Paula Suter

Screen Name: paulasuterphoto
Currently Living: Poulsbo
Member Since: 7/21/2008
Last Update: 7/28/2008
Gallery Type: Public

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Gallery: Mexico (41 images)

From a series for a book entitled "Mexico/ A Photographic Journey of Color and Light" My first trip to Mexico, six years ago, marked my crossing over from film to digital photography. There was magic in that coincidence that I have yet to define or get to the bottom of. As a technology of instant gratification and large volumes of digital space, photography suddenly felt like pure, uninhibited play, and what a place to play in... Color was rendered luminous in the gorgeous light, the shadows deep and mysterious. It was as if everything popped out at me, too vivid to be contained. I've never been very technical. Photography, for me, has always been a visceral response to light, color and the graphic potential of a scene. Without the stress and expense of dealing with film in Mexico, it seemed easier to be in the moment, to be open to happy and unexpected surprises. I was driven to capture and convey as much as I could. I would often wander down a street feeling the thrill of the hunt, that my shot was there somewhere in the kaleidoscope of color and movement. The lively tempo of the streets in Mexico was contagious. It seemed like a beautiful dream where everything was possible, at least photographically! I was struck many times through my travels by how the stark and heart-rending realities of life were softened by cheerfulness and kindness. I felt a sense of well-being and community where everyone pulled together. The Mexican people take life as it is, joy with sorrow, and are some of the happiest people I've ever met.