Photographer brings travels to life in By Focal Photography

By Kate Hayden, khayden@charlescitypress.com

Byrony Forbes is one of multiple artists to be featured at the 2017 ArtaFest, held on Aug. 19 at Charles City’s Central Park.

Forbes and many more will be showing and selling artwork from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Look for one more artist feature on Friday in the Charles City Press.

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When Byrony Forbes focuses her camera, she searches for a piece of her subject to make it stand out.

“Sometimes I focus on things that people necessarily wouldn’t focus on. I will pick those areas out,” said Forbes, of By Focal Photography. “There’s something about shapes or daily life-type stuff, like bicycles, pots — something about them that draws me in. … I want to see them in a way that makes them more artistic.

“It’s kind of a fun challenge to make this different.”

Forbes turns her lenses to those everyday subjects during her many travels each year, looking at both the urban architecture and the natural landscape for inspiration.

Forbes lives in West Fork and is a full-time park ranger for the National Park Service.

“I’ve been to 12 countries. I try to go to a couple places a year, but it doesn’t always happen,” Forbes said. “I take pictures because I’m traveling.”

Forbes started experimenting with photography thanks to an uncle, who she said inspired her and gave Forbes her current camera. A darkroom photography class in college also pushed her to experiment with composition.

“It’s just satisfying to take your camera out and play with it, taking a picture. With digital (cameras) it’s easy — you can take a million pictures,” Forbes said. “It’s kind of therapeutic, because it’s just you and the camera.”

Three years later, Forbes has had pieces featured in the Des Moines Art Center, in an Omaha gallery opening and in Art Hops at Rock Island.

ArtaFest, to be held Aug. 19 in Charles City, will be Forbes’ first time as a booth at an art festival.

Forbes will be selling prints from India, the United Kingdom and other locations on a metal base — a printing technique that sharpens details, Forbes said. She found the business last year as she was looking for printing companies, and has tried experimenting with the glazes offered and the colors in her photographs.

“It’s a really light, aluminum-type of material,” Forbes said. “I thought, ‘huh, that’s interesting.’ … You’re starting to see it more and more. I think it’s gaining some ground.”