All images copyright by the individual photographers

	Bac Ha Market by Jim Patton Robert Frost once said, “I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Jim certainly took a road not traveled routinely by visitors from the west, to arrive at this Vietnamese market where he has creatively captured this amazingly colorful detail. This resplendent print, besides being a terrific, eye-catching photograph, would make a powerful advertising image for any manufacturer of cloth or thread, especially in the far-east. The lovely lighting and high camera viewpoint emphasize the awesome, unrivaled colors and designs of the costumes and related apparel. The highly colorful designs are just awesome in their visual diversity and extended range of hues. Every color that one has ever seen is here, except for white, which is only barely visible if one looks hard enough for it. Apart from the wonderful diversity of colors and designs in the traditional clothing that these ladies are so proud to be wearing, there are two other important facets of this great print that I must mention. Firstly, although the marketplace is extremely crowded, there is a definite sense of order and intensity. All eyes in the foreground and center of this photograph are directly focused on the young lady who is intently holding a bolt of cloth from the display on the floor. One can almost sense the dialogue and price-bargaining that is going on between the lady and the vendor. In the background, the people are orderly milling around, intent on maximizing their own market opportunities to the fullest. Secondly, Jim has strikingly complemented the incredible patterns radiating throughout these lovely costumes and head coverings, with the visual patterns the people themselves make in this intense crowd scene. One’s eyes can travel and weave intricate arrays, reflective both of the people and with their costume designs, all combining to make a stunning image in what is probably a typical market day in this striking area of rural Vietnam.
	Rural Mother, Embroidering by Jim Patton   A noted icon of photography, Bill Brandt once stated, “Most photographers would feel a certain embarrassment in admitting publicly that they carried within them a sense of wonder, yet without it they would not produce the work they do, whatever their particular field.” This sense of wonder is very apparent in all of Jim’s images in this exhibition, in which he has eloquently and lovingly captured the very essence, beauty and spirit, of the Vietnamese people. All of his prints are captivating and inspiring, and I particularly admire “Rural Mother, Embroidering” for it also illustrates a particular value often missing in western cultures, namely, that everyone seems to utilize every precious moment of each day to the fullest. Here, in this touching image, the mother is probably walking along a rural road, intently engrossed in embroidering an article of clothing, but all the time, she is fully aware of her precious baby, peacefully sleeping in the colorful cocoon suspended over the mother’s shoulders. The image is greatly enhanced by the soft lighting, which impressively enhances all of the colors in the mother’s traditional apparel and that of the baby carrier. The diffuse illumination also enriches the warm glow of the mother’s face and hands, and brings out the lovely detail of her long hair, which is casually, but majestically swept up and held by a clasp at the top. There is no doubt that this exquisite photograph typifies traditions long held in rural Vietnam, and we all must thank Jim most sincerely, for sharing with us such a poignant and moving image, which captures an intimate moment so beautifully.
	Friendship by David Perlman   This is an enthralling, intimate and moving portrait, wonderfully captured and presented by the artist. Photographically, I imagine that this exquisite image was taken by using the available light that was coming into the horse’s stall, with the absence of fill-flash, which would have compromised the true, natural, warm ambiance that this print evokes. This soft, diffuse light reinforces calmness, tranquility, and what radiates most, the love and fondness the young girl has for the horse, feelings which I am sure are reciprocated by the animal’s strong attachment for her. In her loving expression and upraised shoulder and arm, one can understand why there is a genuine and logical shyness, coupled with a definite protective reaction from her towards the photographer, which is only natural, and both of these feelings contribute to make this picture even more endearing. If there were entreaties from David to the horse, such as “Please look straight into the lens of the camera,” these instructions were followed impeccably. The almost black background provides an elegant frame for the photograph, and the fascinating contours and folds of the straps and buckles, which are in place to constrain the horse, add an especial authenticity and detail to the overall image. I venture that it would be almost unfeasible for anyone not to fall in love with this idyllic print. The warmth, love and feeling that the young lady has for her companion is amazingly apparent, and we know that she is forever thinking of the many years ahead that they will experience together. Nothing is going to separate them, and life today and into the far distant future, could not be more wonderful. Hopefully, all of us can share in this love and affection so that it can reflect and serve as a model for our own lives. Truly a superb and enchanting image. Thank you, David.
Note that for this online representation, we have cropped the full image a bit so that the steam engine is recognizable.	The Echo of Steam by David Perlman   It has often been said that you can only see what you are ready to see, and that the interpretation of a photograph is the prerogative of both the artist and the viewer. In this powerful, evocative print, we have the opportunity to trigger something very profound within the observer, by exploring a really exciting element that is almost always absent in photography, namely time. One can individually look at the three major components, and coherently weave together thoughts and observations of how this masterful image excites or moves you. For myself, the majestic, rounded columns on the left hand side of the print, appear to soar upwards into the unknown. Here, time is effortless, encompassing countless centuries of quietness and tranquility, as one witnesses monks in cowled habits, prayerfully walking through these hallowed cloisters. On the opposite side of the print, the massive vertical pillars are equally impressive, but their rigid architectural formality dates them timewise, and they speak to us in more moderate tones. These monoliths would probably grace the interiors of municipal courthouses and legal offices, where the imposing double doors provides access to a select clientele. Finally, our eyes are riveted on the stately arch, and immediately we enter to marvel at the imposing detail of the true giant of the railway, namely, the steam engine. Here once again, time has been compressed, but the sound has crescendoed  dramatically in volume. One can truly feel, hear and even smell the true grandeur of the industrial age. Our towering, historic aura is at the same time, however, touched with a degree of sadness, for unlike the stately columns reflecting a picture of permanence, we know that the proud, resplendent steam engine will one day be silenced, to become a lasting memorial in a transport museum. I am certainly in awe of David, who has amalgamated so remarkably two distinct images into one superb assembly. Not only is his print visually stunning, it strikingly transports us both in time and sound from the distant past into the unknown future. A truly wonderful image.
	Spring Light by Susan Roth   The combination of a black and white photograph of a majestic grove of trees, with an image of foliage and undergrowth that has luminances on the lightest placements of the gray scale, has resulted in a spectacular masterly print, artistically created by Susan. My greatest compliment to her is that she has given us an image that even nature herself (on a black and white scale of course), could not equal for its sheer beauty and transparency. Here we see stately trees reaching proudly into the imagined canopy, monoliths, which range from a true black all the way to the faintest gray, giving this forest scene a wonderful depth and three dimensional quality. This scene alone, without any added vegetation, would have been quite memorable, reminiscent of the landscape masterpieces of Harry Callahan. Into this dynamic vista, the artist has added a delicate tracery of leaves, branches and an understory of plant structures. All of this vegetation is in the form of a luminous palette of mid to the lightest gray. The final result is an enchanting forest landscape that is truly magical and uplifting. Here we have expressed in terms of a complete gray scale, both power, brilliance and delicacy, interwoven into a most glorious assemblage. I am sure that like many viewers, I just wish that this inspiring scene could be viewed in nature somewhere, but even though this is not possible, we all owe Susan a debt of sincere gratitude for her giving us such an outstanding image.
Peter Marr	We are very grateful to Peter for his thorough review and selection for Peter's Picks. Peter was born in England in 1935 and came to live in the United States in 1968. He worked for the Eastman Kodak Company for 34 years, retiring in 1998. During his employment and continuing into retirement, he has been an enthusiastic photographer. His photography has won him numerous awards throughout Kodak and in International Salons, including 5 George Eastman Medals, which is the top honor awarded to the most outstanding picture in the Annual Kodak International Salon. He has served as a judge in both local and international photographic competitions for the past 20 years, and is a Past president of the Kodak Camera Club and past chairman of many of the Kodak Camera Club organizations. In the past five years or so, he has devoted his photographic skills and interest into nature photography, notably bird photography. His bird photography has been the subject of several one-person exhibits, the most recent being at Ding Darling NWR, in Sanibel, Florida, The Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown, New York, and at the Webster Public Library in Webster, NY.