An Introduction Long Overdue
It has been a little over a year now since I created this website with over a thousand images & counting. Under the initial impression that each picture is worth a thousand words, and my portfolio could speak for itself without much further need for commentary beyond simple photo descriptions.
A very technical approach when it is becoming clear I have not been sharing much insight in the process, or revealing what inspires me in the first place. Hard to know where to start by that token as my professional aspirations began with studies in economics if only to follow in my father’s footsteps fresh out of high school; only to realize I wanted something completely different in a career after obtaining my bachelor’s degree in economics.
Meanwhile, I did grow to embrace my father’s appreciation for photography. As an economist he traveled a lot on missions, took many pictures along the way, and shared his frequent flyer miles with the family. In comes this amazing vacation to Peru in May of 2005 when I was studying graphic design, and a new gift of a 5 megapixel camera to document my travels.
From there, it was love at first sight! In retrospect my photos at the time could benefit from a lot of improvement, and 5 megapixels these days can leave much to be desired for high quality prints. But everyone has to start somewhere right? An exhilarating feeling all the same to keep the memories alive, like in the following scene with a llama and yours truly from Machu Picchu. I will never forget how relaxed the llama was, almost as if he was begging tourists to pose with him.
Needless to say, my passion for photography & the creative arts never stopped growing. Starting as a hobby from one common interest shared with my father, many more photo excursions, and a constant desire to improve my skills so I can ultimately hope to make a living doing what I love most.
Sadly my father passed away in 2010, but I would like to think part of his vision & wanderlust gene continue to live in spirit through me. I still find myself wanting to make him proud by succeeding in the creative arts despite all the detours in my life, with nothing but unconditional love & support on his part to move past them. Same goes for my mother; in fact I probably owe more of my creative instinct to her beyond the scope of photography, and she continues to spoil me with frequent flyer miles including a dream vacation to Iceland this year.
Combined with a love for travel, you could say I am where I am today thanks to a long process of discovery and the support of two loving parents. Where trial & error proved necessary in order to find my calling, and continue to play a vital role in growing as an artist from photography to digital experiments. Be it a physical location or an abstract concept, I always love to explore new depths.
In comes the name Bold Frontiers to communicate the essence of my work. Bold among things for the ambition of breaking the mold in the creative arts, and Frontiers as a nod to landscapes & nature for one of my favorite subjects to capture. Put together, Bold Frontiers also secretly references terminology used in the opening narration sequence of a popular science-fiction show, but I will leave it at that for a little bit of intrigue & mystery…
Credits to ESA / Hubble for the space image component via spacetelescope.org, thank you for generously offering it under a Creative Commons license.
In any case I have rambled on long enough about myself, and thank you for indulging in my story. Now that you have a better idea of what makes me tick and how this website came to be, I hope to share more practical insight with you going forward.
Cheers,
Nicolas Raymond