Most of my work has always been photography oriented. I love working in a darkroom with large negatives, creating works that are contact printed, like Van Dykes. But in the real world of balancing life, I find I am more focused on capturing moments. I allow myself time to grab a shot, but do not have the time to labor in the darkroom. Even with programs like Photoshop, I can get carried away with adjustments of original images. Therefore, most of the artwork I am currently creating is truly a capturing of a moment in time—occasionally tweaked to give off the feelings I have when taking the photos, but barely altered beyond the size of the print. My goal is to have others see and feel what I see through my camera lens.
I work in limited editions. This gives the images a sense of delicacy like darkroom prints. Digital prints don’t decompose at the same rate as sliver gelatin; they also won’t have the nuances like those created by hand. If I limit the amount of prints I create, the value of the buyer’s investment won’t drop. If anything, it will increase.
I photograph mostly around Indianapolis and on vacations with my family. I love cars and architecture—you will find many in my portfolio. I love the timelessness in photographs without a prominent human figure; it puts me into the space alone, without anyone else.
While I have won some awards with my work, I feel my best accomplishment is my participation in the “Celebration of Hoosier Women Artists” sponsored by former Lt. Governor Becky Skillman.
–Brenda Hamaker Jalaie
Brenda Jalaie at the opening of the 2012 Celebration of Hoosier Women Artists with her artwork “Supercharged Super Cars”.