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Capturing a Story with an Image A true fine art photograph provides a strong “first blush” of interest and intensity. Also, it should draw your interest with each subsequent viewing. The essence of what I try to capture in an image is that moment that is more than just a moment, but a story. Each look allows seeing something new and, perhaps, new meaning. A fine art photograph helps the eye to see. My goal with fine art photography is to preserve a moment in time that allows you to see beyond that moment. The photograph that you want to look at repeatedly with lasting interest. One that you will want on your wall for a very long time. Let me explain with three photographs.
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Ralph Rio
rrio49@verizon.net
Located near Albany, NY
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Bittersweet in Snow
Even a still-life photograph can provide multiple levels of seeing. The deep red of the mature Bittersweet fruit flowing diagonally catches your initial attention. It gives the dynamic sense of change that grew during the spring and summer seasons. Another look shows the horizontal log and snow with a strong sense of stability through the fall and winter seasons. And then again, the snow is melting providing the sense of transition from winter to spring where life is renewed. The four seasons have the cycle of life.
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Street Sweeper in Bangalore
There, you see a woman sweeping the street with two whisk brooms that are caught in motion. Behind the women is a great distance of clean gutter indicating the time already applied. Look again for the contrast with a modern motorcycle and a bus. Then again, one sees long shadows from early in the day. That woman is someone’s mother, and the young man in the motorcycle is someone’s son. What I saw is an India that is in rapid transition in just one generation towards modernity.
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Child in Normandy
Immediately, one sees the solemn gravestones from the American cemetery in Normandy, France. Their precise grid placement reminds us of the formal military structure necessary for battle. Looking again, in the horizon, we see the English Channel that marks the beach where those under the headstones met their end. Looking again, the blur of a child playing captures our attention. And again, we see a figure in a thoughtful profile watching. Each of you will find your own emotional response and story. To me, the theme is that each generation keeps freedom alive for the next generation.
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How I Started
1961 was an interesting time. The nation was enthralled with a new, young president, John F. Kennedy, and his lovely family. My mother took my sister and me for a weeks visit to Washington, DC. In preparation, my father gave me a camera and carefully instructed me on its use (well, as best one can with an active 12 year old boy).
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My First Fine Art Photograph
The moment I took the picture of the Jefferson memorial is still firmly etched in my memory. My mother was driving and we could see the memorial coming up. As we approached, I pointed the camera through the window of our 1956 Chevy. I waited patiently (difficult for a young boy) until the right moment when Jefferson was between the columns. At that moment when I pushed the shutter, I changed from a tourist taking pictures to a beginning a photographer. And, I found my first passion - photography.
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Fulfilling My Destiny Photography is part of my heritage. As young adults, both my maternal grandfather and my father loved taking pictures. Each provided me a collection of their photographs that intrigue me and show talent. Unfortunately, after entering their careers, they did not return to their gift. During my business career, there were times when my photography became sporadic. However, activity and learning did not stop. For me, photography has been a continuous affair spanning over 50 years. Now, I approach photography with a sensitivity that comes with maturity, practice, confidence and skill. Lasting Thought A photograph displayed in your home is one that you, your family and good friends will look at many times. It is important that they find it interesting the first time and many times thereafter. A good photograph will go beyond an initial spark of interest and engage your attention repeatedly. If you want a lasting work of art that will let your eyes see, then you need my photography. Education: RPI, Troy, New York, M.S. 1972, B.S. 1971 MFA, Boston, MA, Introduction to Drawing, 2002 Exhibitions: 29th Photo Regional of the Capital Region, Troy, NY, April 2007 The Photo Center Members Exhibit, Troy, NY, November 2007 Museum of Fine Arts, Friends of Photography, “The Joy of Collecting,” Boston, MA, January 2008 The Center for Photography at Woodstock, Woodstock, NY, February 2008
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