Bill's Photography

William Bell
Artist's Statement

William Bell has been a full time photographer since 1989, specializing in making archival, museum grade prints of scenes around the Eastern United States. From the initial camera work, through mounting, matting, framing and selling his photographs, he personally performs every aspect of the work.

Bill uses a large-format 4X5 camera to capture his images. “ I’m carrying over 20 pounds of equipment when I go into the field. My goal is to record a special moment of light and time. And the large-format print quality is so vivid, with extraordinary depth and detail”. He also does all of his own printing, using both a traditional darkroom, and state of the art digital equipment to achieve amazing quality in his landscape images. “The art of printing is just as important as the camera work because there are many ways to make the print, and it’s essential to me that I have control of that final vision.”

“Photography is more than technique, and although the technical aspects are important, it is the artist’s eye that distinguishes one person’s point of view from someone else’s. I’ve spent a lot of time in nature, and I try to open my eyes to the beauty of the world and to bring some of that back with me.”

The collection of photographs he is now showing includes many traditional landscape images from the Blue Ridge Mountains. “I’ve lived most of my life in these mountains, and I’m continually inspired by the unique beauty of this area,” he said. He also has a large number of pieces from the barrier islands of the Carolina coast. Another collection includes pictures of the unique gardens and architecture from the historic districts of Charleston, S.C., and Savannah, GA.

Bill's images can be seen and purchased at the the Bell Gallery & Garden, at art and craft shows and via this web site. Selected examples below: