CPA 3rd Annual Digital Show — Cary Photographic Artists

Best in Show - Water Monument - Raymond Tice - My first photography experience was as a young adult with film cameras but I quickly moved into using digital cameras once available. However, it was only after retirement in 2015 from Federal service when I joined the NC Chapel Hill Camera Club that my interest in photography really increased. Interacting with club members and having my images critiqued by knowledgeable judges and club members for technical, impact, and composition has made me a much better photographer. Interacting with other club members has also helped me to become experienced in several of the various computer programs available for creative post-processing.

1st Place monochrome - Communion with a Seal - Mark Coggins - Mark Coggins is a novelist and photographer. Images of his have been shown in galleries across the United States and Europe, including exhibitions jurored by acclaimed photographers and curators Amy Arbus, Elizabeth Avedon, Judy Dater, Henry Horenstein and Michael Kenna. He has won multiple awards, participated in solo and small group shows, and he has published a monograph entitled Street Stories.

2nd Place - Monochrome - Untitled #1 (Leap) - Michael Potts -Mike grew up in Pennsylvania and in 2005 moved to Arizona where he’s rarely cold and doesn’t have to shovel snow or cut grass. He graduated from Bucknell University with a major in English and a minor in Chemistry and still wonders what to do with them. He worked at Barnes & Noble for four years and currently pays the bills as a nuclear medicine technologist. This lets him photograph on the side without having to resort to living on ramen and sleeping on friends’ couches. The rest of his time is devoted to various cats (2 indoor and 3 outdoor + the occasional guest as of the time of this writing.) His ultimate dream would be to visit Mars. In the meantime he keeps making pictures and is always pleased when someone wants to give him a ribbon. He has been blessed with several of them of various colors and sizes domestically and internationally.

3rd Place monochrome - John Chavis Community Center, Raleigh, NC - Henry Rinne - So why do I photograph architecture? A building’s dramatic form narrates a story, and I look to reveal this narrative in the buildings I photograph. Some structures are simply monumental forms—a monumentality that must be conveyed through the image. Other forms are mysterious. Their tales are present but elusive to our sensibilities. Something is hidden behind the facade, and contrast brings out the impact of the forms and their sensuality. Since structures are made to be used and provide context to people’s lives, I try to create an image that resonates with the narrative of human life.

Honorable Mention Monochrome - Nun on Bike, Notre Dame - David Current -Photographed twelve American wheat farmers’ 1980 tour of a rapidly changing China, examining the final days of Chinese agricultural communes. Founding member of a film production company. Clients included the Ford Foundation for whom I served as photographer & director for film projects in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Creation of AIDS-Wise, No Lies, an award winning nine-projector multi-image documentary for teens during the early days of AIDS. George Floyd: The Aftermath, photographs of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests in Seattle. Ongoing project photographing the rhythms of daily life in Sancerre, France.

Honorable Mention Monochrome - My, My - Bret Bolton - Bret Bolton, is an American landscape and abstract photographer who blends traditional analog techniques with modern technology to create striking and evocative images. With over 20 years of experience behind the lens, Bret has honed his craft to produce a unique style that combines the timeless quality of film photography with the precision and versatility of digital imaging. His photographs capture the raw beauty of the natural world, from the rugged landscapes of the American West to the serene beaches of the East Coast. His abstract work is equally as striking, using his vision to create thought-provoking and emotive pieces that challenge the viewer to see the world in new ways. Through his work, Bret aims to inspire others to see the world in new and unexpected ways.

Honorable Mention Monochrome - Fraternal Twin Sisters - Jelisa Peterson -Jelisa Peterson was born in Ogden, Utah in 1969. Her desire to take pictures at her first summer camp led her to ask for a camera at seven years old. But her real passion for photography was ignited when she moved to Zimbabwe to work as a volunteer intern 1993-1995, as Information Officer for their largest indigenous women’s organization. Degrees in Anthropology and Women’s Studies also inform Jelisa’s approach to photography. She focuses her work on environmental portraiture, primarily of children. The countries she works in most are in East Africa. She feels most at home in Mozambique. Jelisa has worked and lived in Argentina, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Over the past twenty-four years, she has spent more than twelve of them in Africa. Although she has traveled extensively to thirteen countries Eastern and Southern Africa, she has also made images in Central and South America. Her love of adventure and meeting new friends has led her on many solo backpacking trips. She travels as the local people do on minibuses, trucks, boats and even by motorcycle. Jelisa currently lives in Austin, Texas since 2015.

1st Place Color - Tree Sitters - Perry Hambright - Originally from the Carolinas, California fine art photographer, Perry Hambright, was strongly drawn to the great surrealists (especially Rene Magritte, M. C. Escher and Jerry Uelsmann) which has shaped his aesthetic. His contemporary work features marriages between composed scenes and striking surrealistic additions. Hambright graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology, earning his BFA in Photography as a Fine Art. Early on he combined multiple negatives into single surreal prints and has continued to manipulate multiple digital images into works from the mind's eye. His aim is to bring about inquisitive thoughts, spark imaginations, and please the eye.

2nd Place Color - Blue Night Light - Jelisa Peterson -Jelisa Peterson was born in Ogden, Utah in 1969. Her desire to take pictures at her first summer camp led her to ask for a camera at seven years old. But her real passion for photography was ignited when she moved to Zimbabwe to work as a volunteer intern 1993-1995, as Information Officer for their largest indigenous women’s organization. Degrees in Anthropology and Women’s Studies also inform Jelisa’s approach to photography. She focuses her work on environmental portraiture, primarily of children. The countries she works in most are in East Africa. She feels most at home in Mozambique. Jelisa has worked and lived in Argentina, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Over the past twenty-four years, she has spent more than twelve of them in Africa. Although she has traveled extensively to thirteen countries Eastern and Southern Africa, she has also made images in Central and South America. Her love of adventure and meeting new friends has led her on many solo backpacking trips. She travels as the local people do on minibuses, trucks, boats and even by motorcycle. Jelisa currently lives in Austin, Texas since 2015.

3rd Place Color - Spring is in the Air - Steve Jahn - I received my first film camera in the 70’s. I became addicted to photography. Back then, I loved taking photos of my youngest sister (13 years younger). So at 4 years old she was always willing to pose for me. She was an astute model swinging upside down on her swing set, posing with her dolls or just doing what young girls do. Then I went off to college. I always had a camera strapped around my neck. My camera and I were one. I loved getting off campus and seeing where I would end up. One of my professors noticed my interest in photography so he gave me the keys to his personal darkroom. Now I was in heaven, staying up late hours in the dark room, mesmerized by the magic of film. I really found my true love. Then after college I had to enter the working world with very little time for photography. So about 12 years ago I got a digital camera and joined a lot of camera clubs in the area to reset my interest in photography. I really enjoy taking pictures of anything in front of the camera from landscapes, wildlife, abandoned buildings, sports, models, etc. And then, the fantastic world of editing, where I am always learning something new, provided a path to creating textures, layering, sharpening, compositing and on and on.

Honorable Mention Color - Grand Central Station - William Stewart - Called Billy by most everyone, William Stewart was born and grew up in Belfast, N. Ireland. His interest in photography began in middle school and continued through high school and university. It even continued for a while as he began his professional career in France, but tapered off once he moved to the USA where family and career absorbed much of his time. Now that he has retired, his interest in photography has been rekindled. Since he enjoys traveling and hiking, particularly in Europe, and always has his trusty Nikon in his backpack, it is little wonder that many of his images are of landscapes and townscapes, and if he can include people in these images, so much the better. While out and about taking photographs, he is happiest when he finds converging lines that lead the eye to some focal point of interest, perhaps a person, a building, or even old barrels.

Honorable Mention Color - Italian Water Garden - Robert Culver - My camera is a means of self-expression. I take pictures for myself. I use photography to gain a better understanding of the world outside my body and mind. I utilize photography as a means of documenting and interpreting the world around me. I love observing and recording changes in light, and shadows and patterns that are created by man and nature. I enjoy the endless diversity in textures. I focus on details in the moment and preserve it for the future. I see the flower, but the parts that make up the flower captivate me. Sometimes my photographs show the passage of time, the change from light to dark. These changes display a mood created by the changes in light and time. My ultimate goal is to preserve these moments in time and place and space and create a sense of order and beauty out of chaos.

Honorable Mention Color - Veiled Mt. Hood - Jack Straton - Jack Straton is a photographer whose creative expression also extends to quantum scattering theory, music, and anti-racist education. He earned a BFA in Photography from the U of O in 1977, worked as a professional Jazz drummer for three years, and in 1986 earned a doctorate in Physics. His photographic "heritage" is the West Coast school, with a focus on small glades and tairns in his black and white work. His color work often draws abstractions from the landscape and quasi-landscapes found in human artifacts.

Geisha Confidential - Mark Coggins - Mark Coggins is a novelist and photographer. Images of his have been shown in galleries across the United States and Europe, including exhibitions jurored by acclaimed photographers and curators Amy Arbus, Elizabeth Avedon, Judy Dater, Henry Horenstein and Michael Kenna. He has won multiple awards, participated in solo and small group shows, and he has published a monograph entitled Street Stories.

Lake Mattamuskeet Trees - Chip Freund -Chip Freund was born and raised in Northeast Ohio. He first fell in love with North Carolina on family vacations as a young boy. It was also around this time that he first picked up a camera. Throughout his life photography has been one of his passions amid a career in marketing and a growing family. In 2017 the passion became a profession. Chip has been an active artist in art festivals across the Carolinas. He and his family have called North Carolina home since 2006 and are frequent visitors across the state from the mountains to the coast.

Curious about Monet - David Current -Photographed twelve American wheat farmers’ 1980 tour of a rapidly changing China, examining the final days of Chinese agricultural communes. Founding member of a film production company. Clients included the Ford Foundation for whom I served as photographer & director for film projects in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Creation of AIDS-Wise, No Lies, an award winning nine-projector multi-image documentary for teens during the early days of AIDS. George Floyd: The Aftermath, photographs of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests in Seattle. Ongoing project photographing the rhythms of daily life in Sancerre, France.

Up and Down - Judith Guenther - Judy Guenther enjoys capturing scenes from her world travels in a variety of styles from storytelling to discovering small details in ordinary scenes. Capturing the beauty and art in nature and the people of the world is a special joy for her. Judy also loves photographing details and abstracts in architecture. She has won several awards, most recently the grand prize in the Washington Post’s 2022 Travel Photography Contest. Besides NVPS which she joined in 2015, Judy is a member of the Art League Gallery of Alexandria, the Maryland Federation of Art in Annapolis, and the F11 Women’s Photography Collective.

Quattro - Ingrid Hann - My interest in photography has existed for a few years now, however, if ever there was anything positive that came out of the pandemic, for me, it was time and opportunity to hone my skills in photography. Not only was I able to literally focus on my photography, but the outdoors also provided a “safe haven”. My first love in photography is Nature. Not being too familiar or comfortable with city scapes, or architecture, I’m delighted that “Quattro”, one of my first attempts in this category, has proven successful.

Thunderdome - Ryan Hobbs - I began my journey with photography more than 40 years ago with a simple fixed-lens camera given to me by my parents. From my first attempts to photograph cars and trees in my neighborhood, I was hooked. Over time, my interests evolved towards wildlife and landscape photography – particularly those images that capture the unexpected, the breathtaking, or the “moments between moments.” Throughout my journey with photography, I have always felt that art should tell a story by evoking questions in the viewer (What happened next? Where can I see this? How did it feel?).

Winter Moon over Pillsbury Mill - Barney Koszalka - For the past 30 years my photographic interests have gradually switched to infrared photography and particularly its use in generating pure B&W images like this. While architectural photography in this medium is my current passion, I still enjoy continuing to document all aspects of Nature and our changing landscapes. My nature work has been featured by the Sierra Club, recognized with numerous Explorer designations by Flickr, awards in Landscape, Animals, Plant Life, and, Conservation by the Carolina Nature Photographers Association, the North America Nature Photographers Association (NANPA) and a named finalist in The Comedy Wildlife Awards competition. My studio art photography in support of the local art community has appeared in a variety of venues and craft books.

White Water - Marilyn Lowney Johnson - Since taking up photography six years ago, Marilyn Lowney Johnson exhibited in juried group shows in ten states. After international completion she was chosen Artist of the Month by View Point Gallery, Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada. She was awarded an online solo show through Biafarin Online Gallery. Awards from online and other juried group shows include Certificate of Mention, honorable mentions and juror’s choice.

Children at the Fountain - Michael Zidman - “My camera is the brush, the colors in the subjects are my palette and the prints are my canvases. My objective is to take a simple subject and, with the use of creative and natural lighting, color, depth of field and composition, create a pleasing and interesting photograph.” Michael Zidman is a graduate of the Art Institute of Chicago where he studied art and design. He has worked as a graphic and product designer for over 35 years. His long-standing passion for photography goes back to his childhood. A love of nature and all things around him have inspired him. His photographs are the result of these inspirations.

Shadow Play - Mark Coggins - Mark Coggins is a novelist and photographer. Images of his have been shown in galleries across the United States and Europe, including exhibitions jurored by acclaimed photographers and curators Amy Arbus, Elizabeth Avedon, Judy Dater, Henry Horenstein and Michael Kenna. He has won multiple awards, participated in solo and small group shows, and he has published a monograph entitled Street Stories.

Koi Pond Ularu, Australia 2023 - Robert Blum - I have been taking pictures for over 70 years. I started at the age of nine with a Baby Brownie Special. When I retired in 2008, I joined a photography workshop in the American Southwest. That experience ignited a flame in me to become more serious about photography. Over the past several years I have traveled to many out of the way places, including the Antarctic Peninsula, Bali, Borneo, Cuba, Ethiopia, the Falkland Islands, Iceland, Greenland, Japan, Madagascar, Morocco, Namibia, Myanmar, Nepal, Romania, South Africa, South Georgia, Tibet, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Zambia. I’m basically an eclectic photographer.

Opposites - Jo Bolton - Jo has become a constant, mostly self taught, student of photography, both technically and creatively. While she finds the technical aspect of photography (aperture, ISO, shutter speed) a necessary evil of this medium, her favorite activities involve composing the shot, pressing the shutter and post processing a singular image or a set of images into an interesting composite.

Breaking Through the Haze - Jim Trull - Jim’s interest in photography began at an early age growing up in Winston-Salem by watching his father document almost every family function with his ever present camera around his neck. One of the biggest steps Jim took was to join the Cary Photographic Artists to learn from the combined wisdom of more established photographers. Jim’s involvement in this club caused him to begin printing his own images and competing in exhibits and competitions to improve in his craft. Jim enjoys a variety of photography but he spends most of his time shooting landscapes as well as street photography. Being out in nature especially early in the morning is Jim’s happy place. Jim’s goals now are to keep an open mind, have fun and to follow his renewed passion for photography

Little Farm House - Harry O'Connor - Harry O’Connor is a long-time member and past president of Cary Photographic Artists. He particularly enjoys wandering, looking for shapes, angles and (sometimes) colors that combine to make the ordinary into a better than ordinary image. He enjoys shooting vistas like this Scottish Highlands scene, but also likes to get up close to shoot things such as leaves on a rock or the rusty doorknob of an abandoned farmhouse. He considers a successful image one that you remember after closing your browser or exiting the gallery.

Suite 801 - Brenda Wynne - Brenda Wynne’s passion for photography began in college where she studied graphics, photography, and painting while receiving a BFA in Communication Arts from East Carolina University. She has always had a love for design, photography, nature, and gardening and now has more time for her passions since she retired from the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in 2017. Brenda considers herself a hobbyist photographer, however she has received national and local awards for her photography. She enjoys searching for interesting compositions with color, shapes, and textures on buildings and other objects. Her extensive graphic design background influences her photography style.

Fogbank & Fishermen Just Before Dawn - JJ Raia -The most engaging experiences we can have with the world that surrounds us are those Intimate Encounters with subjects we choose to put before the camera lens to memorialize that engagement. It is that deep, definitive connection between the subject and our soul that drives the pursuit in seeking another of those connections, willing to whisper their stories to us if we quiet our mind enough to listen.

Millenium Park, Chicago - Henry Rinne -So why do I photograph architecture? A building’s dramatic form narrates a story, and I look to reveal this narrative in the buildings I photograph. Some structures are simply monumental forms—a monumentality that must be conveyed through the image. Other forms are mysterious. Their tales are present but elusive to our sensibilities. Something is hidden behind the facade, and contrast brings out the impact of the forms and their sensuality. Since structures are made to be used and provide context to people’s lives, I try to create an image that resonates with the narrative of human life.

Suburban Army - Victoria Goro-Rapoport - Victoria Goro-Rapoport is Professor of Drawing and Printmaking at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. She was born and raised in Moscow, Russia, and emigrated from the former USSR in 1990. In 2004 she joined the faculty of the University of Nebraska at Kearney. She is an active practicing artist and printmaker. During her professional career she participated in 317national exhibitions, 92 international exhibitions and 44 solo and invitational exhibitions. She also received 109 national awards, 26 international awards, and 5 international award nominations. The photographs in this show were taken by her during the Covid quarantine in Venice, Italy.

The Scream - Victoria Goro-Rapoport - Victoria Goro-Rapoport is Professor of Drawing and Printmaking at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. She was born and raised in Moscow, Russia, and emigrated from the former USSR in 1990. In 2004 she joined the faculty of the University of Nebraska at Kearney. She is an active practicing artist and printmaker. During her professional career she participated in 317national exhibitions, 92 international exhibitions and 44 solo and invitational exhibitions. She also received 109 national awards, 26 international awards, and 5 international award nominations. The photographs in this show were taken by her during the Covid quarantine in Venice, Italy.

Amsterdam Glow - Judith Guenther - Judy Guenther enjoys capturing scenes from her world travels in a variety of styles from storytelling to discovering small details in ordinary scenes. Capturing the beauty and art in nature and the people of the world is a special joy for her. Judy also loves photographing details and abstracts in architecture. She has won several awards, most recently the grand prize in the Washington Post’s 2022 Travel Photography Contest. Besides NVPS which she joined in 2015, Judy is a member of the Art League Gallery of Alexandria, the Maryland Federation of Art in Annapolis, and the F11 Women’s Photography Collective.

Athena Red - Marcia Glover -Marcia’s fondness for photography began when she was young. College solidified her love of the medium. She has taught photography, worked in newspaper publishing, worked as a graphic designer and as a software designer. Never without a camera, she finds photography gives her a personal way of seeing and thinking about the world’s unpredictable nature. On a road trip, she arrived in Athena, Oregon. That day there wasn’t much going on, no parades or fairs, only Athena’s quiet main street displaying its past, present and possible future.

In a Haze - Judith Guenther - Judy Guenther enjoys capturing scenes from her world travels in a variety of styles from storytelling to discovering small details in ordinary scenes. Capturing the beauty and art in nature and the people of the world is a special joy for her. Judy also loves photographing details and abstracts in architecture. She has won several awards, most recently the grand prize in the Washington Post’s 2022 Travel Photography Contest. Besides NVPS which she joined in 2015, Judy is a member of the Art League Gallery of Alexandria, the Maryland Federation of Art in Annapolis, and the F11 Women’s Photography Collective.

Van Horn, TX #1 - Richard Greene

Alternate Reef - Perry Hambright - Originally from the Carolinas, California fine art photographer, Perry Hambright, was strongly drawn to the great surrealists (especially Rene Magritte, M. C. Escher and Jerry Uelsmann) which has shaped his aesthetic. His contemporary work features marriages between composed scenes and striking surrealistic additions. Hambright graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology, earning his BFA in Photography as a Fine Art. Early on he combined multiple negatives into single surreal prints and has continued to manipulate multiple digital images into works from the mind's eye. His aim is to bring about inquisitive thoughts, spark imaginations, and please the eye.

Forsythia in Bud Vase Pottery - Michael Izquierdo - I have been creating my studio light painting work for 7 years now. I enjoy bringing out the beauty in vintage, everyday simple subject matter. I just love to create an image that has the painterly feel of the old oil painting artists. My favorite subjects are vintage tools, electronics, cameras, floral and food. It has been a mild Winter in 2023 and Spring came at least a month earlier this year than usual. As I was driving North on 15-501, just as I passed over the Haw River, I saw three beautiful Forsythia bushes on the other side of the road. I quickly made a U-turn, parked on the side of the road, got out, and snipped a small branch. This is the branch you see in this composition. The bud vase pottery is from my wife’s collection. She loves to collect pottery and makes a pilgrimage to Seagrove, NC every year to buy from the local pottery makers. I hope this composition makes you think of Spring.

Night Light - Ryan Hobbs - I began my journey with photography more than 40 years ago with a simple fixed-lens camera given to me by my parents. From my first attempts to photograph cars and trees in my neighborhood, I was hooked. Over time, my interests evolved towards wildlife and landscape photography – particularly those images that capture the unexpected, the breathtaking, or the “moments between moments.” Throughout my journey with photography, I have always felt that art should tell a story by evoking questions in the viewer (What happened next? Where can I see this? How did it feel?).

Nate Painting - Colin Knight - Colin Knight is a Miami-based photographer and practicing pediatric surgeon. He first studied black and white photography at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan. Currently an MFA candidate at Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida, he enjoys analog and digital photography and is exploring alternative processes. Portrait, landscape, and documentary photography are a few of his favorite genres. While juggling work and school, he also raises two sons as a single father.

Flat-Out Colorful - Perry Hambright - Originally from the Carolinas, California fine art photographer, Perry Hambright, was strongly drawn to the great surrealists (especially Rene Magritte, M. C. Escher and Jerry Uelsmann) which has shaped his aesthetic. His contemporary work features marriages between composed scenes and striking surrealistic additions. Hambright graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology, earning his BFA in Photography as a Fine Art. Early on he combined multiple negatives into single surreal prints and has continued to manipulate multiple digital images into works from the mind's eye. His aim is to bring about inquisitive thoughts, spark imaginations, and please the eye.

Crescent Arising from the Holiday Farm Fire, Blue River, OR - Jack Straton - Jack Straton is a photographer whose creative expression also extends to quantum scattering theory, music, and anti-racist education. He earned a BFA in Photography from the U of O in 1977, worked as a professional Jazz drummer for three years, and in 1986 earned a doctorate in Physics. His photographic "heritage" is the West Coast school, with a focus on small glades and tairns in his black and white work. His color work often draws abstractions from the landscape and quasi-landscapes found in human artifacts.

Milky Way Falls - Ryan Hobbs - I began my journey with photography more than 40 years ago with a simple fixed-lens camera given to me by my parents. From my first attempts to photograph cars and trees in my neighborhood, I was hooked. Over time, my interests evolved towards wildlife and landscape photography – particularly those images that capture the unexpected, the breathtaking, or the “moments between moments.” Throughout my journey with photography, I have always felt that art should tell a story by evoking questions in the viewer (What happened next? Where can I see this? How did it feel?).

Lark Ascending in Moonlight - Jack Straton - Jack Straton is a photographer whose creative expression also extends to quantum scattering theory, music, and anti-racist education. He earned a BFA in Photography from the U of O in 1977, worked as a professional Jazz drummer for three years, and in 1986 earned a doctorate in Physics. His photographic "heritage" is the West Coast school, with a focus on small glades and tairns in his black and white work. His color work often draws abstractions from the landscape and quasi-landscapes found in human artifacts.

On the Move, NYC - Cynthia Taft - What inspires me the most as a street and urban scene photographer is finding connections with the people and culture that make each city special. By capturing the mood and emotion of these scenes, I try to convey a sense of community about our shared human experiences. I am active in photography organizations in FL and RI, participating in workshops, critiques, and competitions. Recent awards include a PSA Interclub Merit Award and Silver Medal. I also serve as a certified judge for the Florida Camera Club Council statewide competitions and for local clubs in Florida.

Yea, Look at us - Raymond Tice - My first photography experience was as a young adult with film cameras but I quickly moved into using digital cameras once available. However, it was only after retirement in 2015 from Federal service when I joined the NC Chapel Hill Camera Club that my interest in photography really increased. Interacting with club members and having my images critiqued by knowledgeable judges and club members for technical, impact, and composition has made me a much better photographer. Interacting with other club members has also helped me to become experienced in several of the various computer programs available for creative post-processing.

Milky Way at Dead Horse Point - Josh Uronis - I have a love for capturing images that highlight the beauty of the universe around us, whether it be the vastness of the cosmos from the perspective of earth, or the most minute forms of life that we never notice. With each image, I hope to tell a story that helps us appreciate the intricacies of our environment, leaving us to want to explore it more. Step outside, slow down, spend some time and take a closer look.

Heed the Call - John Diephouse - I am attracted to a variety of subjects: natural landscapes, botanicals and wildlife to images that provide either abstract expression or social commentary. I am interested in sharing images that evoke a story of some kind. Images may be simply documentary, reflect a sense of time and place, or resonate on an abstract level of color, shape or form. Others provoke an indefinable question that does not readily yield answers without further study and reflection. I have exhibited widely and have earned recognition in local, regional, and national exhibitions. My photographs are also included in several corporate and private collections.

Japanese Still Life - Steve Walag - Steve’s affinity for photography began in the early 1970s as a newspaper staffer. Over the years, it led to a varied career as a photojournalist, public relations photographer, freelance architectural shooter, photo instructor, and university staff photographer. But his artistic side has always been waiting in the wings, driven by a fascination for both painting and the camera. In 2015 he began developing a new aesthetic style, emulating traditional Japanese painting, which melds together elements of brushwork and digital camera work. He is always pleased when viewers mistake his images for watercolors.

Dinerscape - Claire Witko - Claire spent her career increasing access and equity - working with nonprofits, universities, and corporations. A storyteller by nature, she created the Unapologetic project in 2021, collecting dozens of oral and photographic histories of women entrepreneurs of color with the aim to amplify their stories and educate consumers on the power of their spending to create racial equity. Claire’s photography is full of color and light, capturing images that highlight joyfulness around us. She won the People’s Choice Award for the 12th Annual Joseph Miller Abstract Photography Exhibit and has showcased her photographs in exhibits in Virginia and North Carolina.