Personal Background
John McCormick who owns Michigan Nut Photography, currently lives in Michigan and has lived here all his life. He is in his 60s and specializes in photographing Michigan landscapes. He bought his first camera in his young adult years in 1982 and has been photographing ever since. He attended school in Alma, Michigan. McCormick has been married to his wife Kelly since about 1984. Together they have three sons, a daughter in law, and two grandchildren. His photos have been displayed in people’s homes, universities, corporations, medical facilities, restaurants, websites, and a whole list of publications. He is a relatively private person.
Style
McCormick takes lots of pictures of bodies of water, although his favorite types of pictures to take are of lighthouses. He’s taken pictures of lighthouses in Manistee, Grand Haven, Marquette, Whitefish Point, and St. Joseph. He mostly sticks to landscape photography, but he sometimes photographs architecture with nature as a background. All of his photos are breathtaking and create a sense of awe in the viewer. They’re supposed to make viewers stop and really admire the beauty of Michigan. McCormick’s work reminds me of the work from the Hudson River School. This is because they’re both nationalistic and were created to celebrate regional beauty.
Philosophy
John McCormick says that some people think that Michigan isn’t a scenic state. He creates his photographs to show people that Michigan is a natural beauty, and there’s more to it than what meets the eye. Since it takes years to see what Michigan can offer, he travels all around the state for us. He wants to show people the dynamic seasons, springs, shorelines, and more. His passion for the natural world really shines through in the detail and artful eye of his photography.
Influence
McCormick’s biggest influences were published photographers from the 80s. An example is “The National Geographic Photographers Field Guide” published in 1981 by Albert Modvay. The magazine not only helped inspire his images, but by giving him photography tips, like how to deal with tricky exposure. He’s also influenced by the vast number of photographers he sees on social media. Some of these photographers are from Michigan, others are from different places around the world.
Compare & Contrast
The shapes of the first photos are similar. They're both taken from a similar angle and of a lake with surrounding trees. However mine doesn't have the pretty looking stars because I took this photo during the day. The second set of images has two trees, in both pictures the orientation of the trees is very similar. Instead of the sunset in the background I have the daylight. I also chose to make my image darker so you couldn't see the details of the branch. The last set of photos are both of a road, and the yellow lines are visible in both. They also both wind in the same shape. However McCormick's photo is in the fall with leaves on the ground and mine is in spring with green trees.
Artist Statement
For my first image I tried to portray a calm and serene mood. I think this really comes through because it's nature. I also tried to use the rule of thirds by having the water on the bottom third, the trees in the middle, and the sky at the top third. I think I did okay, although there's still some shrubs in the front which throws it off a little. For my second photo I wanted to convey a little mystery. That's why it's a little dark and you see more of a tree silhouette rather than intricate details. I also think the darkness conveys a little moodiness too. For my last image I really tried to create interesting leading lines. I used the road, yellow guidelines, and even the tree to create an interesting shape. I wanted this to be a photo which you would have to stop and really examine.
Resources
- https://www.michigannutphotography.com/
- https://www.outdoorimaging.net/the-blog/2015/8/17/photographer-profile-john-mccormick-
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/michigannutphotography
- https://www.outdoorimaging.net/the-blog/2015/8/17/photographer-profile-john-mccormick-
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/michigannutphotography