Flowers give me joy and a sense of peace. Capturing their beauty in a photograph allows me to hold on to that joy and to share it with others. I delight in and am inspired by the detail, design and colors contained within a single flower. Losing myself in the experience of trying to get inside a flower or to preserve the almost perfect scene containing and surrounding one or more flowers is as close to a spiritual experience as I have had.Hours fly by in this pursuit. The opportunity to show my work is a gift.

I started taking photography seriously in 1999. I use a Minolta 370 camera, a Tamron SP90 macro lens, and, most often, Velvia ISO 50 film. I have taken several classes with local professional photographers. Most of my work is done with the macro lens. The majority of my photographs have had no digital manipulation; a few have had very minor adjustments. In general, the size of my photographs are framed either 16"x22" or 20x26". Recently, I have been experimenting with miniature photographs in more elaborate frames. These photos range from 1"x3" to 3"x5".

I have had three solo exhibits: in 2002 at Forbes Library (entitled "Up Close and Personal: An Hour with a Flower") in Northampton, in 2003 at Chameleon's Hair Salon in Northampton, and, in 2004, at the Jewish Community of Amherst. I am a member of the Pioneer Valley Photographic Artists and have participated in three of their group shows at Bay State Medical Center.

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Web Site: Ellen Koteen

1. Block Island Sunset
   
2. Amaryllis
   
3. Tillandsia Punetulata
   
4. Orange Berries
   
5. Inside a Tulip