Kathleen Gunton is the cover photographer for issue #54
A graduate of California State University, Long Beach, she says “I must add, though, that I credit my photography skills to John J. J. J. Niven, a Scotsman and my mentor, who always said, ‘Ah! to heck, you can do better’ while quoting Robert Burns to me.”
Along with the beautiful photographs below, she has sent us this short piece which discusses the cover photograph, “Taking the First Step.”
One September afternoon in 2010 not far from Yellowstone National Park, I came upon this flight of stairs—a found object. Ready to be captured and shared, its rickety slight curve a telling image: upward to the unknown.
“The camera is a sketch book” according to Henri Cartier Bresson. As a poet, I was familiar with keeping a book of images. However, ten years ago I began taking/keepingvisual images. Photography & poetry are now my companions. In fact my first photo was published because I wrote a note on the back of a picture that I’d taken. The editor rejected the poem but asked, “Do you have any more photos?”
Now with over 100 images published in literary journals, I agree with Ansel Adams who said that you don’t take a picture, you make it. Enjoy!
-Kathleen Gunton
Samples of Cover Artwork:
Tiferet (January 2014 cover)
Broad River Review (2013 cover)
Switchback (Issue 16, Vol 8 cover)
THE HEALING MUSE GALLERY (sample florals)
Contact: kgunton@sbcglobal.net