Max Dobens

MAX DOBENS

BLACK AND WHITE CATEGORY

Originally from Hamilton, NY and holding a B.A. in Business from Michigan State University, Max’s journey as a visual artist has largely been self-guided, devoid of formal training. Throughout the years, he has cultivated and perfected his own style and techniques, unshaped by external influences. His strength lies in being self-taught. Max has an innate curiosity that drives him to create images that are not in plain sight and from a perspective that departs from the ordinary. He continuously scrutinizes scenarios and potential compositions, tirelessly striving to achieve the optimal result. In November 2020, Max made Valencia, Spain his permanent home in pursuit of a richer quality of life, embracing a “Do What Makes You Happy” philosophy. He now also divides his time between Valencia and Toulon, France. As an award-winning artist in the medium of digital fine art photography, Max has his work showcased on this website, publishes his monthly Blog – the Tripod Traveler, offers guided photography tours and workshops in Valencia and select pieces of his are frequently featured in art shows and gallery exhibitions in the US, Canada and Europe.

Color can be a distraction, so I chose black and white to keep the viewer focused on texture and form. In this context, black and white becomes a metaphor for survival versus death. In the Arctic, there are rarely second chances—decisions are absolute, much like black and white.

To me, black and white images allow the viewer to focus more on texture, contrast and light and that is why this image excels in black and white. I also used depth of field to highlight the distance at which the polar was from the camera.

Black and white brings a no-nonsense emotional tone to this image.

I have found that about 40% of my best images are created as a plan B, C or D when the main image that I visualized is not the best story to tell. Especially with wildlife photography, I find it critical to anticipate the movements of the animal and be prepared for possible compositions.

I don’t find any special challenges in editing black and white other than paying extra attention to grain.

Timelessness is ensured with a quality and captivating composition which is what I strive for each time I pick up my camera.

In life, it is always important to have one’s work recognized, especially because it is the first time that one of my images has been a Winner in an internationally recognized photography contest. My advice to young black and white photographers is that success is achieved by hard work, dedication, constant learning and self improvement and making lots of mistakes. It is a marathon and not a sprint so if you really want to succeed, keep going and NEVER give up.