By Lindsay Peyton

West Seattle resident Bruce Savadow has a knack for capturing the little bits of beauty that normally go unnoticed.

The photographer catches the shadow of a child mid-flight on a swing-set and the light reflecting on the surface of a lake. He zooms in and focuses on the sparkles displayed in a water droplet on a table after the rain.

For his newest series, Savadow set his viewfinder on the two Metropolitan Park office buildings, creating numerous compositions out of the graphics of black window frames against the white tiles of the exterior wall.

“I just loved the black and white stripes,” he said. “I first noticed these buildings when I moved here in 1996. Three years ago, I took these shots.”

Savadow ruminated on the project for a couple of decades, when the inspiration to finally take the first step struck. He was stuck at a traffic light.

“I rolled the window down and started shooting,” he said. “I liked what I had, so I went back a number of times. I’ll probably be back for more.”

The series is now on display at ArtsWest, 4711 California Ave SW, as part of a joint show entitled “Abstract Expressions” with artist Jessica Hoffman. The exhibit will be up through Friday, Dec. 23.

Savadow began his pursuit of art in his hometown of Baltimore. After earning his associate of arts degree from the Community College of Baltimore and working in social services for a time, he decided to switch gears.

“I was always doing something with art as a kid, and I wanted to get back into it,” he said.

Savadow enrolled in the Maryland Institute College of Art and immersed himself in pen and ink drawing, painting, collage and sculpture. Then, he took a class in silkscreen.

“I liked that you have to do mechanical stuff,” he said. “You had to do something technical to get an artistic result.”

The same process drew him to photography – and after college, he honed his camera and darkroom skills as a photojournalist.

When he was 46 years old, Savadow took another leap of faith, this time crossing the country to settle in Seattle.

“I didn’t want to spend my whole life in one place,” he said. “I thought, ‘It’s either now or never.’ I rented a car and brought my portfolio with me.”

He worked for a while at the West Seattle Herald – and recalled one of his first assignments was photographing houses that were sliding due to excessive rainfall.

“I had never experienced anything like that,” he said.

He currently works as a shuttle driver – and has switched his focus to fine art photography.

“I’m having fun with it now,” he said. “I feel free to do what I want.”

Savadow spends time with a couple of photography clubs and travels to get unusual shots. He sells small prints as greeting cards locally at Flower Lab, 2600 California Ave SW.

He credits area photographer and instructor Charles Needle as one of his major inspirations.

“He says that art is everywhere, and that’s something I believe,” Savadow said. “You can make art out of anything with a camera.”

He carries his camera with him wherever he goes – and keeps his eyes open for patterns, colors and light.

“This is what speaks to me now,” he said.

Professional photographer Douglas Orton has known Savadow for a number of years, since they are both members of the Mountaineers’ Photography Committee.

“Bruce is a very generous person with the time he has,” Orton said. “He gives a lot of himself to the Photography Committee. He’s always out in front offering rides or ideas.”

Orton added that Savadow has a well-honed eye for photography. “His style is contemplative,” Orton said. “Bruce sees things that most people don’t see walking by. And he takes the time to stop and make art of it.”

Follow Bruce Savadow on Facebook to see his work and keep up with his exhibitions. For more information about his work, email the artist at bsavadow@comcast.net.