It seems Craig likes to look at the world through the eyes of a child. Everything he sees through his lens is just as it is and as it should be, right here and right now. He tries to capture it so that an image of that moment in time might be shared. He also looks at the world with the eyes of an artist. Attention to detail, composition, light, shade, and the juxtaposition of improbable objects all contribute to the artistic qualities of Craig’s photos.

Magazines today are filled with images that have been retouched, digitally enhanced or brushed until the subject bears no relationship to the reality behind the photo. I love Craig’s images because they are the ‘real thing’, real people, real run-down shacks, real junk yards, real moments. Pictures portray the truth, warts and all, yet the beauty in each moment is constantly changing. He told me once of his awareness of inconstancy. Impermanence becomes vivid in the present moment as do compassion, wonder and courage. This awareness is what makes Craig’s photos so alive, so arresting, so wonder-filled.

Awareness is that “ah-ah” sensation we get when we KNOW something for the first time. Sadly, our innocence is contaminated by the world from the time we are infants, our senses dulled to that sudden surprise of being in the moment. We all have a unique relationship with the world we live in. Craig’s relationship is such that his excitement overflows when others see the world as he does.

However, as with all art, photography employs both a transmitter and a receiver. The receivers we bring to Craig’s images, our experiences of the world, may evoke emotions that are entirely different to those Craig was trying to transmit. Isn’t that wonderful? I’m sure Craig would like to feel that when you view his images, they will bring to them their surprise of being in the moment.

JAN CORNISH

Foreward: Local Images 2005