About

The Quest

I’m Deb Phillips – The Photo Gal — and I’m looking for adventure and inspiration! Even in a world where heartache, injustice and violence threaten to overwhelm, the human heart must continue to hope and dream.

Since this is a photography website, a statement by Ansel Adams appropriately reminds us that in photography, as in life, it’s important to strike a balance. In Adams’ case, he was responding to a rather stringent view that photographing the stark realities of life was more important than photographing beauty. Adams stated:

It is just as important to bring people the evidence of the beauty of the world of nature and of man as it is to give them a document of ugliness, squalor and despair.

In line with Adams’ sentiment, my objective for the blog portion of this website is to regularly feature high-quality original photographs which are both life-affirming and visually appealing — photos depicting beauty, hope, joy, love, humor and other rich facets of life. Yet it’s also possible at times that the equally realistic photograph might represent a difficult moment or a harsh reality, though never without the hope of change or redemption.

The Location

Rather than having to travel to a foreign country or to an exotic locale, I believe I can find such inspiring and poignant photographic moments in my everyday world — which happens to be in the small town of Lewisville, North Carolina (USA). Lewisville is located in the western portion of Forsyth County and is a suburb of Winston-Salem. (See the “Small Town” section in the inner sidebar for additional information.)

Will it be possible for me to meet my objectives on an ongoing basis? We’ll see. Yet as another famous photographer, Wynn Bullock, has said:

Mysteries lie all around us, even in the most familiar things, waiting only to be perceived.

In fact, I once heard an interview during which renowned photographer, Freeman Patterson, stated that 75% of all his photographs were made within one kilometer from his home. That concept continues to inspire me.

The Discoveries

In the quest to find adventure and inspiration in my small town, I also hope the expected experiences will reawaken some dormant parts of myself. So my quest is as much inward as it is outward — and I greatly anticipate the discoveries ahead.

To quote one last time from another prominent photographer, Ernst Haas once said:

I am not interested in shooting things — I am interested to see new things.

As I go about my town, venturing down little roads I’ve not explored before, or into the lives of people I’ve not yet met, I’ll share my discoveries with you. I’ll share what I’m learning about life, about photography, and sometimes about myself. Occasionally, I’ll sprinkle in specific photo tips and gear information related to the making of certain images.

The Invitation

I hope you’ll join me on this adventure and will share your thoughts along the way.

Meanwhile — whatever city, town, or village you’re in — may you, too, find the adventure and inspiration around you!