Eyes of the World: Images of Misha Rauchwerger at library

||| FROM DAVE KOSIUR for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY |||

Misha Rauchwerger has been fascinated with photography since the day his Dad gave him an all manual Czech viewfinder camera as a child. He met his hero, Ansel Adams, in person when only 13, and was strongly influenced by Ansel’s teachings and techniques. Other influences include Galen Rowell, Brett Weston, and Earnest Haas. In college, Misha was lucky to work with Life photographer Mark Kauffman. 

Today, while still enjoying nature and landscape photography, Misha has been moving into a more abstract direction, going back to his roots when he would go on photographic expeditions on his bicycle with his friend in junior high school. This includes a lot of work with reflections, which are an amazing opportunity to juxtapose two elements, what is in the window, for example, and what is surrounding the storefront. 

“I will have succeeded if I can, even in a small way, capture the awe that I feel when I step out into the wilderness and experience the wonders of the natural world.  Mother Nature is the ultimate landscaper, architect, sculptor, painter, and musician.  I am not so much the artist when I capture these images, as a seer of God’s creations.  I strive to discover the sometimes obscured elements that when juxtaposed, and emphasized through composition, illuminate the incredible beauty already there.  It is my hope that my photos inspire those who see them to get out into Nature, and work towards the preservation of these incredible places.”