September 2006
— New Developments
— Members' Current & Upcoming Shows
— Members' Workshops
— IN FOCUS with George Provost
— Photographers' Outings
— Special Offers
— New Members
“Once the vagaries of the medium have been understood, the plotting of curves and the stacking of tonal values within the two-dimensional surface of a print must allow for the depth of a Three-dimensional Zone System. Technique must serve and not dominate a craft, which requires creative movement. Allow the voice of the print to speak to you by seeing the tonalities as areas of feeling, quietly or vigorously interacting and functioning as more than mere translations of light reflecting from the surfaces of objects.”
These words by Paul Caponigro are from his “Voice of the Print” show. They seem to capture the essence of why we photograph. This month’s IN FOCUS subject, George Provost, has spent most of his photography career doing just this. We also have the first look at Patrick Kolb’s new platinum/palladium prints in the “New Developments” section, as well as a recap of the gathering of four Guild members last month in Portland, Oregon in the “Photographers’ Outings” segment.
Finally, Susan Huber is one of the photographers featured in the “new artist” section on the Alternative Photography web site. To see her images, you can use this link. It’s been a busy summer for everyone, so please check the Store for our new work, special offers, and some of the finest contact prints available at an affordable price.
At left is "Dorothy Church" by Susan Huber, one of the images you’ll find in our store. Because we understand the difficulty of seeing the true beauty of a contact print from a scanned image on your computer, we offer an unconditional guarantee. If you are not satisfied with any photograph you have purchased from the online store, you can return it for a refund.
We currently have over 370 photographs available for your inspection; just click this link to quickly and easily view our catalog. The store is a secure site that allows you to purchase using your credit card or PayPal account.
With summer’s gift of the few rare sunny days we have in the Pacific Northwest, I have had the opportunity to explore the platinum/palladium printing process. After assisting Guild member Ray Bidegain with his platinum-printing workshop in June, I have continued to work with the process during the summer. I have two creative projects that I plan on doing with this process. Here is an image from one of them, entitled “Garden Entry.”
What most inspires me about the platinum/palladium print, when done correctly, is the timeless quality and the sense of delicate light it achieves. I have placed three new images in the “Special Offers” section of the Online Store. Please take a look at them, and I would appreciate any feedback you may have (kolbphoto@yahoo.com).
John Wimberley’s work is included in a show of nudes by the on-line gallery Soulcatcher Studio. To see his image, please click here.
During the month of May, 2007, John Wimberley will be one of three featured artists in a photography show at the School of Image Arts, Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada. The theme of the show is the incarnation of spirit in physical matter. Be sure to check future newsletters for more details on this exhibit.
John Wimberley
"Sight and Insight—A Workshop on Seeing in Photography," is being offered by John Wimberley October 6-8, 2006. This workshop, sponsored by Portland Photographers Forum, is open to all photographers, regardless of format and whether film or digital.
Tuition is only $150 and the class is limited to 10 students. To sign up, please contact Robert Brummitt at (503) 614-0161, or e-mail robert8x10@hotmail.com.
When one gets to a certain age (for me that is 51), one can look back over one’s life and see certain patterns or themes that have remained consistent. I’ve identified three themes that have been there from an early age and remain to this day. I expect these three stable themes of my life will remain for the rest of my life. They are wilderness, spirituality, and creative work. These three are not separate but synergistic.
In elementary school I identified with being an artist, first with painting and drawing. At the end of my teens I began playing the guitar, and playing the guitar and music are still important parts of my life. About 20 years ago I started in photography and bought my first large format camera (an old 4x5 Linhof Technical III) in 1987, shortly before moving from California to Alaska. Since 1991 I have used an 8x10 camera. For a while I made both contact prints and enlargements. I could see the differences, and I knew I preferred contact prints. About four years ago I committed myself to making only contact prints. In 2003 I participated in a workshop presented by photographers Michael A. Smith and Paula Chamlee. Their Azo silver chloride contact prints confirmed my commitment to contact printing.
Starting with family camping trips, and then the Boy Scouts, I grew to love the natural world and the wilderness in particular. I spent weeks backpacking in Desolation Wilderness (near Lake Tahoe) in the early seventies and returned almost yearly until moving to Alaska. The annual climb of Pyramid Peak, whether alone or with friends and family, became a tradition. I hiked the Tahoe-Yosemite trail, and later the John Muir trail from Yosemite to Mt. Whitney. I also spent 28 days backpacking alone in the wilderness near a monastic community I was a part of, near Pecos, New Mexico. That was 30 years ago this summer. When I became serious about photography, landscape was the natural way for me to go. Over the years I have also constructed a second body of work that is portraits. I went to the Russian Far East in 1991, toting my new Phillips 8x10, and photographed almost exclusively the great, generous, and friendly Russian people. My first solo exhibit was of the Russian portraits.
I entered the Catholic seminary at age 13 for five years, and then spent about two years in contemplative monasteries (the Camaldolese Hermitage in Big Sur and the Benedictine Abbey in Pecos). Gradually I shifted from religion to spirituality; the two are not necessarily exclusive, but for me became incompatible. Major influences in my spiritual evolution include Ken Wilber, Krishnamurti, A Course in Miracles, Echardt Tolle, Father Thomas Keating, and many others who are representative of contemporary spiritual wisdom. I could go on and on about the relationship between photography and spirituality, but this short bio is already too long. In a nutshell, for me it is about contemplative seeing and a relationship to the universe. My intention is to respond to the beauty that the universe sends my way with care, attention, and gratefulness. As I change and evolve, my verbal narrative communicating this idea changes also.
In July of 2005 I moved from Anchorage to Kotzebue, on the Northwest coast of Alaska, just above the Arctic Circle to work as a mental health therapist. I work mostly with the wonderful Inupiaq Eskimo people of this region. Lack of a darkroom and the responsibilities of my position have resulted in a bit of a sabbatical from photography, though my passion for this medium remains strong. Inevitably, the creative energy in me must be released, and I feel there is more to come!
First Annual Guild "Summit" Meeting
In mid-August, Guild members (left to right) Gerhard Bock, Ray Bidegain, George Provost, and Patrick Kolb gathered to talk, photograph, and talk some more during four sun-blessed days in Portland, Oregon. They met first at Cameraworks Gallery to view Patrick’s show (see below) and talk about their various projects and ways the Guild can continue to promote artistry and creativity. That evening they were invited to a special preview of “The Eloquent Nude,” a film by NW Documentary about Edward Weston and his muse, Charis Wilson. (Please click here if you would like more information on this nearly-completed project.)
Over the next three days, they took to the field together, exploring the Lewis River area just across the Columbia in southwestern Washington. Another excursion involved an outing to the Oregon Coast town of Cannon Beach and photography at Hug Point (next photo below). While Ray and Patrick had been to these close-to-home places many times, they gained new perspective in discovering them with Gerhard, who lives in Davis, CA, and George, whose current home is the Artic Circle region of Alaska. And during all this activity, they managed to keep up their strength by feasting at local cafés and coffee houses as well as dining at Ray’s and Patrick’s Portland homes.
The avid sharing of ideas about photography, vision, techniques, and equipment drove hours of discussion and will spark continued exchanges going forward. Proposals for several Guild group shows are now in the works and we hope that many more members will attend future “Summit” meetings.
Special-Offer Prints by Guild Members
Please have a look at this issue's special-offer prints on our website.
New Members