All images copyright by the individual photographers

	Black-Crowned Night Heron Dick Beery Dick Beery’s Gallery Pick, “Black Crowned Night Heron” captures the striking presence of a heron perched gracefully on a sturdy tree branch, its bright white belly and bright yellow legs, cutting a stark contrast against the verdant background. The bird is beautifully framed with a natural foliage that complements its sleek plumage.  The image’s focus is sharp, drawing attention to the heron’s piercing red eye, a characteristic feature which provides a vivid contrast to the subtle blue and gray tones of is feathers.  The heron’s alert posture and intense gaze suggest that it might be on the lookout for a meal or cautiously surveying its surroundings. Compositionally the image is strong with the heron centrally placed, allowing viewers to fully appreciate the details of its appearance. The heron, with its jet-black crown stands out against the vibrant green foliage. Its keen eye gazes intently into the distance, exuding a sense of quiet contemplation and regal poise. The intricate details of its feathers, slightly dampened, adds a touch of texture and depth to the image, enhancing the bird’s natural grace. Through skillful composition, effective lighting, and a keen eye for detail, Dick has captured a moment of quiet splendor that invites viewers to pause, reflect and appreciate the wonders of the avian realm. All of Dick’s images in his display serve as a reminder of the delicate balance of ecosystems and the enduring allure of wildlife in its purest form.  Congratulations, Dick, for your Gallery Pick! By Marie Costanza
	French Quarter Betsy Lewis This wonderful photograph asks the viewer to become a participant in this scene -- from a French Quarter balcony in the evening, lights ablaze on a street below that stretches into the distance. It’s warm, even in the early evening. There’s a sense of timelessness, being up here on the balcony – sharing the elevated space with the many other balconies along the way. Looking down through the elegant balustrade, it’s too bright, there, to see any activity on the streets. The diagonal flow along the balustrade connects with the street in a receding perspective leading the eye to explore the scene again and again. The source of light for the photograph comes from the street (instead of the sky), and the street, hidden in its own brightness, illuminates the many balconies above it. …and then there’s the overlay. Its presence is there on purpose. It changes not only what we see but how we’re seeing it. It’s not “just” an evening photograph from the French Quarter of a street, buildings, and balconies. It softens things, gently obscures, from time to time, distracts, taking our attention away from the photograph’s subject. Is it inviting us into our own thoughts, our own history? Could it be offering a romantic view? Does it provide some mystery or invite a memory, a story in this quite romantic location? I encourage you to take time to explore this photograph and your own thoughts and feelings that may come to the foreground. Betsy has created a beautiful multi-level photograph that we can take the time to fully enjoy – both in what’s presented in the frame and what emerges from within ourselves. Thank you, Betsy! By John Solberg
	Owl Wing By Tom Kredo Tom has captured several photos of Short-eared owls in flight and at rest. He noted he captured the stillness and motion of these birds, but I was impressed when he referred to them a “these silent hunters…” Capturing sound with still photography is impressive, but capturing the idea of silence is a feat not only of the bird, but also the photographer. All these photos are impressive, but Owl Wing is particularly interesting because Tom has caught the illusion that this bird has an extraordinarily large right wing. These things are what keep people studying the photograph. Actually, this owl’s wingspan is more than twice the length of its body. The background is neatly soft so that the owl stands almost in 3 dimensions. The fully expended wing displays the intricacies of it. The light on the owl’s face and wing edge defines the direction he is intently heading. His eye is totally fixed! This is an excellently composed photo Tom. Thanks for sharing it with us. By Don Menges
	Inpatient Residence #4 Steven Randell Congratulations to Steven Randell for his Gallery Pick, Inpatient Residence #4, one of the images in his series about the Willard Asylum for the Chronic Insane.  This image captures the eerie essence of the asylum, an institution with a storied past that stretches from its establishment in 1869 to its closure in 1995.  The photo, a haunting portrayal in infrared, transforms the asylum’s surroundings into a world that feels both alien and detached from time.  The scene shows the aged structure, partly shrouded by ghostly white foliage, created by the infrared technique, which makes green vegetation reflect infrared light and appear luminescent.  The use of this photography method adds a layer of surreal beauty to the composition, but also amplifies the brooding solitude of the abandoned building. The juxtaposition of the spectral trees and the decrepit architecture of the asylum stirs a profound sense of quiet desolation. The result is a visual experience that borders on the mystical, with contrasting tones of light and shadow that deepen the mystery wrapped around the asylum’s history. The composition itself is thoughtfully crafted, with trees framing the residence and leading the eye towards the central subject.  The building’s features, worn by time, suggest myriad untold stories, and the photograph almost seems to hold whispers of the past within its grayscale depths. Steven’s image is a powerful piece, especially for those who appreciate the merging of history, art, and the spectral possibilities of the less-trodden photographic path. By Marie Costanza
	Break Wall by Michael Shoemaker This marks Michael’s third and final show as Visiting Artists alongside his partner, Deb, and we are deeply grateful for their invaluable contributions to the Gallery. Michael's affinity for landscapes shines through in this exhibition, where he presents four captivating photographs captured during a December stroll along the Niagara River. Despite the recent warm winter, the absence of snow several miles upriver from Niagara Falls is not unexpected. Among Michael's pieces, Break Wall stands out for its compelling features, notably its bold lines and subdued palette, as Michael aptly notes. The rugged rocks on the left, weathered and shifted by the relentless cycle of freezing and thawing, serve as compelling leading lines in this rustic composition, forming an engaging triangular arrangement that not only balances the visual elements but also imbues the scene with a profound sense of depth. The subdued colors, a hallmark of winter's light, are expertly captured by Michael, who skillfully utilizes the angle of the sun to evoke a tranquil ambiance. Furthermore, the absence of foliage on the trees and bushes unveils the faint outline of distant buildings and fixtures, enriching the viewer's understanding of the setting. The harmonious interplay of brown and orange hues against the backdrop of the azure sky and serene water lends the image a soothing and serene quality, almost allowing us to momentarily forget the chill of the winter air. By Dick Bennett
	Once upon a Time by d dargan teska One of the benefits of digital photography is that an older camera can be converted to be sensitive to infrared, giving a very unworldly look to more common scenes. Typically, greens are rendered in white and blue in almost black.  In the days of film, these photographs were much harder to make as they required a special infrared film, as well as a very dark red filter to achieve the same effect they can be done by a converted digital camera. This photograph is a beautifully balanced landscape showing a connection of two sides of a stream by a weathered wooden bridge with beautiful trees in the background. The trees are also reflected in the water, balancing the image, foreground and background. The little wisps of plants in the foreground frame the photograph, which the dark sky also does. This focuses the viewer’s eyes on the subject, staying with the frame. The title Once Upon a Time brings to mind children’s fairy tales, which reflects the imaginary world that this kind of photography cleverly produces. Is interesting to observe how the greens of the trees and the greens of the ground are rendered in the same tones by this process, making for a very organic look, complementing and reinforcing the impression that the photographer has tried to create in her work. By its nature, black-and-white photography separates the viewer a little bit more from reality than displaying the image in color and in using IR photography the photographer has added one more Additional level of separation from reality. This is one of four photographs which complement each other and for a beautiful portfolio of infrared impressions. By Steve Levinson