ARTIST STATEMENT

For several years now, I have been drawing my inspiration from subtle, moody, often intimate landscapes - compositions somewhere between abstract and the wider view, beyond a mere documentation of a particular location. Smaller scenes offer the opportunity for me to slow down and notice details. My approach is to extract a portion of a larger vista or an iconic view, but seldom to the point of abstraction. I still want to capture the essence of the place, just not necessarily by including the recognizable iconic vistas or elements. Expressing mood and capturing the essence is what I strive for in my photography. Mist and fog often allow for interesting compositions and interpretations, concealing distracting elements and leaving only the essence, isolated from larger surroundings, allowing me to feel, focus, and connect with a subject.

My compositions and choice of subjects are intuitive. I don’t plan what to photograph on a particular day - instead I get out there with open senses, waiting to see what draws my attention, hoping to recognize a simple story in a chaotic surrounding: a beam of light, an object that breaks a pattern – or a group of objects that form an interesting pattern, exciting light and atmospheric conditions, balance of stillness and movement...

I often photograph alone – to me, being by myself in nature is a spiritual experience, where I go to recharge, decompress, relax, and reflect. Gentle light, tranquility, and peace of untouched nature make me embrace the present moment and appreciate the gift of life. My images speak about solitude and personal experience and feelings, when surrounded by trees in Yosemite Valley, watching migrating birds take off in the San Joaquin Valley wetlands, seeing the mist rising at sunrise, or witnessing dancing fog at the coast, at sunset. When photographing, I feel at peace with nature.

BIOGRAPHY

Award-winning photographer and scientist, Franka M. Gabler, developed a fascination, admiration, and respect for nature early in her lifetime. Soon after moving to California in 1997, she experienced her first wilderness backpacking trip in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Ever since that time, she has been photographing the magnificence of the high-country mountains and the California landscape. Her photographs are evocative - the light and atmosphere evident in her photographs often result in sentimental impact and ethereal feeling. She strives to capture the mood and the essence of the place she photographs.

Franka’s photographs have been recognized internationally. In 2022 she was the overall winner of the Landscape Photography World Awards. In 2021 she received the First Place award for the ‘Intimate and Abstract category of the Natural Landscape Photography Awards category, and in 2023 she was recognized as a Highly Commended Photographer of the Year. Her photographs are published in several books and she has been featured in several photography magazines. Franka has been invited to speak at several photography conferences.

Her work has been featured in numerous exhibits and is represented in private collections throughout the United States and abroad. She is affiliated with Stellar Gallery in Oakhurst, Circle Gallery in Madera, Viewpoint Photographic Center in Sacramento, and Spectrum Fine Art Gallery gallery in Fresno, CA.