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Karen Williamson has been inspired by photography since she was a
little girl. In the 6th grade she won a Kodak Instamatic camera
at a church picnic by pulling names out of a goldfish bowl. From that
day on she could not escape the lure of taking pictures. What
started out as a source for paintings and drawings developed into a
desire to use the medium as its own art form.
Karen holds a Bachelors Degree in Photojournalisn and a Masters
Degree in Communication Photography from Syracuse University. Her
primary focus is on Adirondack scenic photography. Often she will
photograph while hiking or canoeing, frequently at Blue Mountain Lake,
where she rents a cottage every year. Karen’s work is always
“straight from nature,” without the use of color-inducing filters.
Often her work is spontaneous, but sometimes it is pre-visualized,
leading to years of searching for just the right setup. Karen is
drawn to subject matter that instills a sense of peacefulness in the
viewer. Her focus on soft light and detail work together to
portray this concept.
Karen’s interest in nature began in her childhood camping trips as
a Girl Scout. The inherent beauty of nature and her deep commitment to conservation
created a desire to share nature with others through her photography.
She minored in environmental studies in college and does contract work
in the area of public outreach and communications for the NYS
Department of Environmental Conservation and the NYS Department of
Agriculture and Markets. The October 2002 "Conservationist"
magazine features several of her photographs. Beyond her
environmental concerns, Karen states that an ongoing influence for her
is the splendid photographic work of Ansel Adams. Adams’ ability
to capture detail in the vastness of a landscape provides an aesthetic
source of inspiration for many landscape photographers. Karen
sees her future work as going back to black and white. She states
this interest is from the “purity of light” shown through “contrast
and form”.
Karen’s work is represented by many galleries throughout the
region. Some of these include: Crafter’s Gallery in Saratoga
Springs, Five Star Art and Frame shop in Guilderland, and Gallery
North in Old Forge; along with many seasonal locations. Karen’s
work is also available online at
www.Artsoftheadirondacks.com
and www.larac.org; she also accepts
commissions. Meet Karen at LARAC’s annual Fall Festival at ACC on
November 9 and 10. I | 
