Woods and swamps have always held a special fascination for me. As a child I discovered the magical allure of lonely, wild places and began disappearing into them whenever possible much to the dismay of my poor mother. I still do the same thing now, much to the dismay of my poor wife. The difference now is that I take a camera with me in an effort to share some of what I see and feel in those places with others.
My art gives me an excuse to vanish into nearby woods and swamps on a moment’s notice when I feel the need to be alone in nature. More often than not the conditions aren’t right for infrared photography but even if I don’t come away with a single worthwhile image I always come away with a rejuvenated soul. Infrared tends to be my medium of choice when on these excursions and in many other locations because I believe the distinctive look transcends the documentary feel of a typical photograph and helps to impart a little bit of that magical experience to the viewer. -Jim Sykes
Bio: JR Sykes is a full-time commercial photographer based in Tampa, Florida. His personal art photographs hang in numerous government, corporate and private locations. In 2009 one of his prints was given to the President of Liberia as a gift from the City of Tampa. In 2016 the United States Air Force commissioned a 35 foot long panorama of one his landscapes for installation at one of its bases.
He is currently the president of the Tampa Bay Camera Club, oldest photography club in the region. He leads photo tours in the American Southwest, teaches photography workshops and gives private lessons whenever possible.
Contact: http://www.jrsphotos.com/
Nancy McCrary
Nancy is the Publisher and Founding Editor of South x Southeast photomagazine. She is also the Director of South x Southeast Workshops, and Director of South x Southeast Photogallery. She resides on her farm in Georgia with 4 hounds where she shoots only pictures.