In 1982 I began shooting self portraits in search of the fundamental building blocks of the creative process. My desire was to gain a greater understanding of the transformative power of "the moment" and its role in photography and my own life.
The images required me to be courageous enough to be vulnerable and transparent. The creative process demanded me to let go of my fears and grant the creative process unfettered access to my soul. Thus the images that emerged provided a histogram of my hopes and dreams, wants and desires pitted in a furious battle against fear.
My goal has always been to experience and learn from the process itself. It has never been about the photography. The photos are a result of that magical "something" that happens when we release ourselves to the creative spirit found within every human being.
Nonetheless, my journey through self portraiture made me a better photojournalist and photographer. It led me to a deeper passion for my own moments in life - with or without a camera. It taught me that inspiration and desire is something found within self. We are not bound by the external when we overcome our fears through our desire to experience "the moment" we live now.
It is my hope that my personal journey through self portraiture and the creative process will encourage and inspire others to seek their own journey with creativity - to deepen the love, passion and desire for self and others that makes life itself the ultimate art. Creative Alchemy is the art of the moment and the key that unlocks the door.
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© David Leeson - All images
Artist Bio
David Leeson is a Dallas-based photojournalist and visual artist, freelancing in still and video photography. He also teaches a class in the Emerging Media and Communications department at University of Texas at Dallas.
David worked as a newspaper photographer from 1977 to 2008. He was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize three times prior to winning the award in 2004 for photographs made for The Dallas Morning News during the war in Iraq. He has also won two Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards and numerous regional, state and national honors. During his years as a newspaper photographer, he specialized in war and social unrest, covering numerous global conflicts.
In 2000, he began shooting video for The Dallas Morning News, completing numerous documentaries. His videos won a National Headliners Award, a national Edward R. Murrow Award, and two regional Emmy Awards. He was also a finalist for Best Short Film at the USA Film Festival.
In 2006, David was named Innovator of the Year in Photojournalism by American Photo magazine for his work in obtaining high quality still images from high-definition video.
Aside from his journalistic endeavors, David began working in art photography, with a focus on self-portraiture, in 1982. His work has been shown in galleries, and he was recognized as one of 32 emerging photographic artists worldwide for the 2007 "Festival of the Photograph."