About Pi Photography and Fine Art and Award Winning Landscape and Nature Photographer Melissa Fague
Our Fine Art Philosophy on Nature and Landscape Photography
“Art, and creativity in people’s consciousness is all things to all people and a profound reflection of man’s relationship with life. Art is a unique expression of the mind or innermost soul and feelings through demonstrating a particular matter or thing in its most profound meaning. It may portray beauty or aesthetic form of its nature. That reaches out into the hearts of others, from the wonders of dreams and aspiring illusions and never ending world of fantasy. It may be from its simplest to the most passionate expression of beauty or anything to do with various creations exploring a world from its most profound sense. It is the essence of the mind and soul by nature that was formed by expression. It may also be dramatically delivered as a form of communicating from oneself to connect into this world of reality with its undying purposes and reasons. In any such, art is like a world of magic flair with a deeper uninhibited touch of versatility in its meaning and design. Art is the icing of the cake so to speak when it comes to decorating; it finishes off any room, no matter if it’s in your home, office or dorm spaces. Art is also a great gift for moms or dads or even housewarming to holiday gifts; it will brighten the day for any recipient.”
Nature and landscape photography communicates with a person’s soul and it helps us connect with the world around us. Both landscape and nature photographs can reflect an impressive array of memories and emotions, happiness and sorrows, love and hate, truth and fables. But is can also teach people and inspire greatness within us. However, art and photography does so much more; it’s a creative experience which explores the mysterious, the sublime, the unexpected, the often obscure and otherworldly, bringing fleeting moments of profound meaning into frozen moments of time; a moment that would otherwise have been invisible to us.
Featured artist is national and international award winning nature and landscape photographer Melissa Fague. We are opening our doors to other artists in 2018. If you would like to submit work for consideration, please contact us via email.
About Melissa
Melissa Fague has always had an appreciation and passion for visual arts or visual storytelling but her career in photographic art did not start until 2009. In 2009 Melissa was involved in a traumatic car accident and endured multiple spinal surgeries; she was laid up of almost 19 months. During that time Melissa chose to learn as much as she could about photography through the Internet and through the Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online division.
As Melissa healed and her strength grew, so did the passion and the curiosity for the art of photography. Even though most photographers have a specific style, Melissa finds something interesting and compelling about each field of photography and continuously explores them all. However, Melissa’s love for the outdoors always takes her back to the calming aspects of nature and landscape photography. In 2011, Melissa established PI Photography and Fine Art and in October of 2013 Melissa received her degree in Digital Photography for the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.
With visual storytelling, Melissa discovered that there is huge potential to express a more creative and personal vision on (to some individuals) ordinary subjects that are normally passed by without a second thought. Focusing her attention on Delaware allows Melissa to discover not only beautiful landscapes that Delaware offers but the chance to invoke mood and character of the region she lives in. Seeking to capture the beauty, or convey the emotional qualities of a place or moment in nature, her images have elicited responses ranging from evocative, to spiritual and breathtaking. Melissa became a national and international award winning landscape photographer in 2014 and to date, has had over 3 dozen published nature and landscape photos in various media outlets.
We invite you to visit our galleries, enjoy the exploration of finding the extraordinary in the ordinary and if you would like to read more about her journey please visit her blog...she is always willing to share her experiences with you.
* Member of the Delaware Photographic Society since 2011
* Proud Photographer of the Delaware Ovarian Cancer Foundation
Photographer for the First State F.O.O.L.S.
Melissa's Artist Statement
Nine almost ten years ago I never would have thought that I would be a professional nature and landscape photographer trying to inspire people through imagery and art. I had always loved the art of photography and admired the artistry of capturing mood, the story, and the sheer beauty the world has to offer but I never invested in myself or the art the way I do today. I can remember leafing through National Geographic’s' magazines and admiring the stunning photographs of the different cultures, landscapes and other natural elements of this world at a very young age. Honestly, for the longest time I thought the admiration was because of the photographer’s ability to travel to distant lands not for the quality of the photograph or the skills it took to create it…I was wrong.
During most of my life I had a “Point and Shoot” camera that was always on auto and really only used for the usual family BBQs or events; I never explored it or the art of photography. Everyone always told me that my photos were good but I just thanked them and went on with life. It wasn’t until I got severely hurt in a car accident that I started exploring photography as a hobby. When the car accident happened late in 2009, I was laid up with little feeling and mobility for 19 months. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a busy body that never stops, so being confined for so long made me feel like I was trapped. Photography was one subject that I was able to read about that kept my mind focused on something other than the pain that I was enduring. So I invested in a better camera with interchangeable lenses, the Nikon D60…suddenly my world changed. I instantly fell in love with the camera and the results but what I really loved was the calming peace I felt when I was able to get out shooting. That same sense of peace occurred when I performed edits and whenever I viewed the images. In a way, photography was a form of positive healing for me.
What I’ve learned over the years is that photography is so much more than a click of a shutter and a resulting picture. Photography is about the study of light, the study of angles, a story, an emotion, a reflection of someone personality, the ability to capture those moments for eternity and the study of an environment. In my opinion, photography is the story of the world that continuously moving and interacting around us.
As I grew stronger as a photographer, I noticed that I see the world in a completely different manner than I once did. I see the tenderness of a mother's love as she gently pushes the hair out of her child’s face. I see the years of hardship in the winkles and dirt on the faces of the homeless. I see the heartbreak of the soldiers as they depart from their families, while they try to remain brave and courageous. I see the symmetry of a butterflies wings, the consistency of the hair that covers an animal’s body and I see all of the small natural details that form the vast landscapes of our world. All of these beautiful details that are encompassed in a person, a being, an area or someone’s story are key to making photography meaningful, artful and inspiring.
Personally, I have always been a nature lover and I spend a lot of time out hiking, camping and exploring the wilderness along the east coast any chance I get. Having this level of comfort in nature and a passion for photography makes the field of nature and landscape photography perfect for me. Every cycle or season, every change in the weather possesses a new challenge for me to find and exhibit the beauty of those changes. While most people pack up their belongings if rain comes during an outing, I will unpack rain gear and I keep exploring the elements; there are countless nights that I have come home soaked from rain or chilled to the core from the temperature dropping….but I loved every minute of it.
My goal as a professional landscape and nature photographer is to create art out of the natural world that surrounds us and exhibit the fine details of the objects that are normally overlooked in the daily grind. My hope is, when my photographs are viewed that the viewer not only sees the elements but feel and connects with the elements of the image; my hope is the viewer with have a sense of joy or peace. Nothing pleases me more than to know that my vision, my growth, and my work was inspiring or moving to someone else.
My name is Melissa Fague and I am a photographic artist, I strive to inspire people through the art of nature by finding the extraordinary in the ordinary!