In his latest series, California-based photographer and artist Nick Ambriz captures the unique topography of the San Joaquin River Delta, in Northern California, where he grew up and currently lives. After studying architecture and practicing machine drafting in junior college, Ambriz felt the need to break away from the rigid impositions of these trades and delve deep into the fine art world. Under the tutelage of a local well-known painter, Terry Allen, he developed his signature oil painting style at California State University, Fresno, until he switched to digital photography later in life. The switch occurred during one of his customary walks, when he came across a lake and decided to take reference images for his small painting series. Instead, he quickly realized that no work of art, no matter how detailed, could ever rival the limpid candor of a picture.
Armed with an iPhone 8, which he soon replaced with a Prox Max 13 and then a DLSR camera, Ambriz embarked on expeditions on the irrigation canals, to capture the reflection of water and the intricacies found in nature’s wondrous arrangements. He marvels at the structures and patterns in the river valley’s rural landscape, as produced by tortuous irrigation systems, pumping stations, marinas, or docks. Depending on the width of the irrigation ditch, he either lies across it on a small plank or rides an inflatable boat to get the perfect shot. “I try to record God’s colors and structures through my eyes,” he says. “I hope that when people look at my work, they will stop and let the mind see into the shadows and the colors and hopefully it will influence their feelings and thoughts and show the simplicity of nature.”
NICK AMBRIZ ON
I started taking pictures with an iPhone 8 to procure visual references for my oil paintings. Very quickly, I switched to a more advanced camera and started shooting photos from a kayak to get the angles I wanted. At first, I tried to control the movements of the boat. However, I later realized that by not fighting them, I would get spinning panoramic views by moving my hands and head, keeping my horizontals, which made me feel as if I were painting again. Throughout the process, I realized I could never paint anything that would show reality as faithfully as a photographic image. Being in nature, I try to record God’s colors and structures through my eyes, showing the simplicity of nature; seeing beauty even in the shadows.
ORIGINAL NICK AMBRIZ ARTWORKS ON
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