ku # 805 ~ a tree

Cemetery tree ~ Mt. Hope Cemetery - Rochester, NY • click to embiggen

urban renewal # 1 / ku # 781 ~ art? photography? both? neither?

Without the APA ~ Whiteface and The Flume - somewhere in my head, in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
Stormy sky ~ Lake Placid Resort GC - Lake Placid, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggenI am about to do something that I rarely do* - enter a picture in a juried event.

Actually, 2 different juried events. 1 that is conducted by an Arts organization, the other conducted by a Photography organization. And, therein lies my dilemma. Let me explain ...

As noted and discussed in previous Landscapist entries, there are picture-makers who are artists and then there are artists who use photography. The distinction between the two can be rather complex. However, 1 particular difference is most often apparent - picture-makers who are artists tend to picture what they see, most likely with a very focused vision in a very specific genre, whereas artists who use photography tend to make pictures wherein the concept that drives the picture-making is the most important thing.

FYI, in the post-Szarkowski era, concept driven pictures are very much in favor with the Arts community / movers and shakers.

This distinction is not to say that the twain never meet although the concept MO most often mixes with the picture-makers who are artists crowd rather than the picture-what-you-see MO does with the artists who use photography crowd. That's because, in practice, concept driven picture-makers tend to "construct" their pictures with either staged picturing subjects or post-picturing manipulations of one kind or another, sometimes both. Neither technique lends itself to the notion of picturing what you see.

All of that said, it's back to my dilemma ... considering my 2 "picks" (see above) for the juried events, IMO, there little doubt that Without the APA is much more concept driven than Stormy sky is. Therefore, it seems obvious that that picture is much more suited to the juried event that is being conducted by the Arts organization. As mentioned, the Arts crowd really likes concept-driven work (of any art genre).

But, here's the real dilemma ... I also believe Without the APA to be the better choice for the juried event being conducted by the Photography organization.

Why so? Well, as I was purusing my collection of pictures - almost 3,000 pictures - for likely candidates for submission to the events, I was struck by the fact that, while many of my picture-what-I-see pictures are good (maybe great?) pictures, they make their strongest impression as part of a body of work rather than as stand-alone, AKA- "greatest hit", pictures.

Since I was entering in the Single Image category (in the Photography organization event), IMO, the Without the APA picture is the best picture for that juried event as well as the Arts organization event (which only accepts 1 piece per artist) .

That's because, in addition to it's concept-driven character, it is also a very good picture. It is, in a word, "interesting". As discussed in civilized ku # 669, the picture contains many of the qualities that make a picture "interesting" - What makes a photograph interesting? I’ll count the ways: It can be our first look at something. It can be entertaining. It can evoke deep emotions. It can be amusing or thrilling or intriguing. It can be proof of something. It can jog memories or raise questions. It can be beautiful. It can convey authority. Most often, it informs. And, it can surprise. ~ John Loengard

So, Without the APA it is for both juried events.

*I am not a fan of juried events / competitions. In part, that is because, even though quite obviously some pictures / bodies of work are better than others (some much better than others), I really don't think of picture-making as a form of competition. And, in additional to that notion and considering my experience as a judge for many juried events/contests (some of both national and international scope), such events really are crap-shoots that are entirely dependent upon the personal biases of any given judge. Hopefully, those biases are informed biases based on knowledge of the medium and its history but ....

ku # 804 ~ and the beat goes on

A red twig ~ in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggenWhat more is there to say?

ku # 800-03 ~ the return of the twig photographer

Twig in a thicket Peru, NY - just inside the NE Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
A thicket Peru, NY - just inside the NE Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
A thicket Peru, NY - just inside the NE Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
A thicket Peru, NY - just inside the NE Adirondack PARK • click to embiggenIt has been opined that I am "The Twig Photographer" and, as it applies to me, there is some true to that moniker ...

... in fact, the single most number of pictures that I have made over the last 7 years or so, pictures that would fall under the single heading of, say, pictures of twigs, are those of twigs. Or, as in the case of today's pictures, leafy covered twigs, AKA - twigs-in-waiting. While twigs may not be the only referent in many of those pictures, it is accurate to state that they are, at the very least, featured prominently in those pictures.

What can I say? Twigs, and the complex visual energy they project, appeal to my eye and sensibilities. At least it can not be said that I am a 1-trick/twig pony.

ku # 798-99 ~ on top of Whiteface Mt.

Lake Placid (the lake) ~ view from Whiteface Mt. - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
On top of Whiteface Mt. ~ in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen SMALL VERSION
On top of Whiteface Mt. ~ in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen LARGE VERSIONA 10 picture stitch using the Automate / Photomerge function in Photoshop, followed by a fair amount of manual work to fix some no-so-good PS photomerge merging.

ku # 797 ~ backlit water

The rocks/rapids ~ Jay, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggenAnother multi-exposure blend - 4 files into one.

ku # 797 ~ water lily pond # 2

Water lily pads and wildflower/weed ~ in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen

(ever so) civilized ku # 629-35 ~ night light

Night view of Whiteface ~ Lake Placid Lodge - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen

Dusk view of Whiteface ~ Lake Placid Lodge • click to embiggen
Dusk view of Whiteface ~ Lake Placid Lodge • click to embiggen
Night view of Whiteface ~ Lake Placid Lodge • click to embiggen
Dining porch fireplace ~ Lake Placid Lodge • click to embiggen
Red Adirondack chairs ~ Lake Placid Lodge • click to embiggen
Adirondack rustic ~ Lake Placid Lodge • click to embiggenLast evening we took the Jersey people to the Lake Placid Lodge. A place where, during the summer/fall season, you can get a room/cabin for between $550-$1,650/per night. A place where dinner for 7 - 4 bottles of wine, appetizers, entrées, and desserts with coffee - will cost you about $600-$700.

Update on Tuesday, August 17, 2010 at 07:50PM by gravitas et nugalis

Featured Comment: Don wrote (in part): "... What ISO do you normally use? I assume a tripod was used...

my response: in this case, ISO 200 and no tripod - night view of Whiteface was a long exposure with camera resting on a railing 1.5-2.5sec; next 2 image were just handheld 1/8-1/4sec; night view of Whiteface (#2) 1sec with camera braced against door jam; fireplace handheld @ 1/4-1/2sec; red chairs handheld @ 1/4-1/2sec; Adk rustic handheld @ 1/8-1/15sec.

All hail in-camera IS.