All images copyright by the individual photographers

 

	Rooftop Construction by Steve Root Steve Root has a superb artistic eye for creating montages of a single image, in  a way that invites the viewer to see and feel what they might not normally experience by looking at the individual picture. His prints also display a consummate technique in arranging, mounting and presentation of these montages. My two favorite images, on first impact are quite different, for one shows a great use of color, whilst the other is entirely in Black and White.  What sets these two montages apart from Steve's other prints, besides their strong use of design, is the use of motion. In the "Rooftop Construction", the interplay of light on the wooden framework of the wall, when montaged into four panels, gives a kaleidoscope effect, that is repeated all around the completed print. This keeps the viewer's eye continually in motion, and leads one to intently looking at each set of pictures, pushing one to get a greater understanding of what is going on besides looking at a simple construction site photograph.
	Phipp's Conservatory Steps by Steve Root In the "Phipp's Conservatory Steps", the steps are the dominant feature, with one's eye going up the graceful stairway, pausing to enjoy the central motif, then going up and around and back again down the steps. This circular motion allows one plenty of time to enjoy each up and down journey, to pause to re-visit the central montage, and then to move on and continue the circular travel. Each ascent and descent of the steps gives one more time to think, to experience, and to try and get a better  understanding of what we are seeing, and maybe to give us time to share some of Steve Root's thoughts and reasons for what this montage meant to him.
	Highland Woman and Her Granddaughter by Sa Kim Tran Guest artist Sa Kim Tran has captured outstanding thought provoking images of aspects of life in Vietnam, and my absolutely favorite picture is the one listed above. This superb portraiture study, beautifully printed and displayed, captures the very essence of a proud and loving family heritage, spanning much more than just a generation gap.   We can easily see the countless years of hard work, pain and sacrifice in the elderly lady, right down to the exuberant youthful look of her grandchild. What is so very evident though, is that even as the past years were so hard, so relentless, and never easy, there is a tremendous feeling of optimism, of a new and more enlightening future for the grandchild, and hopefully, her generation in this country. The past has been hard to bear, but through the eyes of the grandchild, so beautifully captured here, there is the promise of a really bright future, and we know that her grandmother is going to do everything in her power to make this happen. A wonderfully moving image.
	Backyard Ballet  by Jeanne Sozio This is a really exquisite, romantic picture that any late impressionist would have loved to have captured in a painting. It has a wonderful lyrical quality, in that you can almost hear the music that is being played as these dancers move in unison. What makes this picture so special, is the superbly delicate, yet vibrant color palette, highlighted by the strong red and reddish hues in the couple's costumes. From the foreground of gently moving leaves and grasses, to the dark background which helps emphasize the dancers, we see a galaxy of pale pinks and delicate tracery that serves to augment the more saturated hues of the dancer's costumes. The end-result is a delicate pastiche of color, movement and vibrancy, which all contribute to a superb, romantic, yet timeless picture. This is really an outstanding photograph, one that I felt honored to review.
Peter Marr We are very grateful to Peter for his thorough review and selection for Peter's Picks.	Peter was born in England in 1935 and came to live in the United States in 1968. He worked for the Eastman Kodak Company for 34 years, retiring in 1998. During his employment and continuing into retirement, he has been an enthusiastic amateur photographer. His photography has won him numerous awards throughout Kodak and in International Salons, including 5 George Eastman Medals, which is the top honor awarded to the most outstanding picture in the Annual Kodak International Salon. He has served as a judge in both local and international photographic competitions for the past 20 years, and is a Past president of the Kodak Camera Club and past chairman of many of the Kodak Camera Club organizations. In the past five years or so, he has devoted his photographic skills and interest into nature photography, notably bird photography. His bird photography has been the subject of several one-person exhibits, the most recent being at Ding Darling NWR, in Sanibel, Florida, The Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown, New York, and at the Webster Public Library in Webster, NY.