Philip "Dutch" Bagley
Philip “Dutch” Bagley has been living in Elkins Park for the last 20 years. He loves entering photographic competitions locally and throughout the United States. After being accepted in the Phillips' Mill Photo Exhibition for the past six years, which included one Patron Award, he volunteered to be part of several committees, including social communications, drop-off and judging days, movie making and, in his words, “wherever else a body was needed.”
“My photographic style is to push all boundaries and explore all possibilities while seeing with the mind's eye." — Philip "Dutch” Bagley
His recent works center on the common and abnormal captures of architectural images and combines them with an ancient form of Japanese poetry. "While attending fall retreats in the Adirondacks in New York for the colorful foliage, I wrote Haiku's daily for each image I created and drew on that inspiration to apply poetic structure to my view of architecture," he says. "My hope is that those who view my work will be transported to the very spaces I have photographed.
Through his lens, Dutch seek to convey the beauty and complexity of architectural structures and, in his words, "to inspire a new appreciation for the created environment around us."
In his words:
I love the act of dissembling and reassembling the objects in my life (and not necessarily into their original form.) For me, it is usually, “If ….then …. and then why not ….?”
My photographic approach is a self-taught one by:
-Observation of the environment that surrounds me,…the people, the objects and the diversity of life.
-Understanding and mastering the tools I use to create the images that amaze me.
-Questioning long held rules of composition, format, and design.
-And, a willingness to try, fail and try again, always seeking to succeed.
What we observe, feel and experience forms the core of ones life story. Part of my story is reflected in photographic images taken in spans of time, that force me to stop and become part of that world, that here and now. The act of processing those images for public viewing allows me to express how deeply, either with awe, joy or sadness, those spans of time have affected me. My images are how I tell my story.
