Focusing on Photographer Phil Nelson

All images courtesy of Phil Nelson

By Maria LaPiana

When Phil Nelson is criticized for compromising “pure” images in his work, the photographer has a ready response: Ansel Adams did it decades ago, and if he were alive today, “he’d be all over Photoshop.” There’s no question that Nelson has a practiced eye that allows him to see a deeper, hidden beauty beyond the already beautiful landscapes he photographs. But he’s a technician, too, having honed his skills at Apple and Adobe systems, where he learned how to use computers to enhance his work. Today, he makes noteworthy photographs that, as a result of digital manipulation, manage to look more painterly. Nelson is a software guru, a color maven, and a geek. But always, an artist. See more of his work in the Winter issue of New England Home Connecticut, on sale January, 20, 2015.