All images copyright by the individual photographers

Gallery Partners' Picks
	Broom by Chip Evra Such a simple image -- a broom leaning against a wall. It’s one small scene in an unfolding story, one moment in the flow of time and activity. The broom was probably handmade, and perhaps by the man or woman who just used it to clean the street. The bristles, probably gathered from somewhere in the countryside, were carefully tied to the broom handle. It was left against the wall, carefully propped in the vertical joint so it wouldn’t fall to the ground. The real story is as much about an unseen person as about the broom itself. No matter how we might imagine a story, there is a real one, and this image invites us to remember that thousands of stories unfold around us that leave only a small token of their reality. But this image is also a story in itself. It’s about lines and angles, about textures and subtle colors. The stone wall stands with its horizontal and vertical lines, and the broom handle brings the strong line creating the triangle, an almost independent shape within the image. The eye can follow the upward sweep of the handle, down the vertical line in the wall and across to the handle again. And there are the bristles, and the line becomes a broom once again. The many textures on the wall keep the surface alive.   You can convince yourself of a faint outline of a horse or a dragon head on the wall. The subtle colors and the texture speak of age and history.  Chip has brought us a captivating image – a captured moment in his own life in that time and place, and a captured moment in the life of an unseen street cleaner.
	As Above, So Below by  Alexander Stoinis This photograph truly engages the viewer. Your eyes move around the photograph noticing all of its interesting components. First you notice the woman and her reflection. The reflection may actually be sharper than the woman herself. Then you view the eyes of all of the people in the background -- all appear to be engrossed in their own worlds, separate from the woman walking down the sidewalk. Life goes on, but separately. Henry Cartier-Bresson talked about the decisive moment in a photograph -- when both the subject and environment come together -- a critical point in time when the photographer needs to take the photograph. Alexi’s evaluation has nailed it in seeing this moment for the photograph. Use of black-and-white strongly supports the composition of the image; one does not expect brilliant colors on such a day. This photograph is truly a treat for the eyes -- it doesn’t let you simply look at it and walk away but encourages you to study and see all of its complications.
	Swan Dreams Project Aesha Ash, the Subway Bed  by Arleen Thaler Over the years many photographers have used Rochester’s subway bed as a subject. Also, many photographers have used ballet dancers as their models. In a wonderful juxtaposition of the grittiness of the subway bed and the beauty of a ballet dancer, Arlene has created a fascinating photograph. We can admire her excellent environmental portraits displayed along with this photograph, capturing the essence of the subjects and relating them to be environment they are in. This photograph makes the viewer aware of a strange and strong contrast between the environment and subject. One wonders, What does this symbolize? The list of possibilities is almost endless. The symmetrical composition with the dancer exploding out of the photograph catches your attention immediately and then gets you thinking. Of what is this picture a metaphor? What is the significance of the strange backdrop behind the dancer? What is the dancer even doing an abandoned subway? What is the spider doing her hair?  The composition is strengthened even more by Arlene's use of black-and-white, very often used in photojournalism for a realistic portrayal of life. The dancer is featured in many of photographs displayed in this exhibit; however her personality and presentation is seemingly different from the traditional ballet dancer form that she exhibits in the other photographs. She is not just “striking a pose” but is doing a lot more.
	Hanging On by Steve Levinson Steve’s wonderful image, Hanging On, needs to be reviewed from two perspectives; the composition itself and the use of infrared technology. While Steve chose to see the tree as “hanging on,” I interpret the tree actually in control of it’s own destiny and reclaiming the land that has been obstructed by brick and mud. There is energy in this image that is created by the backlit tree and forced to the root system allowing it to destroy the wall beneath it. It’s as if this tree is actually grabbing the ground under it with a vengeance. This is a well-composed, strong image. Steve was determined to use infrared light to “capture the magic and mystery” of the Maya people. Infrared, photography, offers photographers the opportunity to explore a new world – the world of the unseen. Why “unseen”? Because our eyes literally cannot see IR light, as it lies just beyond what is classified as the “visible” spectrum – that which human eyesight can detect. This reflected IR light produces a fascinating array of surreal effects. Because of the effects of IR, foliage can be rendered pure white when processed, making photos look eerie, and have a haunting sense about them.  Steve successfully used a photographic technique to allow the viewer to feel the same sense of mystery he experienced. A strong composition with a creative photographic approach results in a very successfully captured image. Well Done!