I presented a brief version of an earlier presentation titled Everyday Abstracts at the National Institute of Health Camera Club this week. I had the opportunity to judge their Abstract themed competition on the same night and I was very impressed by both the quality and breadth of their work. I was also pleased with their patience, as my early comments were so long that I made it a VERY late night for everyone.
Photoshop Actions
After the presentation portion of evening, several people had requested a copy of the presentation, which I promised to post here on my website so that people could easily access the presentation and the references to the Photoshop Actions that I mentioned during the presentation. These actions are free to use and greatly simplify the repetitive tasks of creating montages from digital images.
The image at the right was the starting point and by applying a Reverse Montage effect, which was based on a technique that I was taught for slide film produced the featured image. Taking 2 copies of the same image, both overexposed about 1 stop and putting them in the same slide mount, with one of them flipped over.
The affect of this treatment is highly saturated colors on a perfectly symmetrical composition. As a by product, almost any image becomes an abstract. This is one of my favorite techniques, and I will take many images of areas with strong graphic lines to produce an image based on line, shape and color.
Creating abstract photographs is something that I do routinely because it allows me to express some creativity and create something that comes completely from my mind. Even with a “found abstract,” the way that the image is cropped, exposed and the depth of field all play an important and expressive role.
Below please find information about our upcoming exhibit, Perspectives: A Photography Exhibition by Dennis O’Keefe and Sarah Hood Salomon. We are trying to get the word out about this exciting new photography show. Anything you can do to let your members know about the exhibit would be much appreciated. PLEASE NOTE: June 14th is the night of the reception, as well as “ART WALK IN THE PARK” — featuring artist demonstrations and open studio throughout Glen Echo Park — should be a great time!
Thanks,
Lisa Murphy
Photoworks Gallery and Photography School
Glen Echo Park, MD
PHOTOWORKS GALLERY
MEDIA RELEASE FOR NEW PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT
Contact: Lisa Murphy, murphymail5 AT comcast DOT net or Gayle Rothschild, gaylesue AT me DOT com
Exhibition Dates: June 14 – July 22
Reception and Gallery Talk: Friday, June 14, 6:30 – 8:30 PM*
Artists: Sarah Hood Salomon, sarahsally AT verizon DOT net and Dennis O’Keefe, dok6100 AT aol DOT com
Gallery Hours: Saturdays, 1-4 PM and Sundays, 1-8 PM (and anytime there is a class in the photography school)
Gallery Appointments Available: Contact Photoworks, gaylesue AT me DOT com or kwkeating AT comcast DOT net
Cost: FREE to the public
Photoworks Gallery and Photography School @ Glen Echo Park
7300 MacArthur Boulevard
Glen Echo, MD www.glenechophotoworks.org
Sarah Hood Salomon utilizes camera motion and slow shutter speeds in order to compress transitional qualities of light into one image. By moving the camera while the shutter is open, light is formed into specific ‘brush strokes,’ and familiar objects are abstracted to textures, shapes, lines and colors. She presents a subject that no longer exists within a single instant, but moves through a confluence of several moments.
Perspectives by Dennis O’Keefe
Dennis O’Keefe’s images showcase the multi-colored hues and textures of the beaches of California. He writes, “From a distance, this California beach looked like any other — beautiful, but familiar. Actually walking the beach however, provided a bit of a surprise. The sand was multi-colored — blue-black, mixed with light grey and flecks of something like pale red and amber. Apparently the result of differential erosion from nearby cliffs, the sand was a show unto itself. Each ebb and flow of the waves erased the palette and created a new image. Particularly interesting was the effect that pebbles, shells and kelp detritus had on the resulting ‘canvas’ — colors and patterns were amplified on the seaward side of the obstruction, which contrasted starkly with the lee side colors. The resulting patterns often resembled birds in flight or inter-lacing leaves and fronds. It was particularly absorbing to rush from one pattern to the next, trying (often times in vain) to frame the image before it was erased forever.
Sarah Hood Salomon is a photographer and writer living in Bethesda, MD. Dennis O’Keefe specializes in the photography of intimate landscapes and lives in North Potomac, MD with his wife and family.
For the longest time I had no appreciation for abstract art. I could not understand what it was that people saw in it. Certainly I was familiar with and even liked Wassily Kandinsky’s Composition VIII pictured above, but it didn’t have any real meaning for me. I could not understand it.
Over the years my wife, a trained graphic artist and now high school science teacher, would try to convince me that I did not need to like something just because it was a “famous” piece of art. And that just because I liked something, didn’t mean that I actually had to understand “why” I liked it. It was OK to just appreciate the work that I liked and ignore the work that I didn’t.
With that foundation laid, when I met Joe Miller and was able to spend some time discussing photography, and that led to Joe’s preferred subject matter, abstract photography. Joe was very patient with me, spending lots of time describing how lines, shapes, colors, textures and perspective all affect the way that we perceive a scene. He spent a great deal of time explaining how Dave Carter, Joe’s longtime friend whom I met briefly before he passed away, would apply the psychological implications of visual design to his critiques of images. Joe encouraged me to explore design-based, rather than subject-based, photography in a Portfolio Project for NVPS, for which I decided to work with the stained glass windows in Joe’s studio, but took all of the photographs in InfraRed using my converted Canon 10D. The lack of color forced me to concentrate on the lines, tones and textures of the glass, however with the IR camera I got unexpected (for me) results. Blues became translucent and bright, while reds became opaque and dark, frequently pure black.
All of this helped me to develop not only an appreciation of abstracts, but a greater appreciation of images in general. It greatly improved my ability to abstract an image into its component shapes, which has improved my visual design. I now find that I am framing images based on principles of visual design, even when I am shooting sporting events.
What can I say about Joe that hasn’t already been said? Joe is my photographic mentor and good friend, founding member of the Northern Virginia Alliance of Camera Clubs, frequent speaker at local camera clubs, preacher of the 4C’s (Composition, Craftsmanship, Creativity and Communication) and Visual Communication, and promoter of the abstract photograph.
Joe has contributed more to the development of photography in the Northern Virginia region than any other individual. In 1997 NVACC published its first Directory of Speakers and Judges, and currently maintains that directory for use by member clubs and the general public. Joe also began providing a seminar for those who are interested in becoming a camera club judge, to increase the pool of people who could be chosen for each competition. In the early 2000s, Joe began publishing photography booklets through NVACC for a small fee. All of those booklets are available for download on the NVACC website now.
Two years ago Joe started an Annual Abstract Photography Exhibition and has worked tirelessly to make it successful, year after year. He just began accepting entries for the exhibit this past weekend.
If you ever get an opportunity to attend one of Joe’s classes, seminars or presentations, I strongly suggest that you take advantage of it.
After the presentation portion of evening, several people had requested a copy of the presentation, which I promised to post here on my website so that people could easily access the presentation and the references to the Photoshop Actions that I mentioned during the presentation. These actions are free to use and greatly simplify the repetitive tasks of creating montages from digital images.
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