Debbie O Lucas
Biography
Debbie O Lucas was born and raised in Northeastern Ohio and has made her home in North Carolina since the early 80s. She is known as Debbie O because her maiden name was so difficult to pronounce. Debbie is happiest when travelling, exploring new places, meeting people, and creating memories. Photography is an essential part of those experiences; ask anyone who knows her.
Debbie's passion for photography began in college when one of her biology professors taught her the basics of photography and darkroom techniques. Soon she began shooting nature photographs both outdoors and through a microscope and she took a few photography classes.
Her focus on photography waned while she concentrated on family and glass ceilings. In the late 1980s when she won her company’s photography contest for the second year in a row, she began to pursue photography in earnest. Debbie continued to hone her craft primarily through practice and a few additional classes, the most influential being a workshop at the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops. It was there that Debbie learned to slow down, explore macro landscapes, and develop her voice.
Debbie’s photography is focused on nature and the outdoors. Over the years Debbie has developed an eye for creating unique images of ordinary objects such as water, sand, and flowers. The genesis of this is when she took an intro photography class in college and had an assignment to take an interesting image of something most people would overlook or think of as dirty or ugly. She took a closeup image of a rusty grate of an outdoor grill; the pattern and texture caught her eye. That eye for patterns and textures is evident in her images of water reflections. In some images the viewer will recognize objects such as buildings and boats; others are a palette of colors and patterns that look like an abstract painting. Debbie’s photography blurs boundaries between photography and painting.
Debbie’s work has been juried into art exhibits and has placed first in photography and visual art competitions. Her work is displayed in residential, healthcare, corporate settings, and private collections.
Debbie captures the stark and finite beauty of the departing moment, when the ordinary becomes the extraordinary, when the real appears surreal.
Artist Statement
I am happiest when I am traveling, exploring new places, meeting people, and creating memories. Photography is an essential part of the experience – ask anyone who knows me.
I grew up in a small town outside of Cleveland, Ohio. I was a complete science nerd and that was unusual for a girl at the time. My parents didn’t really understand my need to explore the world around me; however, they supported my interests, and I had the kid’s version of a chemistry set, microscope and telescope before I was a teenager. I pursued my interest in science in college studying biology. One of my professors/mentors had a passion for photography, and he soon had me shooting nature photographs both outdoors and through a microscope. I learned how to process film and create images in the darkroom and was fascinated by all of it. A creative spark was ignited.
During the ensuing years however, the creative spirit in me did not flourish. My focus was on my family and glass ceilings, and I became the typical vacation shutterbug. Then I experienced my “mid-life crisis”, a re-awakening of the artist within. I began taking piano lessons, tap dance classes, and a few photography classes. Out of the three, photography is by far the way I like to express the beauty I see in the world.
I literally see in pictures and use a camera to record moments in time that are beautiful, inspiring, humorous, authentic and/or touching. I tend to see things that many people don’t, particularly when it comes to water. I am attracted to water – it energizes me and at the same time soothes my soul. I love to photograph reflections and create abstract images of ordinary objects. In some images you will recognize objects such as flowers, buildings and boats; others are a palette of colors and patterns that look like an abstract painting. I believe abstract images engage people in a different way – the patterns and swirls of color can be perceived as anything the viewer wants and elicits positive feelings.
I do not pose or direct my subjects, nor do I use any specialized techniques to manipulate images in post-processing. I much prefer being outdoors taking photographs than working on images on my computer.
My technique and joy is to capture the stark and finite beauty of the departing moment, when the ordinary becomes the extraordinary, when the real appears unreal.
Website: www.debbieophotography.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debbieophoto/
