Thank You

Thanks for looking at my work

If you would like to be notified when I post new work on my blog or website, holler at me and I'll sign you up on my mailing list. You can always text or call me at 816-674-7606 or follow KirkDecker on Twitter. You can also keep in touch by “liking” the DeckersPhoto page on Facebook.

Artist Statement: I think photographers exist on a continuum, with creators at one end and viewers at the other. The creator has an idea or vision and makes an image of what they see. The viewer looks at the outside world and notices the evening light as it glows through the tall grasses, or a stranger's face, and makes an image of what they see.

I feel that I am on the viewer end of the spectrum. I think this world around us - - the people and things in it - - are quite beautiful. But frequently, it's a beauty that's hidden until light & shadow, place & time, and fleeting expression suddenly, unexpectedly come together for a few moments to be a muse pointing towards that beauty.

My job, as it were, is to be constantly on the lookout for these moments and constantly refining my craft, so that when the muse points I can capture and translate what I see into a photographic image.

Maybe what I do is art, and maybe it's just nice craftsmanship. I don't really care either way. I don't think that's my call to make. I think it's okay for art to be about beauty and craftsmanship. No one is sure where the path they take will lead, but as an artist you have to be honest about what moves you. The beauty in this world around us, the people, and things that are in it are what moves me.

Technique: I use Nikon digital cameras to capture my images and Photoshop for post processing and translating color images into black and white. Although the options for manipulating an image in post processing are unlimited, I tend to stay within the parameters of the traditional black and white darkroom. My images are rarely cropped, and frequently the only adjustments are to the color balance, overall image contrast, and, the lightness or darkness of selected areas.

Prints: I do my own printing with an Epson 3880 printer on fine art paper. The materials used are known as Pigment on Paper. These prints are museum quality and, given proper care and feeding, archival.

Getting a good image on the back of a camera can happen in a fraction of a second. Getting that image to look good on a computer screen can take quite a bit longer. Creating an awesome-looking print on paper takes an immense amount of time, patience, and a willingness to throw a lot of expensive art paper into the trash.

I spend a lot of time working on and fine tuning my prints. I'm proud of my prints. I really like them. I sign all of my work in verso and will often include remarks as to who it was printed for and any other special circumstances. If you buy a print from me, and give it proper care and feeding, and despite that, any paper or pigment flaws appear, send me the remains, and I'll send you a new print.