Milwaukee Photographer Keeps Shooting for the Stars

Fine art photographer Guntis Lauzums has been capturing unique angles and subjects for nearly five decades. From geometric patterns and abstracts of buildings to major political rallies, his work runs the gamut of a life focused on enthralling photography.

How long have you had a career in photography? How did you know you had an eye?

I first started taking analog 35 mm film photos in 1976 and it developed into a force that I needed to know everything I could, and I graduated a few years later with a photography degree from MATC. I developed and printed my own film in every apartment I had since the beginning—in closet space. I saw and previsualized photos that I took, always looking for unusual viewpoints or subject matter to make the shot interesting. Always tried to see the photographs with different lighting and perhaps weather conditions. My passion has always been to exhibit photography and it’s easier today than it was in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Back then, Ansel Adams was photographing landscapes and nature out west using B/W photography, and out east a group started a genre call “new topographic” and shot industrial buildings and mundane every day urban subject matter. This group was led by Stephen Shore, Lewis Baltz and Robert Adams using color. But a lot of jurors at the time didn’t like photography as fine art so being juried into museums or galleries was difficult.

What is your favorite subject matter or specialty?

I like to photograph architecture through a minimal or abstract perspective concentrating on line, form and color adding interesting lighting conditions as much as possible.

How and where do you promote and sell your work?

I promote my work through the many juried exhibitions I participate in. In most cases the work is for sale at the gallery or museum. I am also represented by Gallery 218 in Milwaukee located in the Marshall Building, second floor in the Third Ward. You can also view my work on my website, guntislauzums.zenfolio.com, or Instagram @guntislauzums and facebook under guntislauzums

And send me a messaage if you are interested in a photo. This year I am on The Northern Kettle Moraine Art Studio Tour June 14 and 15 through the Plymouth Arts Center. You will be able to buy various sizes of prints.

Where do you see your career going in the next five years?

I will continue to exhibit. I would like to be in the permanent collections of local and national museums. I am honored to be part of the collection of the PLMC Museum (Global Center for Latvian Art) in Cesis Latvia. I will continue to support and be a member of the local art and photo organizations I belong to. Wisconsin Visual Artists, Coalition for Photographic Art and American Latvian Artists Association to mention a few.

Has technology been a good thing for you or do you find the competition getting harder?

I find that the digital world is fascinating. I shoot digital today and since about 2012 I think it opens up new ways to look at things and brings much larger photos of higher quality. Good equipment is expensive.

As far as competition, I think it’s good because it always  motivates me to look at things in a different way.

Define success as a photographer? 

Good question. I think feeling accomplished within yourself. Knowing that you came up with an original idea and brought it to fruition and feeling good about it. Art is a subjective world, and I think it comes from learned behavior that is taught which may not be what I view as most important. That is why your own ideas are better. I think you have to break away from the learned ideas and just let your inner feelings come out in your art.