All images copyright by the individual photographers

	This is a scintillating exhibition by an artist who dramatically blends bold shapes, vibrant colors, and strong visual design and contrast, into truly powerful, thought provoking images. Most of the prints use strong natural illumination to both intensify and delineate deep shadows, and to enhance the rich color palette. The artist’s unique vision focuses on compositional details taken from much broader landscapes, isolating intimate details with great clarity and conviction. These images are stand alone statements, in that the observer does not need to experience the total space from which the particular aspect was taken from. Several prints such as “At the Mag” and “Blades”, use just strong color and hue variations to give us spatial interactions and dramatic design. Other images, in particular “Cubes”, blend striking geometric design with rich color variations and strong contrast, resulting in truly memorable images. In summary, these impressive images are a great tribute to the artist’s exceptional visual skills, and all of the prints contribute to a magical, dazzling display. Although I would love to comment on many personal favorites from this show, alas, I am obliged to choose just one. Millenium Park Series #1 by Bruce Elling The extremely strong graphic architectural design in the background is an image unto itself, but here it is dramatically contrasted with a majestic row of seats, emblazoned in vivid red, separated from the backdrop by a lovely curved wall, and an expressive shadow. The color contrast between the red seats and the more neutral hues of the wall, shadow, and background, result in a wonderful, powerful image. In such a setting, we can easily add one other really fascinating dimension, namely, the one of mystery. Where do those strong diagonals go to?, to a roof, a balcony, to the sky?. Even more thought provoking, relates to what we can see or hear from those impressive red seats. Do we see a stage, an amphitheater, an ice rink, a cinema screen?, do we hear voices, music, singing or perhaps quietness? Isolating this large segment from an even vaster landscape, creates this mysterious wonderment, that gives this image an added dimension, making this already superb image even more fascinating.  The artist’s extraordinary vision and photographic skills that are shown throughout this excellent exhibition, are wonderfully evident and captured beautifully in this outstanding image.
	Jack Russell Terrier Family by Lynne Littlefield I can hear it now . Why did Peter pick this print as his second selection? This image is so different from the majority of the excellent prints that are, and have been displayed at this gallery, and by its own merits, it ranks right up there with all of them. The photograph is so natural, so moving, so spontaneous, so meaningful, so warm with great feeling, and it shows a magical moment, caught in time, beautifully captured and presented. You can almost imagine the “conversation” that these puppies are having with their parents - “Why can’t we jump over the wall?, “Why are you over there, and we’re here?”, etc. Precious moments in any family’s life are rarely recorded on camera, but here is one delightful happening that has been captured for posterity, and how wonderful that moment is to behold. One could never pose such a family meeting as superbly as this, not in a lifetime of trying. Yes, luck was required to be in the right place at such a precise moment, but the author maximized the opportunity by presenting us with one of the greatest family moments that I have had the privilege of seeing and commentating on.
	Crabapple #1 by Mike Kidulich This delightful image of crabapple blossoms, conjures up so beautifully the passage of winter, into the transformation and emergence of Spring. We replace the cold, monochromatic landscapes, where nature is resting and sleeping, with the joyous burst of new-born life, with its soft, dramatic palette of colors.  Here, the deliberate use of shooting wide open, with very limited depth of field, works so splendidly, enhanced by the delicate, Spring colors, contrasting the pastel pinks with the green shades in the background. The tree’s diagonal branch with its sumptuous floral display, is lovingly captured against a sea of green foliage. The background here sets off and supports the blossoms without any semblance of distraction. The delicate, yet vibrant color of the petals is so real, so inviting, showing us how exquisite nature can be, how fragile, yet so strong. A truly lovely image, very well seen, photographed and presented.