Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Flower photographs, Amherst Garden

Looking back at photographs for my proposed flower folio I was considering those made in 1999 and 2000, now more than 10 years ago.  Some of these were shown to John Sexton when I attended his Anderson Ranch workshop in September 2000.  He was unenthusiastic about the photos perhaps because of presentation or poor printing technique at that time.  His low enthusiasm level inhibited my view of these for a long time.  Having taken up digital printing in the meantime the photographs are now better rendered than when I made silver prints.  I want to go back to the darkroom to reprint them with the silver process where I should be able to make outstanding prints, with guidance from the digital rendition.  It is much more efficient to make modifications and craft the print with the computer than in the darkroom where there is a lot of waste in material and time.  Of course, the appearance of a print differs significantly with the inkjet process vs the silver process.  Both having significant merit.



Recent juried competitions

 Several events of interest occurred in the last six months in the world of my photography that are worth mentioning.  In September 2012 a photograph  was selected for the New Hampshire Art Association Parfitt show in Portsmouth NH sponsored by the NH Art Association.  The show ran for the month of September at the Levy gallery in Portsmouth.  The photograph was one I made at the Heald Tract in Wilton, NH of reflections and foam from flowing water in a brook.  I also submitted the photo Beaver Pond, but this was not selected.  If I were judging and had to select only one photo I would have chosen the Beaver Pond photo because of it's deeper content.  The reflection photo has perhaps more dramatic interest but not as much depth. (see http://www.nhartassociation.org/event/33rd-annual-parfitt-open-juried-photography-exhibition/)
Spring Brook, Heald Tract Wilton NH 2012
Beaver Pond, Heald Tract Wilton NH 2012
A photograph I submitted to the "Box Squared" exhibition for the Center of Fine Art Photography in Ft.Collins, CO was accepted for their show that is currently ongoing.  I submitted several shell photographs to that contest where a shell was enclosed in an open box; these were done several years ago and were included in my shell folio for the Sharon Arts Center in 2011. (see http://www.c4fap.org/exhibitors/2012BoxSquared/)
Conch Shell Odalisk #2, 2009
Conch Shell in a Box, 2009
Conch Shell Odalisk #1, 2009
The annual Sharon Arts Center membership show is ongoing and I have the Heald Track Beaver Pond photo hanging in there.

Ongoing projects include completion of a photo travel book from our Italy trip last November and the creation of a folio of photographs of flowers and another of forests.  Further details of these should be forthcoming in future blogs.