Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Anne Rabe. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Anne, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you tell us about a time that your work has been misunderstood? Why do you think it happened and did any interesting insights emerge from the experience?

As a mobile photographer (i.e. I use my iPhone to take my images) my work is sometimes disregarded as being unserious or not as “professional” as it would be if I were shooting using thousands of dollars worth of equipment and lenses. At art fairs I will often have people whip out their own cell phone to show me their favorite shots. There is an attitude of “I can do this, too!” More and more lately I have people tell me they WISH they could do what i do, but that I obviously have a great eye and am not just presenting my work in traditional ways. Mobile photography is becoming more accepted both in the journalistic world and in the art environment. There are now publications, international awards and websites strictly devoted to the art of mobile photography.

I love being able to spontaneously capture what interests me. Whether it is interesting tree bark seen while on a walk or a beautiful flower in the floral department of my local grocery store, I have my phone with me to take advantage of the shot. I spend hours sorting and editing an image, almost exclusively using applications on my phone until I am satisfied with how it looks. I often overlay images “in camera” creating a more painterly or abstract feeling. I present my work on various substrates, often combining pieces printed on wood or metal with other pieces printed on acrylic – my ultimate goal is to create depth and really draw the viewer into the details of my subject. My process sets me apart from the casual cell phone photographer.

Anne, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I grew up immersed in creativity and aesthetics, nurtured by my parents: my father, Murdo, an architect, and my mother, Helen, an interior designer. Guided by my aunt, a skilled ceramist, I learned at an early age to mold and shape raw clay, discovering the profound connection between heart and hands in the act of creation. These early experiences instilled in me a reverence for the transformative power of art.

Originally aspiring to be a children’s book illustrator I studied art at the University of California, Santa Cruz and the Academy of Art in San Francisco. Financial reality set in so I embarked on a career in advertising and later founded a printing business with my husband. I have utilized many creative outlets over the years – from gardening to cooking – but have always taken photos to record events, travels and the people in my life.

In 2013, I began exploring the possibilities of using my digital photographic images in a way that would combine my love of photography with painting and illustration. I studied with a professional photographer turned iPhoneographer learning how to use multiple applications to manipulate my images, creating unique non-literal works.

The natural world is my studio. I almost always carry my iPhone with me in order to spontaneously capture images which focus on the botanical as well as landscapes. Having homes in both the San Francisco Bay Area and on the shore of Lake Superior in Michigan – as well as traveling in between – provides unlimited natural subject matter.

For the past decade, I have shared my vision with the world, exhibiting in more than 40 juried shows across the United States. I have been published in two issues of Contemporary Artist Magazine as well as two art books produced through Jen Tough Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico. My biggest achievements came this spring. I was thrilled to see my “Water Lilies in the Clouds” piece hanging in the prestigious Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, California. My “Smokin’ Rose” image was juried into the Center for Photographic Art member show. Out of over 2000 entries only 90 were chosen for inclusion in this prestigious institution whose original founders included Ansel Adams.

I love working with clients to create site specific commissioned pieces. Generally a collector will see one of my images on Instagram or my website and we will work together on size and appropriate materials for presentation. With my architecture and interior design exposure, I find this process extremely fulfilling.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I find my artist community inspiring and supportive both creatively and personally. Having the pandemic hit smack dab in the middle of starting to market my work was pretty depressing. I was so fortunate to have established relationships with several other artists and entrepreneurs who helped me navigate through that period.

My first fortunate experience was with a friend who had helped organize a holiday fair I had participated in locally which of course was shut down in 2020. She and several others organized a pop up store in my hometown and I was invited to show my work. It was a great success for the community to be able to safely shop as well as support local women entrepreneurs. A year later this friend opened her own brick and mortar store and I was her first featured artist with a solo show.

The second experience, or I should say opportunity, came through another artist friend who introduced me to a new online artist group, The Artist Alliance. It was founded early on in the pandemic by Jen Tough, a gallerist who had moved to Santa Fe to open a gallery in February of 2020. Needless to say, the gallery never opened and she had to pivot to find a way to stay involved in the art community in addition to representing artists online. Through this group I was not only able to interact with, get advice and learn from Jen, but I met so many other artists who were both local and international. I now count many of them among my close friends. A group of us is planning a show together early in 2025 through a local gallery. We meet once a month for critiques or brunch and because we are a diverse group working in very different media, I am learning so much from them.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish that I had become more involved in local organized artist groups early on. As an emerging artist there is always self doubt – “Am I really worthy to call myself an artist and join this big city art group that includes well known established artists?” I wish I’d been more confident to put myself and my work out there a bit more. Within the last two years I’ve become involved in the San Francisco ArtSpan group which has proved incredibly supportive and opened up additional avenues and people to promote my work. I would encourage anyone starting out in a creative field to find support groups and utilize all of the resources available through them. In addition to ArtSpan, I am a member of three or four other local groups as well as the National Caucus for Women’s Art. All support artists and provide occasions to show work as well as educational opportunities.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.amr-photography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annemrabe/

Image Credits

All photos © Anne Morrison Rabe Photography