Image City Photography Gallery
Newsletter
Issue: # 50January 14, 2012

We publish our brief Newsletter during each of our exhibits to pass along information and reviews of the exhibit, photographic tips, selected images and news of other participation opportunities at Image City. We thank you for your interest and we look forward to another great year of fine photographs and events. We hope to see you at each of our 13 shows in 2012.

In This Issue
"The Magic of Light" our Current Show
Peter Marr's Picks from the Current Exhibit
Gary Thompson's Photo Tips
Image City Critiques -- Next Session Wednesday, February 1st at 7pm
Call for Photography Submissions: The Photographer's Path 15
Image City at NFRCC in March
Calendar of Upcoming Events at Image City

The Magic of Light

 

Current Show Runs Through Sunday, January 22

  

 

Our current exhibit is our 5th Annual juried theme show, The Magic of Light. We are extremely pleased at the response we received with 86 photographers answering our call for work for the juried show. The exhibit features nearly 170 photographs. More than 700 people visited the gallery during our opening reception weekend and we heard many comments saying "Best Show Yet!" Visitors also noted that there were often visual compliments of color and theme amongst the the adjacent photographs in the exhibit that significantly adds to the sequence and flow of the exhibit. This is another indication of the skill and caliber of the contributing artists when they are brought together with The Magic of Light.

 

Similarly in the exhibit in our East Gallery by artists-in-residence, Jim Patton and David Perlman, we find two collections of stellar photographic accomplishment. Jim Patton shows a colorful and dynamic study of the people and place of Rajhastan, India. David Perlman presents for us an often whimsical image series that ranges from city and natural landscapes to the stark, abstract reflections of industrial components and musical instruments.

 

For full details of the show click hereBe sure to check out the link to the "Preview of the Show Gallery" to see a selection of the fine works in the show that runs through Sunday, January 22.

Peter's Picks
 Peter Marr makes his Picks from The Magic of Light

 

For each of our shows, Peter Marr makes "Peter's Picks", a feature that we and our patrons very much enjoy. For The Magic of Light, Peter again had the daunting task of choosing from so many talented artists work. His written commentary about each selection along with the photograph is published in full at the Image City Website -- Click Here to see the full discussion. For the newsletter, we have selected a part of the discussion and include a small image of each. We congratulate the five photographers for their "Peter's Pick" and thank Peter again for making them.

The Grand by Dick Beery

Choosing Dick Beery's photograph, The Grand, Peter felt that "This is a truly impressive print that evokes the power and majesty of a mountain edifice cloaked in autumn's early snowfall, a veritable giant, surveying the distant meadows and trees, whilst assessing its own strength and resolve in preparation for the mighty winter forces that are yet to come. What really excites me about this print is the viewpoint from which the artist has framed the picture. With such scenic splendor that one would rationalize is surely evident in this picturesque western landscape, the majority of photographers would use a wide-angle approach to incorporate perhaps a lake, river, autumnal foliage, etc, as the foreground to the impressive mountain range. The end result is almost inevitably a pretty, picture postcard. Shifts in viewpoint can dramatically alter the feel of a photograph and can contribute emotional and aesthetic characteristics..." read more.

 

Bright Light by Nancy GuzauskiCommenting on Nancy Guzauski's Bright Light, Peter wrote "I have long been an ardent admirer of Nancy's poignant images taken inside derelict mental asylums, and Bright Light is another sublime example from this talented artist, of her devotion and passion for capturing such moving settings. The photographer Jeff Berner, describes conscious camerawork as an unobstructed communion between self and the environment, and this very moving print is a great example of this philosophy. The starkness and abandonment are ardently documented, from the decaying windows, walls and ceiling all the way to the crumbling floor, littered with dirt and debris. Into these ravaged surroundings our attention is drawn to a solitary rusted bed frame, together with a corroded doctor's weight scale, complete with balance weights and a device for recording a patient's height. This scale frighteningly stands like a tall sentinel, ominously surveying its surroundings, a silent witness no doubt to countless years of sadness and depression. Although the power of this photograph is from memory and emotion, we are happily awakened from our disillusionment by the bright shafts of light coming through the large windows, casting distinctive patterns on the floor and far wall....." read more

 

For Angela Possemato's  Forest Fire, NM Peter observed that "It is well known that viewers reconstruct photographs in ways that are individually meaningful to themselves, and that they project their own imagination to see what they want to see. In Angela's excellent print, there is a reawakening of a sense of wonder as to what one would see and experience if they were in close proximity to a real forest fire. You can almost feel the heat, smell the acrid odors, and imagine the terror and sadness as some of nature's beautiful achievements are rapidly consumed and destroyed by nature itself. Although some fires are the result of human interference, invariably they are part of nature's renewal process, and hopefully, from the conflagration we are witnessing here, a new forest will eventually emerge. In this impressive print, the color palette is resplendent with a glorious range of hues that truly represent the striking colors experienced in real woodland infernos...." read more

 

Table for Two by John SolbergWith his fourth choice, John Solberg's Table for Two, Peter noted that "This is a striking B/W image, superbly seen, captured and printed, that is one of the most o­­utstanding examples that I have ever seen that is illustrative of photography being creative art. I am reminded of a thought-provoking statement from Dizzy Gillespie, who when asked where his jazz came from, replied, "It's out there, man, don't you hear it?" Meaningful art is mind changing, and Table for Two reawakens our sense of wonder with photography. The artist has imaginatively divided the print in half by using a powerful diagonal feature; where the top portion is an intense black, allowing the dynamic lighting to solely illuminate the lower half. Into a dramatic foreground of the intersecting diagonals of floor tiles, there are two elegant chairs positioned around a small circular table. These three modern metallic elements have design and form that is truly especial , revealing an infinite variety of curved features that contrast so elegantly with the straight geometrical lines of the tiles. The interplay of all the creative curves and lines would alone be fascinating, but into this stellar arena, the powerful directional lighting reveals detail and splendor that is unsurpassed........." read more

 

Ontario Beach by Ed WelchNoting the alphabetic listing of the Picks, the last is Ontario Beach by Ed Welch with Peter commenting "I have seen countless photographs taken of this Ontario Beach panorama, but none of them approach the spectacular grandeur of Ed's magnificent, glowing landscape, a truly gorgeous print that is par excellence. Whatever digital enhancement was used on this stunning, visually arresting sunset, it has been accomplished to perfection, to create an incredible, breath-taking image. The color palette is resplendent, particularly the rich pink and blue hues that electrifyingly complement this idyllic vista. The gorgeous, soft lighting has been creatively controlled to give just the right amount of detail to the foreground wooden walkway, that visually integrates with the metal rails and supports, and I love the way the latter structures harmoniously reflect the distant line of railings, taking the viewer's eyes gracefully out to the solitary sentinel at the end of the pier.... read more

 

 

Gary Thompson's Photo Tips

Great Light can give Excellent Images in Mundane Locations

 

Fog at Crabtree Meadow by Gary ThompsonSeveral years ago, while leading a photo tour along the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) in Virginia, low clouds moved in and wonderful foggy conditions were created. Outdoor photographers realize that fog produces one of nature's most beautiful lighting opportunities. Therefore, we immediately started taking images in the fog at overlooks, picnic areas, and in the BRP campground at Crabtree Meadows.  

 

I decided to photograph groups of trees in an open grassy area in the middle of the campground. Fortunately, it was early in the tourist season so there were very few campers and visitors present.The fog undulated frequently between light and heavy. During one of the lighter fog periods I noticed that a campground restroom was conspicuously present in one of my favorite compositions. My initial reaction was not positive. Who wants to take images of a restroom in a campground?  Even worse, who would ever purchase such an image? However, upon further observation, it became apparent that when the fog was thick the restroom took on a rather rustic appearance and mysteriously blended softly into the background. I liked the effect, and during periods of heavier fog I continued to include the restroom in my compositions.

 

By overexposing the image by 2.5 stops on slide film I was able to create a water color quality with varying degrees of detail showing in the grasses and trunks of the trees. I like to significantly overexposure my fog images because it creates a light and bright feeling. A couple of my students coined this effect as "Happy Fog". 

 

The lesson learned is that great light enables a photographer to create excellent images even in very mundane locations that may contain unappealing subject matter.  My example image is titled Fog at Crabtree Meadows. To see this and past Gary's Photo Tips Click Here.

 

 

Image City Critiques

At Image City on Wednesday, February 1 at 7pm

 
Each month, we enjoy the good turnout for Image City Critiques, our free program at Image City to provide participants an opportunity to engage in a friendly, constructive, and positive critique and review of their photographs. The sessions are held on the first Wednesday of the month. Join us for the next on Wednesday, February 1st from 7:00-9:00 pm.The assignment for February is to pay careful attention to the "framing" of your two images. Be prepared to explain why you included some elements and left out others. Make sure you understand the subject of your image and the role other elements play in your framing. All images should be mailed to Gil Maker gmaker@mac.com at least the day before we meet.
A Photographer's Path 15 - High Falls Art Gallery - Call for Submissions

Juried Exhibit for all local photographic artists.

 

All local photographers will be pleased to learn of another wonderful opportunity to submit work for the juried show A Photographer's Path 15, an annual exhibit of photography at the High Falls Gallery. In its 15th year, it is always a great exhibit at Rochester's official visitor center where the art exhibits add extra vitality to the permanent displays. Click Here for a PDF documenting the details as well as the entry form. Submissions are to be dropped off on February 15 - 19. The exhibit will run during March and April. For questions contact Sally Wood Winslow at High Falls Gallery 325-2030. For the photographers currently exhibiting in The Magic of Light, please note the request "We respect and support the exhibits of Image City Photography Gallery, but, images displayed in the recent The Magic of Light exhibit will not be accepted for display in A Photographer's Path 15." In that way the their new show will meet their goal to create the freshest show possible.

Niagara Frontier Regional Camera Clubs 2012 Convention
Image City Sponsors NFRCC Convention  
 
Image City Photography Gallery is pleased to be one of the sponsors for the 2012 Niagara Frontier Regional Camera Clubs Convention to be held March 16, 17 and 18 at the Niagara Falls Conference Center. Image City will have an information table in the Conference Center, will provide a door prize at the dinner banquet, and gallery partner, Gil Maker, will be conducting workshops during the convention on the subject of cell phone photography techniques. Visit the NFRCC website where you will find the impressive line-up of speakers and topics including Keynote presentations by John Paul Caponigro, Ellen Anon, and Brenda Tharp as well as numerous other interesting topics. You can now make reservations for the convention at their website click here

 

Calendar of Events
Image City Photography Gallery, 722 University Avenue 

 


January 22 -Last day of The Magic of Light Show
January 25 -First day of The Eclectic Palette by Dick Welch and Harriet Sutherland
February 1 -Photo Critique at Image City, 7 - 9pm
 
Image City Photography Gallery   Hours: Wednesday - Saturday 11 - 7, Sunday Noon - 4  
 

There is no admission fee to visit Image City Photography Gallery

Contact Information

 Image City Photography Gallery, 722 University Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607

585.271.2540 
website: www.ImageCityPhotographyGallery.com 

 

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Image City Photography Gallery | 722 University Avenue | Rochester | NY | 14607