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My Background
My name is Charles Downing. I live in Creede, Colorado. I have been an avid rockhound for years. I have been interested in photography for a long time. These two avocations have united to create a unique and beautiful art form. My educational and professional pursuits have centered around medical science. I have worked in hospital and private laboratories. I made my living, in part, using a microscope. I earned my master’s degree in public health from the University of Oklahoma. In Creede, I taught science, grades 7 -12, for seventeen years in our small public school. I volunteered as a Certified EMT. I served 28 years as Mineral County, Colorado, Coroner. Part of a coroner’s duties is photographing the scene to document the events that occurred. During my retirement years, I have combined my knowledge of rocks and minerals with my microscope and photography skills to create these engaging micro-photographs.
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My Medium
I cherish the hours spent prospecting for special rocks that may contain remarkable designs, shapes, and colors at the microscopic level. Many enjoyable hours are filled examining the sliced sections for scenes, space imagery, or structural patterns. I am passionate when composing the micro-photographs. I strive to give the viewer an artistic version of the exquisite patterns formed by geologic activity so long ago. This is my medium. This is Fine Art!
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My Inspiration
“You found that in a rock?” is a comment regularly made about my microscopic photographs. When rock hunting in the mountains or the desert this comment frequently echoes in my mind. Discovering a special rock that is likely to have unique patterns when cut into slabs is exciting. Back home, the diamond rock saw hums a tune as it cuts through the stone. Anticipation is growing as the first look at the fresh cut surface is examined with a jeweler’s loupe. As the patterns come into view there is a feeling of awe to be the first to see inside this wonder of nature. There is a time of exploring as the scenes and structures in the slab are revealed through a digital microscope. A micro-photograph is selected to be printed. The securely wrapped photo finally arrives. The print is on an aluminum plate which makes the vivid colors clearly stand out. I have a brief flash back about something enjoyable that happened along
the journey with this photo.
Then, I smile!