Art Hop
July 1, 2010
5:00-8:00pm
Artists Reception
Saturday, July 17, 2010
1-4pm
Artist Discussion
Saturday, July 24, 2010
2-4pm
Mark Bosch will be showing a small collection of black and white and color images from the body of work he calls Selective Focus. These images were taken in the United States and abroad using a Lensbaby Composer lens. Drawn to nature and architectural images; his desire, with this exhibit is to give the viewer a different perspective of “everyday” life that draws the viewer to a confined, or precisely placed focal point within the overall image.
Though he generally takes photographs with standard or traditional type lenses, the Lensbaby Composer lens has provided him the ability to be creative "in camera" allowing him to spend more time behind the camera, and less time in front of the computer. To say it plainly, using this lens it not only allows one to play with images in a way that traditional lenses cannot in camera, it also lends itself to translate what he sees while capturing the image. The blurry, and sometimes surreal type of images that can be achieved when using this lens is something that he finds intriguing, and it is his hope that these images will strike emotion within the viewer regardless of what that emotion might be.
Mark is a California native that has been interested in photography since he took his first photography class during his Junior High years. Though he originally used a 35mm camera, he has now turned to digital for all of his photography and prefers Canon bodies, with lenses ranging from Lensbaby to 200mm. All of his post processing is done with Aperture 3, and printed on archival digital quality paper locally here in Fresno. His Photography has given him a profound reverence of all that surrounds him and that is why he takes every opportunity to travel and explore.
Richard Harrison of Fresno presents his photographic study, People of the Middle Kingdom. The title for The Middle Kingdom was coined late one foggy winter afternoon north of Woodlake. My wife and I were discussing how each small town in California’s Central Valley differed - in both appearance and personality. She remarked that since childhood the Valley always reminded her of The Middle Kingdom - earthy yet ethereal. Knowing a good thing when I hear it, I immediately stole the idea and applied it to a project I had been thinking about the last couple of years.
This was the beginning of The Middle Kingdom project. Little did I know how much work lay ahead or the many rewards and interesting places I would visit or people I would meet. I didn’t begin with the intent of photographing people. Originally, the goal was to take places and buildings located in the Central Valley. Reality struck when I looked at a map with a seemingly endless number of small towns sprinkled across the Valley. Focusing on its people was a natural progression.
At first trips were totally impromptu, with absolutely no destination; like following a stream just to see where it leads - a bear went over the mountain type thing. For instance, a direction sign along Golden State Highway south of Fresno for Bowles yielded some good images and a nice afternoon in a small town. Most other photos came about the same way - just follow a sign.
This method does have its drawbacks. Sometimes there are just too many signs to follow! On countless occasions we and the dogs (our official Middle Kingdom Corps of Discovery) have watched the sun set and moon rise, hours from home, faced with a long drive and work the next morning.
That forced me to plan a bit, at least try to make it home at a midnight. Surprisingly, places and pictures quickly multiplied. In a couple of years I had photographed 20 or 25 towns, all within a relatively short distance from Fresno. That number could easily have been greater but, as is the case in photography, sun and weather conditions made repeat visits necessary.
In the past I primarily photographed in larger cities, concentrating on the urban landscape and the portraits within that environment. Coincidentally, I’ve found myself doing the same in the communities of the Valley - whether large or very small.
Wondering what to do with all this led me to display the images on Flickr. Shortly thereafter, I joined Spectrum and have thoroughly enjoyed my membership, with the Digital Users Group of particular interest.
I use a Nikon D80 with a 18-70 mm lens. Out of all my lenses, this is the lens of choice for most of my work. Very rarely do I travel with more. Over the years I’ve found this greatly simplifies things and is more than adequate for most of my work.
Pictures featured in this exhibit have had very little, if any, planning and rely mainly on who or what was happening at the time. Exceptions are The Cardroom which is a composite and The Ghosts of Old US 99 - my commentary on the passing of an old byway through the Central Valley.
The images in People of the Middle Kingdom represent an important aspect of our culture - the diversity of our lives and activities. While the world has come to the Central Valley each of us contributes in our own unique way.
Hope you enjoy the viewing as much as I have the photographing.