Photography has long been recognized as a way of learning to see the world with fresh eyes. Sometimes this means developing a new appreciation for what’s in front of us; sometimes it means seeing something of ourselves reflected in it. Whole Reality is a place for developing that kind of sight through three types of photography: standard photography, interactive spherical photography, and an interactive combination of the two that I call photoportals (more on these below). It’s about learning to look closely, to pay attention, and to find beauty in unexpected places. This website is where I gather and share that work.
The galleries display my photography, with one set for photographs and another for photospheres. A separate collection of photoportals shows how they appear on the web, as well as other ways they can be experienced, such as through physical prints.
Each photoportal pairs a photograph with a photosphere, created together so that the photograph is clearly part of the photosphere. The photosphere shows what the scene looked like when the pictures were taken. You can look around in any direction and zoom in to examine details, and it’s constructed to give a realistic sense of standing in that spot. The photograph, on the other hand, is often processed to bring out something I noticed, express a feeling, or communicate an idea. Even when it looks quite different from its counterpart in the photosphere, the way the pictures are taken makes it clear that both show the same subject. Various transitions between the photograph and the photosphere let viewers compare the two and explore the vision behind the work.
This is difficult to convey in writing; you really have to see them to understand. Take a look at the ones posted here to get an idea.
Beyond the media itself, I want to share some of what goes on behind the scenes of my photography. For example, people often ask me how photospheres are made, and this site gives me a convenient place to answer.
Because photoportals seem to be new, creating them requires developing some new things. One example is giving viewers a way to trigger the transition from a physical print into an interactive experience. The nature of the transition itself, can also take many forms. Different subjects call for different techniques to align the photograph with the photosphere, and some of those techniques can make it harder to take the downward shot needed to remove the tripod from the photosphere. I hope this site can also be a place to share these ideas.
Finally, while I enjoy creating all of this media, it’s most rewarding when it also communicates ideas and feelings, helps us understand the world a little better, or even helps us better understand ourselves and each other. Writing about these things alongside the images helps me work through them myself. In the end, perhaps it can help all of us learn to see a little better.