About www.valerietamburri.com

Artist Bio:

Valerie Tamburri is an Austin based photographer specializing in nature, abstract and portrait photography. She spent the summer of 2007 on a self-funded, solo-tour around the Western United States and Canada to photograph National and State Parks. Upon her return to Texas, Tamburri pieced together a beautiful series of photographs depicting special parts of the country where people enjoy the serenity of the outdoors and unite with nature. After her return, she spent a year as a full time volunteer for Austin's Environmental Corps, building and maintaining trails and restoring natural habitats. Since then, she has continued her travels both by car and by bicycle, photographing the US and Mexico on various trips in hopes of using her images for conservation efforts and to share perspectives on different cultures and ways of life.

Artist Statement:

The mid-1990’s, when I started high school, is when I began dabbling in photography. In 2005, after changing my college degree plan every semester, I landed my first photographer’s assistant gig shooting events and then school sports around the country. It was that year that I decided to pick up where I left off in high school and pursue a photography degree. Since then, I have become more focused and exploratory in my works. Throughout my life, I have also practiced many different forms of art, including painting, music, sculpture, sign-painting, graffiti and airbrushing.

Being the nostalgic person that I am, I have become more attached to the camera than any other art form because of its ability to stop time and preserve a split second forever. The ability to control whether the camera tells the truth or tells lies fascinates me. I love being able to manipulate light and substance in order to tell my own version of the story, whether it is a self-created scene or one that I have stumbled upon. Combinations of light and shadow can drastically affect perception and transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Photography for me is all about interacting with my surroundings. It forces me to look closer for minute details in animate or inanimate subjects, which is why many of my nature and abstract photographs focus on color and texture, while my portraits are only slightly posed to communicate somewhat organic expressions. The most common theme that presents itself in all of my art is vibrant color and simple design. I have a deep love for the natural world and uncommon people which is revealed through my work. My passion for travel and knowledge keeps me going, whether touring by bicycle or car, alone or with company; I am always seeking more.