Sights and Insights
Third Annual Iron Pour at GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in conjunction with the Sculpture Department at Albright College
Shot during a 2014 trip to Paris, these photos from Notre Dame cathedral merit posting now in light of the devastating fire this week. At first, I was not particularly inclined to jump on the bandwagon in response to the shocking event. Upon further reflection, I decided to make these pictures the focus of this week’s post. One can only be struck by the artistry and craftsmanship of the Twelfth Century cathedral constructed using pre-industrial methods. More than a symbol of French nationalism, it is an important piece of world cultural heritage. (Click on the Thumbnails for a larger view.)
Transportation in Cuba is a great deal more multifaceted than in the U.S. Horses and horse-drawn conveyances are still quite common, as are bicycles and motorbikes. Electric motorbikes are growing in popularity. With this post, I decided to feature horses. One of the pictures shows a water delivery. In older parts of Trinidad, there are no water mains to deliver water. It is delivered by tanker, often horsedrawn, and stored in cisterns.
These photographs, particularly the featured black and white, bring to mind the Düsseldorf school of Photography. The Düsseldorf school, which has been called the most influential school of photography of the post-War era emphasizes an aesthetic celebrating the functional, the industrial, and the geometrical. Some have called it “photography without opinion, comment or personality.”
Currently showing at Art Plus Gallery in West Reading, PA. Through May 1, 2019.
This is the first of a number of studies from a recent trip to the Caribbean. Bold and bright colors are a big part of the people, culture, and landscapes of the islands. How could one not include color in photographic studies? At the same time, black and white renderings offer another dramatic view. To make the most of the drama in some of these studies, I’ve played with manipulating color channels in Adobe Camera RAW’s black and white control panel. The result takes us beyond simple grayscale or simple filtering.
Tortola is the main island in the BVIs (British Virgin Islands).
I have not converted all the images in this study to black and white. Perhaps I’ll continue to experiment with several more. Thanks for taking the time to view this longer-than-usual collection.
