Exhibits
Juror: Michael Pannier Juror's Statment
White Trees, Series 2, No. 7 © Mischa Gregory Macaw |
The oldest known single living organism on the earth is said to be a Great Basin bristlecone pine (pinus longaeva) living in the White Mountains of California. It's age is estimated at a little over 5,000 years. Trees have endured through every kind of catastrophe imaginable. . Now that human activity is dramatically reducing forest and jungle we're beginning to understand just how vital a role they play maintaining the viability of life. Forests of all kinds have been called "the lungs of the world". They're essential to the earth's carbon cycle, taking in carbon dioxide, storing the carbon, and releasing oxygen to the atmosphere. In addition, people have depended on them for all manner of uses, from heating dwellings and cooking food to providing everything from canoes to cashews. Little wonder, then, that trees were worshipped as gods in some ancient societies
Exhibit Calendar (Subject to Change) | |
Exhibit Opens: | 20 September 18 |
Artists' Reception: | 13 October 18 16:00 |
Exhibit Closes: | 18 November 18 |
Submission Rules Selection Process How to make a Submission Submit your work Now Invite a Photographer |
As photographers we look at trees, either in number or individually. They're often an essential part of a photograph, either as objects of beauty when they're the subject of an image, or as useful "props" for framing a scene. They're convenient "models" for the camera, since they can be found in most environments on land - even in our biggest cities.
For this exhibition we extended the challenge to photograph a tree, or thousands of trees, in the photographer's unique vision. We received a great many excellent submissions - enough that we could easily have doubled or triples the size of the exhibit if we had space available to do so. People have a natural and primal affinity for trees, and all the submissions reflect that affection.
Trees is presented in conjunction with The Essex Junction Tree Committee (www.essexjunction.org/boards/tree-advisory-committee/) which promotes and cares for trees in public places in the town of Essex Junction, Vermont.
White Trees, Series 2, No. 7 Juror's Choice ![]()
| Lady of the Woods Honorable Mention ![]()
| The Vault Honorable Mention ![]()
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#3 from the series The Subtle Cosmos Honorable Mention ![]()
| Orchard and Truck Track II near Sodus, NY USA 2016 People's Choice ![]()
| The Gentle Giant![]()
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Minimal land![]()
| Sierra Madre Aspens | Abstract![]()
| dancer![]()
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Tree Hugger![]()
| Peer Pressure![]()
| Under the Stars![]()
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All that Remains 6![]()
| Tree, Hawaii![]()
| A Face in the Trees![]()
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The Secret Pathway![]()
| The tree's view![]()
| Entrance with Spiral Trees, Staten Island![]()
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Fallen![]()
| KabukiAspens![]()
| Piglet![]()
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Snowstorm at Midnight![]()
| Green Water![]()
| Dusk![]()
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prison hollow![]()
| Tamarack Trees![]()
| Life-Form![]()
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Stage 7![]()
| Screaming from the forest![]()
| Why Snowshoe Love Me?![]()
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Citrus Historic Park, Riverside, California![]()
| Community (murder) of crows rest before dawn![]()
| Morning Mist![]()
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Listen...![]()
| Coup de Grâce![]()
| Twists and Turns![]()
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Tangled Shelter![]()
| A Sense of Direction![]()
| Fall Color, Great Smoky Mountains National Park![]()
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Wading Giants![]()
| Trees On House![]()
| dead tree and the glacier![]()
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Winter Trees![]()
| Aspens Oh Aspens Fall![]()
| Joshua Tree![]()
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Richard Tetzlaff Series #2
| "Legacy", from the series Against the Sea![]()
| Bubble Pond Twisted Cedar![]()
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Smoke![]()
| Touch Me![]()
| Waiting![]()
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Hangers-On![]()
| Untitled![]()
| As my leak appeared![]()
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Growing up in the Mid Atlantic and exploring the hardwood forests since childhood, trees have always been an intimate part of my life- personal and photographically. Whether the familiar maple of my youth or the trees discovered later in life- Joshua trees of the high desert, acacias silhouetted against a sunset, or the subtropical palms on the coasts and my new southern home- all these trees comfort and trigger memories. I expected to be overwhelmed by the number of exceptional submissions to the Darkroom’s call for Trees, and was not disappointed. Almost all were impressive in one way or another- many spectacular. To make the choice of what would stay and what would go was both difficult and agonizing. In any juried show the selection process reinforces the fact that compelling and strong imagery is eliminated from shows and those final choices are almost always subjective ones. In addition to looking at all the technical aspects of the many submissions, I was looking for subtle use of color or graphic monochrome, unusual ways of seeing what is common to many, the use of light, and thoughtfulness in the image-making. Finally, an image must tell a story. I also chose images that reached out to me and made a connection, offered me just enough information and mystery that made me ask questions.
Michael Pannier, New York, August 2018
Juror: Ralph Hassenpflug
![]() Juror's Choice Bubble man © Joanna Stuart
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If you describe something as surreal, you mean that the elements in it are combined in a way you would not normally expect, as in a dream.
Juror: Amy Holmes George
A portrait! What could be more simple and more complex, more obvious and more profound.
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The above quotation comes not from a photographer, but from 19th century French poet (and art critic) Charles Baudelaire. It's still an accurate observation, maybe even more incisive with the many changes in image-making that have taken place since 1859. In the age of the selfie and ubiquitous photos of people both famous and unknown it's sometimes hard to imagine a new way of presenting a human likeness, and yet photographers are doing it. It's said that the portrait differs from the candid (or street) photo in that the subject of the portrait knows that she or he is being photographed, and even that caveat is no longer a hard and fast rule.
For this exhibition we asked contributors to interpret the portrait in any way they chose. It could be a self portrait, a formal portrait, a from-the-hip shot of someone whose attention was caught, or even a random body part. Manipulation of the image was permitted as long as the primary subject was from a photographic source in any medium. Thinking, or seeing, outside the box was very much encouraged, and many of the contributors stretched the concept of the portrait to the extreme. The result is an eclectic exhibit of creative approaches to photographing people (and one rooster).
Exhibit Calendar (Subject to Change) | |
Exhibit Opens: | 4 April 19 |
Artists' Reception: | 13 April 19 17:00 |
Exhibit Closes: | 12 May 19 |
Submission Rules Selection Process How to make a Submission Submit your work Now Invite a Photographer |
Juror's Statement: "First, I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to all the artists for sharing their personal vision in photography with me! You made my task as juror both challenging and rewarding. I was genuinely excited to discover so much diversity in approach and technique, along with rich, creative interpretations on such a traditional and timeless theme. It seems that photography, a medium of limitless possibilities, has enabled artists to refresh and also reinvent the familiar, long-standing conventions of portraiture. From quiet to compelling, simple to complex, curious to captivating—the works selected for this exhibition range widely in visual as well as conceptual exploration, conjuring stories that exist beyond the frame, surprising me over and over again with something unexpected." - Amy Holmes George, March 2019 |
Self Destruction Juror's Choice ![]()
| 108/365/2017 :: My Love of Photography will Conquer My Fear of Being A Photographer. Honorable Mention ![]()
| Mayahuel Honorable Mention ![]()
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Minds Eye People's Choice Honorable Mention ![]()
| Chester and His Frame, 2016![]()
| Assia![]()
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Paula![]()
| Godwin's Greek Grammar (Self-Portrait)![]()
| The Days of Barefoot, Strange Love![]()
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Secret Club (from the Card Games series)![]()
| Johanna Butt. 1stLt. Army Nurse Corp. 1943–1946.![]()
| Thomas Whetstone. SSgt. U.S. Army, 1942-1946.![]()
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Home![]()
| Celina![]()
| Sam Ambler![]()
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235/366/2016 :: Fear Smells Bad.![]()
| BROKEN WOMAN![]()
| Queer in Utah 1![]()
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Portrait in modern times![]()
| Blindness![]()
| Bed Head![]()
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In Transit.![]()
| The Monster Under the Bed is Me![]()
| The Dancing Shushis of Qeshm Island![]()
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feminine![]()
| Snake Boy![]()
| Untitled Byzantium![]()
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Pure Beauty![]()
| Raul Julia![]()
| JuJuB & Jasper![]()
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Untitled![]()
| You Don't Know What You're Capable Of![]()
| Soft Serve![]()
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In the Land of Strangers![]()
| Street Portrait, Addis Ababa ![]()
| Mobile Portrait ![]()
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Spark Face![]()
| Chelsea Elevator![]()
| Self Portrait![]()
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Man with Turban![]()
| Molly 2018![]()
| Printworthy![]()
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Self Portrait![]()
| Hula Hoop Queen![]()
| MR. TUXEDO
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Under the Influence![]()
| Tour bus driver![]()
| Carlos Colorín. Havana, Cuba. 2018.![]()
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Mom and Baby. Near Pisac, Peru. 2018.![]()
| Water Portrait - Barbara![]()
| Duality![]()
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Unfaded Touch![]()
| Faye![]()
| Barbaric Glass No.31![]()
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A Dead Rose![]()
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Amy Holmes George, who lives near Dallas, Texas, is a fine art photographer and the past Executive Director of Texas Photographic Society (2013-2018). As a former tenured professor of photography and digital media at Stephen F. Austin State University, Amy has also held teaching appointments at Collin College, Baylor University and University of North Texas. Amy is a recent member of the National Board of Directors of the Society for Photographic Education (2013-2017) and a 2008 Fulbright grant recipient. She earned an MFA in photography from Clemson University and a BFA cum laude in photography and graphic design from Miami University. Exhibited widely throughout the U.S. as well as in Italy, England, France and China, Amy's work has been featured in over one hundred exhibitions and is housed in several permanent collections, including The Getty, The Kinsey Institute and the Fratelli Alinari Museum in Florence, Italy. Her work has been published in a variety of texts, including the third edition of The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes [Christopher James, 2015]; Gum Printing and other Amazing Contact Printing Processes [Christina Z. Anderson, 2013]; and the fifth edition of Exploring Color Photography: From Film to Pixels [Robert Hirsch, 2010]. |
- All selected entries are exhibited in our gallery and included in a full color exhibit catalog.
- Juror's Choice receives a 30x48" vinyl exhibit banner featuring their image, free entry into a future exhibition, and an exhibition catalog.
- Honorable Mentions receive free exhibition catalogs and free entry in a future exhibition.
- People's Choice gains free entry into a future exhibit.
- We offer free matting and framing of accepted entries for the duration of each of our exhibition, subject to standard sizes. Photographers set their own prices if they wish to sell their work and retain all rights to their photographs.
Juror: Elizabeth Opalenik
Juror's Choice "Vapor" © Joanna Stuart |
Water: it goes without saying that it's crucial to life on this planet. The surface of the earth is more than 70% water, and the human body is composed of up to 60% water. We humans feel an intimate connection with water and have expressed that connectivity in our art for thousands of years. No surprise, then that photographers are attracted to water in its many forms and guises: everything from oceans, lakes and rivers to the sheen of rain on wet pavement.
For this exhibition we asked for creative wetness, including water in its other guises, such as ice, snow, or steam. The subject matter of the photos could be virtually anything as long as water or wetness is included. Think of the ways a surface is transformed by a gloss of water, the many ways of picturing water droplets, and the ways in which water is used in technology. The photos we received covered conveyed water in a multitude of guises. We were pleased to see that photographers addressed the environmental impact of water as a destructive force, but also great and sublime beauty.Exhibit Calendar (Subject to Change) Exhibit Opens: 7 February 19 Artists' Reception: 23 February 19 16:00 Exhibit Closes: 17 March 19 Submission Rules
Selection Process
How to make a Submission
Submit your work Now
Invite a Photographer
JUROR'S STATEMENT: To quote from Poetic Grace,”water carries mystery, reflects back a life, can be a million jewels of dewdrops, brightens the dullest subject, can be the most powerful force, and yet gently causes reverie while gazing upon it soft sensuality.” As a juror I found all this among the many beautiful images submitted but I went looking to see what else it is and often discovered less would have been more. Many images made it to the near final edit but those technically executed, well composed, collaged with intent, seen in the right light, or that challenged an idea made it to the final cut. During the jury process I held a piece of Matt board to my screen to view strong image portions where the whole just missed. Conscious photographers carefully saw the edges or layers within the frame and submitted those images. With so many strong contenders, it was heartbreaking to make choices where minutia made the difference. I congratulate the winners for your visually savvy eyes and ideas. Please do not be discouraged if your image did not make this exhibition. Be challenged to seek the mystery found between ordinary and extraordinary as you discover your less is more. It was an honor to view so much creativity. Elizabeth Opalenik Oakland, CA January 2019 |
Vapor Juror's Choice ![]()
| Gatherer of Light Honorable Mention ![]()
| Water Tapestry: Dancing Light Honorable Mention ![]()
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Water Bottles No. 2 Honorable Mention ![]()
| Radio City Honorable Mention ![]()
| Rain Dancer People's Choice ![]()
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Rustic Canoe![]()
| Blueblood![]()
| Pink Lily with Blue![]()
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Sumac and Snow![]()
| The Mighty Atlantic![]()
| MH Floating![]()
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Sway![]()
| Zen Garden inversion![]()
| West Virginia![]()
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Liv at Blackhand Gorge![]()
| Untitled-2![]()
| Untitled-3![]()
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Rainbow Water![]()
| Getting Their Feet Wet![]()
| The Joy of Dancing![]()
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The Gardener![]()
| October 20 7:34 from the series Fertile Ground![]()
| Harbor Park in Fog 5![]()
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(Untitled)![]()
| Three Steaming Eggs![]()
| Foggy Night![]()
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misty morning grapes vines![]()
| T-107 Along the Duwamish![]()
| Orb Diver![]()
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Ranch Dog![]()
| Angel![]()
| Geometry of Swimming![]()
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Small Pond, Portland, Maine 2018![]()
| River Ice No.2, Marlboro, Vermont 2016![]()
| Shard![]()
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Hot Tub![]()
| Swirl![]()
| See Into Sky, Series II![]()
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LA Rain![]()
| Rocky Mountains Submerged![]()
| Garden Water Tapestry: Gingko![]()
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Between the Wish and the Thing![]()
| Water droplets, Troy, New York, April 2017![]()
| Shower Portrait, Troy, New York, October 2016![]()
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Rescue![]()
| Flying South![]()
| The Wetness of Flakes![]()
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She Found a Mister![]()
| Between the Raindrops![]()
| BEACH
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Lilly and Pads![]()
| Rear Window Under Streetlight![]()
| Water Reflections, Venice (from "The Lagoon" series)![]()
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Liquid #3![]()
| Liquid #1![]()
| Atherton Brook 2![]()
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Rocks on a beach![]()
| Safe Harbor![]()
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