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News of the current exhibit and events
at Image City
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Image City Photography Gallery
Newsletter
#139 January 10, 2019
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Best wishes for a Happy, Healthy, and
Prosperous New Year!
We publish
our Newsletter during each of our exhibits to pass along information
and reviews of the exhibit, selected images and news of 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 the 13 shows we produce in 2019.
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Our current
exhibit at Image City is our 12th annual juried show. Dick Bennett,
Chairman of The
Magic of Light Show 2019, was especially pleased with the
submissions by the 102 photographers entering and the diversity and
quality of photographs that are currently on display in the Gallery.
It was an exciting evening for the Friday night and Saturday
afternoon receptions, with many photographers, friends and family
enjoying conversations and photographs, as well as the anticipation
in learning that Saikat Chakraborty and Stephen Graham were selected
winners of the two Jurors' Awards. We appreciate the long-standing participation of Lumiere Photo;
their Gift Certificate was presented for the People's Choice Award on
Saturday to Nikhil Nagane. Rochester is very fortunate to have
Lumiere Photo serving the community.
In addition to
the excellent photographs presented by the 102 photographers in The Magic of Light 2019,
we are also very pleased to have photographs by Michael Lempert in
the Neuberger Gallery. Michael joins us again with a beautiful
selection of photographs he produced during his student days in
Spain.
Click Here to see our website listing and
link to a preview of a stimulating selection of the
superb photographs in the show. The exhibit runs through Sunday,
January 20. There is no admission fee at Image City and the Gallery
is accessible to all. Hours are noon-6pm, Tuesday through Saturday
and noon-4pm on Sunday. Here is a list of all of the participating
photographers in the exhibit, we very much appreciate their continued
involvement and support.
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Awarded Photographs of the Exhibit
After reviewing the photographs selected from the photographer
submissions, Gallery Partners selected two for awards. The
photographers were presented $150 awards by Image City.
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Transition by
Saikat Chakraborty There is much to enjoy in this wonderful
interpretation of a landscape view by Saikat Chakraborty aptly
titled Transition. It's clearly autumn with the color changing on
the trees in the middle foreground. The vegetation adapts to the
elevation: the pond/swamp area of the foreground, to the mixed
deciduous and pine trees in the middle foreground, to the
majority of pines in the middle background and finally the
modified alpine vegetation of the background. And finally, this
may be a transition of weather with just a slice of sunshine
peeking out of the clouds to illuminate a portion of the mountain
signaling the possibility of a storm on the horizon. Saikat also
employs many compositional elements: Look at the number of
triangles created by the mountain, hills and trees, the peak of the
mountain is just off center enough to create tension, the higher
trees to the right and left help to frame the image and assist as
leading lines up the sides of the mountain. Additionally, Saikat
uses the light in a judicious manner. Often, we view autumnal
photos during the brightest of days with a high saturation of
colors. Yet, Saikat uses a subdued pallet and the colors of the
trees are an appetizer to the main course, which as if he is a
portraitist, Saiket employs to use of the sunlight through the
clouds to highlight the mountain. For me, Saikat has captured
and produced a beautiful, tranquil slice of nature.
The Walk Home by
Stephen Graham A dark street with a saturation of color and
wonderful tones. Seemingly sharp and soft at the same time and
lit well, the man sitting next to a white helmet on a brightly
decorated bench and a red moped seems to be the subject of the
image. On the left edge of the frame, partially cut off is a
blurry female image. Yet, photographer Stephen Graham titles his
work The Walk
Home. Say, what?
Upon further examination, the lettering on the sign
appears to be from a Southeast Asian country and from the sewing
machine on the flag, it's perhaps a seamstress or tailor shop. In
addition, the man has what looks like folded cloth on his lap.
But, then even more questions arise . . . What is really
going on? Does the moped and helmet belong to him? Has he just
exited the establishment of getting ready to enter? Or, is he
just a passerby, who happens to be resting on the bench? Do the
people know each other? What is each of them thinking? Is this
social commentary about #MeToo? How did the two people happen to
be in this place at the same time as the photographer, who caught
the action as precisely the right time? What was the photographer
doing there? How many other questions might you have about the
photo? If one of the objectives of photography is to have people
spend some time looking at and thinking about your work, Stephen
has certainly accomplished that with
The Walk Home.
Can of Worms by Nikhil
Nagane In addition to the selection of the two
photographs, we asked those attending the Friday night reception
to select their favorite of the exhibit and Nikhil Nagane's photo
was selected. He was awarded a $150 Gift Certificate by Lumiere
Photo for the People's Choice Award for his photograph.
When I first glanced at this image, I thought it
reminded me of the quick glances we saw of the monsters in the
old Alien movies of a contorted body with a large head and many
tentacles to ensnare their prey. The more I looked, it began to
make sense to me. But, I still had to ask Nikhil about the
process he used.
Nikhil explained to me that this is a"360˚
panorama with an inverted stereographic projection." Well,
now I had to check out google. . . Remember back in grade school
when we looked at a flat map of the world and Greenland was
larger than Africa? That is a type of map called a Mercator
projection. What Nikhil did was the reverse. He took a flat image
and created the image of a sphere.
Picture yourself on Rt. 490, heading west into the
city from East Rochester and you just passed the Rt. 590 Exit
heading to Irondequoit. (The road to the right that looks like a
'Y' is that exit.) That is approximately the position of Nikhil's
drone hovering above Rt. 490. He then maneuvered the drone to
turn a full circle while taking a series of images. Back at his
computer, Nikhil used an application to stitch those images
together. Next, he took the two ends of the panorama that was
created and connected them (actually, the application did, but
you get the idea.) The blob in the middle is the sky.
Considered another way - follow Rt. 490 (the main
6-lane highway that is pointing at the city - the higher
buildings just left and below of center). The sun is setting to
the left. With your mind's eye go to the top of the photo and
make a cut that will allow you to take the two pieces and bring
them down 90˚ so that it is flat.
So, if you're still with me, what I've described is
the technical process. As important, if not more, is the creative
process. Why am I creating this? With a p 360˚ panorama, the
photographer decides where the center point is. What elements of
composition will I consider - rule of thirds, leading lines,
color, b&w, subject, mood, lighting . . . ? What can I do to
create an image that the viewer will spend some time with? What
was the first thing that caught your eye? What element of
composition do you think was the most important on that Nikhil
used?
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Partners' Picks of the Exhibit
After reviewing the photographs by our Guest Photographer in the
current exhibit, Gallery Partners selected one "pick"
from the exhibit and added a written commentary on why we made
the selection.
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Heaven Sent - Montserrat by
Michael Lempert The amazing Montserrat mountain-top
monastery in Catalonia Spain is the setting for this wonderful
photograph. It is an amazing place, accessible by a cable
car and the site of pilgrimages of the faithful. There is a
strong composition, with the viewer looking at the photo and
having their eyes move to the valley below. Michael has
contrasted the harsh granite block over the dramatic mountains
valley below with the soft, beautiful flowing portrait of the
woman in the polka-dot dress. The wind blows her hair and
dress, arms outstretched as if she is flying in the breeze, all
the while the granite blocks sit unmoved by the gentle breezes.
Excellent photographs allow the viewer to create stories about
the subjects. Here one can imagine many different scenarios
about the woman, why she is there, how she is reacting to the
scenery, as her face is not seen, etc. etc.
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Image City
Critiques Group Meets February 6
The Image City Critique Group will meet again Wednesday, February
6th, beginning at 6:30 pm. Anyone is welcome to join us. We
meet the first Wednesday of each month. For February we will be
analyzing ways to adjust images for best quality using Photoshop
and/or Lightroom. There will be NO PRINTS for this session
only. An upload link will be provided for anyone who will be
attending. Please email Don Menges for the link if you
do not have it already.
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Photographs
used in Promotion
We very much appreciate and acknowledge the use of Dana Besaw's
photo, Beach
Abstract, as a backdrop for The Magic of Light 2019 promotional
postcard and Saikat Chakroborty's photo, Desert Delusions, for the promotional
poster. Their abstract photos are a dramatic part of the exhibit in
the Gallery exhibition; be sure to seek them out when you attend.
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Desert Delusion
by Saikat
Chakraborty
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Beach Abstract
by Dana Besaw
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Image City
Photography Gallery, 722 University Avenue
January 20, Last Day of
The Magic of Light 2019
January 23, First Day of
Trees by Gil Maker, Don Menges Luann Pero and John Solberg
January 25, 5 - 8:30pm, Reception for Trees
February 1, 5 - 9pm, First Friday Gallery Night
February 6,
6:30, Image City Critiques Group Meeting
Image City Photography Gallery
Hours
Tuesday- Saturday Noon - 6pm
There is no admission fee to visit Image City and we
are accessible to all.
in the Heart of the Neighborhood
of the Arts
where our mission is to create a quality
exhibition and learning experience for photographers and the
art-loving community.
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