As an 8 year old boy, Steve Raines developed an infatuation with photography. He took many landscape photos with his grandmothers Polaroid camera every chance he got. As life happened around him and the years trudged along, he was never found without a camera nearby. Almost 9 years ago, Steve began looking through the viewfinder with a new sense of clarity. Images had ceased to be two dimensional,
but rather living entities; dancing in front of his monocular scope. As he gingerly takes hold of his camera it ceases to be a simple piece of machinery and seemingly affixes to the man himself, almost as if it's an added appendage. The air he exhales just before a shot seemingly mingles among the megapixels when the shutter clicks; essentially breathing life into the photo, turning a simple image into beautiful art. Be it his dramatic landscapes, his uncanny perception of nature or his eye for human beauty, his work is effortless, it is passion. Passion truly is the mark of a legitimate artist; the simple truth is that if paid millions or only pennies, it wouldn't matter to Steve; it's what the man loves to do. If you're not convinced, don't take it from me, experience the beauty contained in Steve's gallery firsthand. After you have fully embraced the conceptual nature of his work, ask yourself this, do I want just another picture in a frame or do I want a piece of time, a sliver of life, a work of art, a treasure to call my own?
