All images copyright by the individual photographers

	Morocco #1 by Philip Lange Traditional “Landscapes “ and  “Cityscapes” have been magically transformed by Philip Lange into “SEEscapes”, offering truly intimate portraits of life, largely in cities throughout Spain. He has beautifully captured the atmosphere, the warmth and vibrancy of daily life in these cities, especially evidenced by scenes such as “Madrid #4”, “Morocco #2” and “Granada #2”. The artist uses a sensual recognition in capturing these images  that helps us feel and be a part of many of the scenes.  We do not see these images as they  are, we see them as we are. To give one brief example of this, look carefully at “Vallerajera de Friorio”,  you can certainly see quietness, serenity and perhaps loneliness, but don’t you also see tables filled with diners, musicians playing and people dancing? Of all of Philip’s excellent prints, I have chosen "Morocco #1" as my favorite image to comment on.      The true beauty and majesty of this clothesline “SEEscape”, is the wonderful interplay of colors of the multi-varied garments on the line with the striking background, visually enhanced by the soft lighting.  The interaction from soft delicate pastels all the way to saturated hues is truly magical, with the backdrop adding a striking third dimension.  The turquoise top half of the double door together with the deep red shades of the wall, visually enriches the values of the multi-colored garments. If that is not enough, there is a lovely interplay of light coming from the left hand side, that literally dances over some of the longer clothes, adding another delightful color interplay and sense of motion. No artistic painter could have captured all of these elements so majestically. This is a superb image, wonderfully seen, captured and printed.
	Despair by Josh Bulriss Of the many wonderful and poignant images of Southeast Asia that Josh Bulriss has taken, and are displayed in the East Gallery, I have chosen “Despair” to comment on. This lovely image encompasses much of his love for capturing the beauty of a face, for culture, and for tradition.  As he would describe it, there is an inner peace to most of his photographs, and it is very evident in this portrait of a young girl from Thailand. You do not need a catchlight in her eyes to see the deep feeling of love, sincerity and pride, of majesty, yet humility. The head-dress and a shirt with delicate colorful stitching are no doubt characteristic of the area in which this beautiful girl lives, but of course, it is the dramatic band of copper rings around her neck that demands our attention. This eye catching band could be purely ornamental, or possibly part of a neck-stretching element favored by one or two tribes in Africa. Whatever, we are certainly looking at a traditional adornment that dates back several centuries, in a very small enclave of our World, worn by a beautiful girl who probably has little control of what she has to wear. There may be some sadness on our part looking at this girl, but I know that in her being, there is much love, much strength, much determination and much pride in her heart.  Whatever her circumstances poor or not poor, Josh has truly captured all of the elements of love and well being in this beautiful young lady. I challenge the viewer to look deeply at this image, together with all of his other photographs, and like me, you will certainly be able to capture the innermost soul of his subjects, all exquisitely photographed and presented.
	DU-JIANG-YAN by Weiye Wang In this exhibition, the artist has presented many lovely panoramic landscapes, together with dramatic sunrise and sunset scenics. From these, I have chosen the print above as my third choice, the one that is definitely most meaningful to me. The sweeping vast panorama on a grand scale of the irrigation system in Si Chuan, China, built in 256BC, is truly awe-inspiring, not just from its important historical significance, but from the way the artist has captured his vast landscape so beautifully. The three dimensional vista has been strongly enhanced by Weiye Wang framing the dramatic scenic between the intricately carved upswept roof corners of a structure that is probably a Chinese Temple. The effortless curves of the canal system disappearing into the horizon, the lovely mountain  backdrop, and the powerful foreground, all add to the truly grand nature of this image. Dramatically, one’s eyes go across the central causeway to the island, to another bridge, then onto the mainland. The more that you look at this print, the more you see the more you want to explore, the more you marvel at the technology and far-sightedness of the people who constructed this incredible irrigation system so long ago. You certainly know that it is just as important and valuable now as it was in 256BC.  It is a great tribute to the photographer who has captured such a vital water system in such a grand and dramatic way.