Fran Bastress has been involved in photography for decades, and sees it as a way to connect with the extraordinary in the world. She captures and creates her images because of their beauty, uniqueness, and/or elements of design. Inspired by the North American landscape, she has traveled its highways and byways to discover limitless possibilities for harvesting art from nature in the magical light of early morning and beyond. She has been drawn especially to America's West and the South, as well as recently to Iceland.

She became more engrossed in photography after buying a secondhand Hasselblad and taking a photography course in Boston, where she developed her darkroom skills. Black & white photography was her passion while living in New England, and she found the area rich with photographic possibilities.

Moving into digital after shooting with film, Fran advanced through a variety of Canon's single lens reflex cameras, most recently to the 5D Mark IV. She has participated in photo tours and workshops, but now she and her husband do extensive research to create their own photography adventures.

Fran personally handles all aspects of her art, from image capture to framing. For image editing in her digital darkroom, she uses Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop and a variety of plug-ins including Photomatix Pro and the Nik and Topaz collections.

Fran is an active member of the large Northern Virginia Photographic Society, served on their board, and has placed in many of its monthly and yearend competitions. In addition to her solo exhibits, she has been juried into various regional photography exhibits, including Nature Visions, where she received the 2018 People's Choice Award for "Magnolia Gardens, Charleston".

"In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary." Aaron Rose