"There is magic in the process of making a photograph. For me, it is a way to express beauty, rawness, age, time, and other emotions and feelings that I can’t put into words. It is a way of expressing who I am. In taking a photograph, you can “capture” a moment in time in a way that shows how you saw it, and then you can share that unique vision with others. It almost feels like bottling time. When I take a photograph that speaks to me on this deep level, I can only describe it as a spiritual experience.
    The creative process of photography allows me to be fully present, to see the beauty that surrounds me, and to feel gratitude for the amazing world I live in. It allows me to recognize the miraculous in everyday moments. These are considerable gifts.

    I also believe that photography has the potential to help us work through some of life’s tough times in the same way that painting or writing or other creative work does. Photography is like visual journaling, and what we are drawn to photograph can speak to us in a symbolic way. We all see the same thing, but we see it differently, and our images show others how we see the world. They also remind us how to tune into our own perception. Our intuition recognizes what about a subject or scene is calling us to photograph it even if our minds don’t. Photographs are merely the surface of a deeper expression. What do you want to express? Trust yourself. You have something meaningful to say.
    There is no competition. There is no rush. Use your camera as a way to slow down and see with your eyes wide open, to see with your heart. You will start to see differently and more deeply."

The Creative Photographer was published in May, 2011 by Pixiq - an imprint of Sterling Publishers.  To order the book, go to your local bookstore or Amazon or Barnes and Noble.  If you live outside the USA, I suggest you go to The Book Depository to order your book as they ship free to all countries.


Extract from the foreword to Catherine's book by Jan Phillips, author of God is at Eye Level - Photography as a Healing Art

"This book is a guidebook for each of those steps and Catherine Anderson knows the terrain like the back of her hand. She opens door after door into exciting new possibilities in The Creative Photographer and you will surprise yourself at the beauty you can create with the images you make. This book will not make you creative. You already are. You were born to create. This book will just release your fears, untrap your potential, and offer you a hundred new ways to have fun with photography."