NikonNet and 'Legends Behind the Lens' Honor the Work of Jill Enfield

Photographers have long known that a memorable photograph needs to not only capture the essence of the subject in front of the lens, but also the heart and soul of the photographer behind the lens. While Jill Enfield photographs seemingly ordinary objects, her unique style of hand-coloring images presents an art that is all her own. NikonNet's inspiring monthly showcase, "Legends Behind the Lens" honors Jill Enfield during October with a portfolio of her most recognizable art, and a glimpse into the thought and technique behind her hand-crafted masterpieces.

"NikonNet is proud to honor the work of Jill Enfield," said Anna Marie Bakker of Nikon Inc. "Jill's work is unique and has inspired other photographers to experiment with alternative processes."

 

"Photography is a jumping off point," Enfield remarks. "It's not what I do, or certainly not all that I do. I use photography to do my artwork. I guess it's not so much that I'm just a photographer. I want to make these other pieces, and they start with photography because I don't draw and I don't really paint."

Enfield enjoys the process of creating the image, as much as she values the end result. She comments, "I like to work in the darkroom and I like to work with my hands. I especially like having a lot of choices." The alternative processes and hand-coloring are ways of going beyond the mechanical aspect of photography to put a personal stamp on the work. "I can give an image additional emotional weight," says Enfield. "The colors I use when I hand-color a photograph are not an attempt to recreate what I saw when I took the picture, but rather to depict how the place made me feel when I saw it. The image is my memory of that feeling."

Jill also teaches the alternative processes she uses: cyanotype, kallitype, palladium and Van Dyke Brown. To learn more about Jill Enfield, please visit the Learn and Explore page on the Nikon USA website

NikonNet's "Legends Behind the Lens" series aims to educate users and, in turn, breathe excitement into photography. Nikon has assembled a comprehensive and intriguing collection of artists to share their most incredible, challenging, emotional and exciting experiences on NikonNet.

This inspiring monthly program offers a behind-the-scenes look into the personalities and philosophies of the world's greatest and most famous photographers. "Legends Behind the Lens" also offers a portfolio gallery, as well as tips and tricks of the trade from featured professionals.

Past "Legends" in the series include Kevin Gilbert, Nancy Brown, Joe Buissink, Steven Weinberg, B. Moose Peterson, Eddie Adams, Jay Maisel and Howard Bingham.

About NikonNet:

NikonNet http://www.nikonnet.com is the web's leading site for photography education, photo sharing and inspiration. NikonNet leverages the resources of parent company Nikon Inc. to offer the most innovative and inspiring educational segments on the Internet. Nikon's suite of websites -- http://www.nikonusa.com, http://www.nikonnet.com, http://www.nikondigital.com, http://www.nikonmall.com and http://www.nikonschool.com -- connects consumers to the company's products and services and links users to the most complete photography education and information community available on the web today.