“Look Up!” — Photography by Jean Schweibish
I’ve been a photographer for over 40 years, with particular interest in the natural world and its opposite - the man-made one. Inspiration often comes from what hovers above a landscape or a structure, and when I can incorporate clouds, I happily do so. Clouds, in their many forms, sizes, and gradations appeal to the inner kid in me – the one who looked up as I once did, lying on my back on the small incline that served as a hill in my childhood home’s backyard, fully connected to the ground underneath me, the scents of fresh mown grass and flowering shrubs tickling my nose, the trees rustling like music, the sun’s warmth on my skin, as I observed the clouds scudding by above, shape-shifting into faces or animals, or morphing into more enigmatic forms; traversing the sky plane and departing for parts unknown.
As an adult I became more interactive with my looking up. Camera in hand, I was inevitably drawn to images that invited a visual conversation between terra firma and the celestial sphere. I can’t help but see unmistakable connections, ephemeral suggestions, humorous interplay, mutual compliments, majestic formations, and random configurations, all in need of capturing before they move on. I hope you’ll be reminded as you look at these images to tap into your inner child and remember - Look Up! — Jean Schweibish