All images copyright by the individual photographers

	Joy by Peter Blackwood 21x27-in, $165 Our Visiting Artist for this show, Peter Blackwood, is an avid landscape and nature photographer. Joy is an excellent example of his attention to detail and storytelling, expressing a commonality among all species, the feeding of the young. Peter is at the water level for his portrait, likely in his kayak, to depict the absolute excitement of the chick receiving a small fish from the mother loon. Peter places the subject in the lower third of the photo and crops very closely to emphasize the exchange between mother and two-week-old chicks. The texture of the mother and chicks is also contrasting and gives the viewer time to linger and compare the two. The foreground is muted and assists in highlighting the main subject. Though the top of the background is brighter, it does not interfere with the main subject. A beautiful portrait of a common enough interaction that makes one feel we are experiencing this event with Peter.
	Weathered Man with Cigar by DeDe Hartung  15x21 -in, $300 DeDe talks about Havana as exciting with a mysterious culture, secretive and with elements of the Old World.  Look at THIS guy! He is the epitome of exactly that of which she speaks. A weathered up old face marked with lines of stress and aging. His teeth clutched firmly on a cigar that has probably been there for days. Dark eyes look into empty space with an emptiness only he can comprehend. This is the face begging to tell a story! The “hundred years of paint layers” she speaks of are right here!  DeDe has managed to capture all of this with a perfect exposure and by placing the portrait off to one side giving a place for the “story” to the left. The tones are exactly “old world.” Notice also that DeDe has taken this portrait from a lower angle than you’d expect giving this old guy a place of importance. The tight crop lets us feel as if we are right next to him! This is an excellent photograph. Thanks for sharing.
	Life on the Street  #5 by Shelia Nelson 16X20-in, $125 Shelia presents an excellent series of “street photographs” in this exhibit. This photo makes you laugh…too often panhandlers make up a story to explain why they need your money, this woman is honest. She engages you with her by looking directly at the camera while holding a sign, making a peace sign and smoking a cigarette.  She is truly a Multi-tasker!  Gesture is an important part of a good photograph.  It moves the subject from just an inanimate object to someone you can interact with. It often means that you do not just “sneak” a shot but have to engage the person and wait till they have the expressions that you want to capture. Shelia has done a great job in doing this, as she has with the rest of her exhibition. Using Black and White is the perfect medium for street photography. It gives a gritty, realist feeling to the image. It is well composed, which is difficult as one often has only seconds to frame and make the photograph. Using black mat makes the photo pop, looking almost three dimensional with our model coming toward you, just like she would do if you encountered her on the street. Let’s hope that she was successful in her days “work” and was able to enjoy her evening with her purchases!
	Survival by Julie Oldfield 16X20-in, $175 As a social worker Julie has certainly had the opportunity to experience the grittier side of life in Rochester. Poverty, addiction, and surviving on the streets leaves a nasty mark, not just on people, but their environment as well. This photo shows an old, “experienced” vine that has learned to cling to the side of a building for many years, latching onto every part of the brick and mortar it can find to stay alive. It is invasive only because it needs to survive! The almost monochrome tonality and grittiness Julie gives this photo helps us to understand the need this vine has continue its existence. Truly a metaphor many people experience on a regular basis. This is one of several great photos Julie has shared with us.
	Untitled #5 by Joyce Pearson 20x26-in, $250 Joyce Pearson is exhibiting selections from the “Hands Legacy Project” she began that provides complimentary hand portraits for the loved one, who is in bereavement care and their family. With her background in social services and hospice work, Joyce assists the family to personalize these images in ways that symbolize the interests and talents of the patient. One of the most striking for this viewer was #5, with the three daughters and wife cradling his hand in theirs. His hands formerly calibrated aviation instruments and played semi-pro baseball. Shakespeare’s “Seven Ages of Man” comes to mind as I think about this photo. As infants we are nurtured by our parents. Then, when we decide to have a family, we nurture our young and they in turn hopefully assist us in what Shakespeare called “our second childishness and mere oblivion.” The five hands are placed strategically. One may see a star, a cross and perhaps the outline of a baseball glove to hold and care their husband and father. This is a very moving exhibit that reminds us of consider the human condition and the support and love we furnish and receive from one another. Thank you, Joyce, for this loving presentation.
	Poetry in Snow II  by Luann Pero 21x21-in, $185 This month we have the privilege of seeing an entire gallery of Luann’s photographs ranging from forests to the inner parts of flowers. She captures nature in a beautiful and expressive manner. Most photography in Rochester is done in the warmer months, when trees and flowers are in bloom, offering their beautiful colors and forms to our cameras.  This photo was obviously taken in the winter, when many of us are drinking a hot drink and being glad to be inside. Luann presents a minimalist view of three or four stick like objects planted in the snow…are they buried or emerging? That is up the viewer.  There is only slight structure to the snow, making it a background for the main features of this photograph.  Symmetrical but well balanced the square format lends to the composition. There is no extraneous space but yet the composition is not crowded. Luann has carefully chosen her subject in a way that they all look like they are the same on first look, but then you can see how they differ in their complexity and form. Having them not all in a straight line makes for a strong visual interaction, drawing you into the photograph. Photographing something as simple of this with the kinds of results that Luann achieves makes this a strong candidate for a Partners’ Pick.