All images copyright by the individual photographers

Along with being a Gallery partner and the father of two talented children, George has given us the unique opportunity to view a “family exhibition”, a truly excellent and uplifting show, with an incredible diversity of beautiful and thought-provoking images. One might conjecture that putting on a “family exhibition” required a good deal of courage on his part. For example, on seeing the displayed photographs, one might peruse whether he advised/taught/encouraged his children ably in the pursuit of excellence in photography? An even riskier result would be if his children outshone him, certainly a subjective matter, but one that could give serious inroads into parts of his cerebrum. I jest of course, for as a reviewer and admirer of past exhibitions at the Image Gallery, I can happily and definitively say that there is no need for family comparisons. Each author has done a superb job of presenting their work in their own style, resulting in a truly memorable exhibition. I have selected one print from each of the family members as my favorite image to comment further on.
	Dew on the Bow by George Wallace George has many lovely scenic and “people” pictures in this exhibition, but I have chose the above image because it is my favorite print, and it truly illustrates his artistic and visual skills. This powerful, stellar print is a priceless example of how a simple subject has been transformed and uplifted into a great image. This innovation was accomplished by the author selecting a dramatic viewpoint and lighting, creative design, and unique use of the negative space in the background which really sets off the whole picture. The limited color palette is outstanding, strikingly helped by the dynamic lighting, which not only excites the visual cones, it picks up every detail from the interior of the prow of the boat, down to the individual glistening water droplets on the deck. The artistic design is flawless, reminding one of the nose of a giant whale, thrusting out of the sea into the world beyond, only the barnacles are absent. Cleverly, as if one’s eyes might take the powerful prow of the boat out of the top of the picture, the author has kept the rope attached to the boat in the picture. Many photographers would have digitally removed this rope to minimize its possible distraction, but I firmly believe that this would be a mistake. This image is not only a whale’s proud nose, it is also the prow of a boat, thrusting into the black unknown, so it is imperative that it needs a rope as its life support. It is a return to reality. Escape into the unknown is great and hopefully rewarding, but a means of returning to normality is essential. A truly impressive image.
	Mid Day Meeting by Jessica Wallace Jessica’s images have a sublime quality and artistic style that must make her father proud of the help and direction that he has given her for her quest for excellence in photography. Jessica’s pictures have a beautiful, intimate quality, and “capturing the moment” is certainly her forte, values which are especially illustrated in “Mid Day Meeting”. The warmth and feeling in the passionate embrace of the couple in the cattle barn are strikingly evident in this obviously unposed photograph. The vivid red of the wheelbarrow, together with the deep blue colors in the foreground, add a powerful element to the whole scene, without distracting from the obvious center of interest. In the latter, the lighting is of much lower intensity than the brighter foreground, which enhances the stage that we are experiencing a more hidden or clandestine relationship between the embracing couple. This certainly brings a high degree of mystery for the viewer, in which one can believe even fantasize on this poignant scene. One added element that is evident and particularly meaningful in this wonderfully impressive image, is the complete ignorance of the romantic situation by the cattle in the background. This naiveté is culminated by the animal at the top left of the picture, who shows complete boredom and lack of interest by just looking “up” and “away”. This print is a superb authentic “environmental” image, full of poignancy and meaning, wonderfully seen and captured. Henri-Cartier Bresson would have been proud to have taken such an exquisite image.
	Warehouse #2 by David Wallace David’s haunting images of the decaying industrial factories surrounding Pittsburgh, set in once pristine and lush landscapes are expressive photographs not just to intensely look at, but also to feel, smell, and listen to every sound they conjure up. To visualize the erosion, corrosion and collapse of the once proud and dominant steel mills, we must first use our minds and all of our senses to somehow realize the steel mills working at full capacity. We envisage the belching black smoke billowing from the stacks, we sense the acrid odors nauseating us, we see the huge coal and slag tips, blotting out the landscape of green fields and stately trees. Then, and only then, can we experience and appreciate “Warehouse #2” and all of David’s other excellent environmental prints. We see everything, but we feel, sense and smell nothing, except perhaps fear. The latter, because this can infiltrate other industries, other lives, other countries, other economies, as indeed it has. Technological advances and increased competition and pricing are inevitable, but they come at a greater cost, loss of jobs, skills and hope for the future. In “Warehouse #2” we do see nature rebounding in the foreground, the sky maybe brighter and cleaner than in the hey-day of industrial Pittsburgh, but the broken and boarded up windows of the warehouse are a grim reminder of past glories. What is especially disturbing is the graffiti marring the once-proud edifice. Is it the work of idle youth, of people who do not care, or of people who have lost their livelihood? Perhaps if their parents had worked in these factories, they would think twice before defacing these structures. David has masterfully and artistically captured the despair and the demise of the steel industry with these memorable images.
	Blue Agate Crystal Jim Dusen One can only be enthralled in wonderment at the fascinating exhibition in the East Gallery, where we enter a world of rocks and fossils. Their inner secrets, formed aeons ago, have been strikingly and beautifully revealed and captured by a master artist, whose incomparable vision and photographic skills, have given us twelve superb prints to love and admire. Nature, in its worldly magnificence, gives us mountains, valleys, rivers, deserts, flora and fauna for all to see, experience and marvel at. Here, in Jim’s astonishing show, he has skillfully revealed some of nature’s hidden secrets, so that we all can experience another world of sublime beauty. Intricate shapes, vibrant colors, delicate textures, amazing designs, these micro landscapes have an artistry and elegance that rival and often surpass the nature’s resplendence that we are used to experiencing. In the space allowed me, I cannot comment on all of the images, or just select one to explore in greater detail, for they are all truly incredible. The sensual, exquisitely ordered patterns of the “Ammonite”, the fascinating details of underground caverns in “Tiger’s Eye” and “Fluorite Crystal”, the Hubble telescope’s view of the heavens in “Tucson Jasper”, the river delta from space in “Red Flow Agate” and the “Transformer monster’s face” in “Crazy Agate” are just a few of the images that one could relate to from our memory banks. Perhaps one should not relate these outstanding images to our own perceived reality, but I just loved doing it. Certainly, we need to look at each print intently, marvel at it, and realize how incomparable, sublime, and magnificent nature’s “hidden” world is, and offer our sincere gratitude to Jim for opening our eyes to this enchanting wonderland.
	Drive-in Entrance by Dewey Fladd Dewey’s wonderful images of “Iconic Americana” are superbly seen, photographed and presented. In “Drive-in Entrance”, he has truly captured a magical moment of a fast fading monument to an entertainment pastime that has been loved by many generations. This quintessential part of American life, like countless others, has become an innocent victim of the onrushing thirst for newer and better technology. The bizarre colors, a result of a mixture of late evening, incandescent and neon lighting, casts an eerie, mystical glow over the admission booth. The scene is made all the more intriguing by the five cone sentinels guarding the rear door, presumably there to stop anyone who would dare to drive around the building to avoid paying. I just love the irregularity of the letters on the billboard advertising the evening’s film attractions, together with the hand printed warning and admission signs. We can certainly envisage the booth attendant, although he is not visible in this image, and we can certainly imagine and hear his standard patter as he briefs each driver on how much the evening’s entertainment will cost. Especially significant in this imposing and resplendent slice of “Americana”, is the long camera exposure, which allows the cars and their streaming lights to take on a ghost like appearance.  We are certainly seeing a “Phantom of the Cinema”, for what was once a welcomed and needed facet of particularly rural live. One cannot help be saddened by the fact that this treasured element of life has almost faded away, certainly a light that may never be rekindled. This is a beautiful, enigmatic image, one to treasure for the ages.
	Webster Pier CDS Photo Club This exhibition is an incredible tribute to the undeniable success of the Art Therapy program at CDS. These enlightened images, wonderfully show how volunteers, supported by a CDS Behavior Therapist, have brought out and enhanced the artistic and coordination skills in individuals with developmental disabilities. These individuals must feel very proud of their accomplishments when they see the end results of their endeavors. The prints on display would make any photographer honored to have taken them, and any viewer delighted to have seen and studied them. All of these images I am sure have great stories to tell if they could only speak to us. The artistic quality is quite astonishing coming from people who probably have little or no background in photography. Artistic skills are not latent in most people, so it is very evident that the volunteers, in one year of hard work, have overwhelmingly succeeded in imbuing the authors of these prints with photographic and computer skills, that have resulted in these really excellent images. Everyone involved in the Art Therapy program at CDS deserves the highest praise, and the photographers who made these prints should be exceptionally proud of their achievements. These individuals have clearly worked very hard in their skill development, certainly contributing highly to their personal growth and life enrichment.