I create water gardens, fish ponds, streams, waterfalls, fountains, and anything else that has to do with water. I'm not that great with taking pictures yet, but I'm learning. I have thousands of photos of the ponds I've built, my kids, my dogs, and anything else I see when I have my camera. I probably have 10 or 12 GB worth. I'm trying to sort them on my computer, then I'll get the better attempts up here.
I only have a 3.2 megapixel camera, so they're not all that big, but I do what I can do.
I do consider myself an artist, but my canvas is my client's yard and my tools are backhoes, shovels, rocks, and plants! Not exactly conventional, but it's what I do. I just wish I could take pictures that can show the true beauty of my projects. I just can't seem to do them justice... yet.
I won an award at the New England Spring Flower Show in Boston Mass for one of my water features. We had 5 days to build 3 separate water features covering 1000 square feet of floor space. We literally worked around the clock the last day to get it done on time. I've uploaded a couple of pictures of one of the waterfalls. More will come.
I used to have trouble with accepting compliments on my work. I look at a yard and see it done. Simple. I had trouble understanding why people would cry when they see the finished product. I couldn't figure out why, it's not hard to build what I see in my head. Then one day I was on a job and listening to my ipod and I started thinking about the music and what went into creating it. I thought "Did he write the lyrics first, or the guitar first? How do they know what's going to sound right? Do they have the beat in mind when they write the lyrics, or do they write the beat to fit the lyrics?" and other questions along the same line. Then I realized that other people think the same about what I do. They ask the same questions about me. I can't really explain how I do what I do. I look at a yard and let my mind wander. It fills in the blanks, then I add the technical stuff (angles, flow rates, pressure, etc.) and start digging.
I can't put a song together, I wouldn't even know where to start, but a songwriter can do it in their sleep. Once I realized that people looked at me the same way, I started to accept the praise and understand why I was getting it. I'm still not totally comfortable with it, but I accept it.
By the way, the name of my company is Amazing Aquascapes, hence the handle Amazing-1.