News of the current exhibit and events at Image City

 

Image City Photography Gallery
Newsletter #139   January 10, 2019

 

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.

 

 

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.

 

  

 

 

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.

 

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?

 

 

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.

 

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.

 

 

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.

 

 

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.

 



Desert Delusion

by Saikat Chakraborty

 




Beach Abstract

by Dana Besaw

 

 

Calendar of Events

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

Sunday Noon - 4pm

 

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.

 

Image City Photography Gallery | 722 University Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607 | 585.472.2540  info@ImageCityPhotographyGallery.com | www.ImageCityPhotographyGallery.com