"Often as we grow older, conservatism becomes a way of life. In some ways this is adaptive, and the result of our growing wisdom. In other ways, it is not. Sometimes the conservatism of age deprives us of growth and locks us into ways of seeing which show little progress and little continued development. Conservatism of this kind is, possibly, the greatest danger and most limiting factor of aging, but such debilitating conservatism is not necessary and frequently does not occur.

"Artists often appear to be looking for the concentrated experience, the distillation of vision, which will forever alter the way we see. Some find it, (and) the best communicate it; and after viewing their work, we no longer see the world with the same eyes. An attempt to change vision through the presentation of distilled and purified experience seems to be the motivation for much art. The methods which are used to achieve this distillation can help all of us see more clearly." (Steven Meyers, On Seeing Nature)

Movement or growth in photography seems to be the focus this month, with an article by Ray Bidegain discussing the way mounting a show can help a person look at where he has been, and another by Patrick Kolb addressing how a radical change in location can effect changes in vision. Just so we don't take ourselves too seriously, Susan Huber shares some lighter experiences about photographing with new friends.

We would also like to extend a special thanks to Gerhard Bock for his two-month tenure as editor of our newsletter. Job well done, Gerhard!

As viewers and collectors of photography, we participate in the re-creation of a work of art. Its meaning changes from person to person and over time. Once we welcome art into our lives, we have a ready source of sustenance and challenge that grows, changes, mellows, and enriches our daily experience. No matter how much we study or read about art or artists, eventually we return to the contemplation of the work itself; for art is the tangible evidence of the ever-questing human spirit.

Above is "Tumacacori AZ, 2006" by Scott Peters, a 7X17 contact print, printed on AZO paper, available through our Online Gallery. 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 Gallery, you can return it for a refund. We currently have over 400 photographs available for sale. Just click on the link below to quickly and easily view our catalog. The Gallery is a secure site that allows you to purchase using your credit card or PayPal account.

Click here to visit our Online Gallery.

Ray Bidegain: On Life Cycles

As I prepare for the gallery show I have this month, I find myself thinking about the meaning and the life of my work. When I say "the life of my work," I am thinking about the fact that this will be my first solo gallery showing of portraits. I am selecting work from many years of photographing portraits; one of my negatives is well over 25 years old at this point.

Before this show, I made portraits for people who commissioned the session and collected the prints. Until now, I have shown them on the Internet as part of my portfolio, but they have never been in an art gallery setting. Part of the reason I decided to show them now is my feeling of wanting to be finished with these portraits, making the show a kind of conclusion for this body of work so it can become my archive. I feel like the work has a life cycle, and this, for me, is a step towards moving on to complete other bodies of work that I have also been gathering.

In this show, I am including some very recent portraits that I have made using wet-plate collodion. The collodion portraits have an interesting life for me as well, but in a different way. A wet-plate collodion portrait is a collaboration between the sitter and the photographer in a process that takes place over several minutes. It is almost like a performance. I work with the sitter to find a pose, then go away for four minutes to prepare the plate. When I return, we have just a few minutes to reset and make the exposure, a rather long exposure at that. Then I am back in the dark, and within five more minutes the plate is finished and washing. Both the subject and I can see what we did, and we can do another if we are not satisfied with the results.

But this is not roll film, or even sheet film where I might make 20 or 30 portrait exposures now and look for the best one later. We are forced to make a revealing image in about four attempts. I like accepting this necessary limit, and I also like the fact that the portraits are not a fleeting glance or expression, but a moment of relaxed commitment. It is a calm moment between us.

One thing I have noticed, as I try to make my way as an artist, is that the process of making art is fragile. While the need and desire for making photographs is always present, I work at actively and carefully maintaining a framework where it can happen, where it can live. Finding galleries to show my work, as well as editing and preparation of photographs for exhibitions, comes less naturally to me than the process of making the photos. But if I do not maintain the framework, my works' life cycles and even my development as an artist stop moving forward.

Above you see Ray's portrait of "Bea," an 4x5 platinum/palladium contact print. You can find this image and his other current work in our Online Gallery.

Patrick Kolb: Viaggio in Italia

Much has been written about stepping into the backyard and making photographs, getting intimate with a subject over an extended time period, and seeing the many faces of a familiar subject in different lights. But what happens with a complete change of environment, subject, time frame, language, and even food? Well, it's not all that bad if the change is Italy.

I have just started to work on my images from my recent trip to Italy, and I am finding new discoveries about myself in these images. For a long time I have found myself in the landscape, the more remote the better, but in Italy you are never alone. The hand of man through the centuries is present everywhere. It was quite a cultural shock for someone who seeks solitude!

It took me several days to become comfortable photographing in this new environment, and even more time to observe myself in finding my photographic base with everything presented. Gone were my beloved peace, stillness, and open spaces, replaced with new motifs I had seen in many books, postcards, and shows about this country. It took awhile to feel at ease in this new visual environment. At first I saw things that others have recorded, but I kept looking and trying to understand my feelings, and most importantly, I kept photographing. Finally one day (I don't remember which day), I woke up and was excited at what we would experience that day.

My travels in Italy gave me a chance to experience that childlike wonder we get when confronted with something new. We can do nothing and become a tourist, or find the child within and grasp the new adventure and see where it takes us. This release of past photographic experiences and accepting of something different was very freeing for me. Probably most of my images will look the same as before; but I know for a fact that the photographer who took them is different and, I hope, different in a better way. The backyard will never look the same.

Just to let you know, all the wonderful things you have heard about Italy are true. The landscape, the food, and the wine were all terrific. But my fondest memories will always be of the wonderful Italian people, of the way they make you feel almost Italian and almost like family.

Above is "Florence Shower," a 5x7 platinum/palladium print available through the Guild's Online Gallery. Patrick will be including more of his work from this trip in the weeks ahead, so be sure to check the Gallery from time to time.

Susan Huber: Under the Dark Cloth

Early one morning I was in Drumheller, Alberta photographing a former motel marquee from the 1930s. I had just removed the lens of my 8x10 camera and was in the process of putting the camera safely away. I sensed someone near me and looked around to see a clearly inebriated Hell's Angels motorcycle rider, balancing precariously to maintain an upright position. He bid me good morning and wanted to know what I was doing with that large camera.

I told him what I had photographed, but he persisted in wanting to see for himself what I was working on. So I put the lens back on and we stood together under the dark cloth looking at the scene. I explained why the image was reversed and upside down. By the time I finished explaining, I think I became truly affected by the alcoholic fumes he radiated. He told me the image was "beautiful," thanked me, and ambled off.

I have shared my dark cloth with farmers; with teenaged boys who tell me their secrets, hopes and dreams; with parents who thank me for instilling an interest in the environment into their children; and with park rangers and wardens, but never had I had a full-fledged Hell's Angel express an interest until then!

I have stories about my travels with my green-cheeked Amazon parrot, and about friends who have loaded their holders with the interleaving sheets instead of film...but these will have to wait for another time!

Above is one of Susan's Alberta studies, "Fence Posts, Seven Persons, Alberta" an 8x10 gold-toned POP print available through our Online Gallery. To see more of her work, please click here.

Please check out the Special Offers section of our Gallery for prints offered by Guild members through this newsletter. Using this link, you can buy selected photographs that Guild members have discounted for a limited time.

At right is "Kayt's Back," a beautiful 8x10 platinum/palladium print by Ian Leake, available this month at a very special price. Some of our prints are also featured in the current B&W Magazine advertisement. Please visit the Guild's website to see this month's "specials."