many different art forms. I think the more art you are exposed to, the more open your mind and eyes become. You see the world differently.”