Paducah Photo Exhibition

Four of my images will be on exhibition this summer in the Paducah Photo 2014 show.  My image, Gondolas will be in the international show, and three other images will be in the regional showcase.

Gondolas will be in the internatinal show.

Venetian Violinist will be in the regional showcase.

Cartwheel will be in the regional showcase.

Dog in Castrillo de los Polvazares will also be in the regional showcase.

The opening reception for the show will be June 7,  5:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the Yeiser Art Center in Paducah, Kentucky.  The show ends on July 27.

You can view my website at:  www.tombellart.com.

2013 -The Year in Review: My Best Photographs

Every year brings new opportunities for photography.

While I do photography throughout the year, certain opportunities afford greater rewards in obtaining images. For 2013, it was a summer trip to Spain and Italy.  Below are my favorite images of the year, broken down by category.  If you missed them in previous blog entries, they're here.

Portrait/People

This portrait was a spontaneous capture of a street performer in Venice. The violin player looked on as I took two frames. The rough brick wall and the old door covered in torn flyers gave the scene the texture that it needed to set it apart from the ordinary.  I think it's my favorite of all the European images this summer.

This is a spontaneous capture of a bartender at a well-know tapas bar. The photo was chosen as an Editor's Pick  by the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP).   The bartender is keeping customers satisfied at the Camarote Madrid Bar in León, Spain.

Children (even though they're arguably people, they get their own category.)

These children are playing at a park in León.

These children were busy at play in the plaza at Salamanca.

Places

Nothing says Venice better than gondolas.

The Gothic cathedral in León is a beautiful subject for photography.

A rainstorm added reflection to the cathedral.

Castrillo de los Polvazares is a tiny village in norther Spain.  It's one of the stops on the Camino de Santiago. The dog is one of its denizens.

The edge of Castrillo de los Polvazares.

Things/Sculptures

Perseus holds the head of Medusa in this famous sculpture in Florence, Italy.

A Venetian carnival mask.  Theyre everywhere in Venice, and a great subject for photography.

A sculpture in Bologna, Italy.

Selfie/Family Portrait

Our family self portrait.  It became the image for our Christmas Card.

You can view my website at:  www.tombellart.com.

Secrets of An Award Winning Fine Art Photographer

When I look at the statistic for visits to my blog, I'm sometimes puzzled at the Google searches that lead viewers to my site.  A few days ago, one viewer found me with the search: "fine art photography winners secrets."  It got me to thinking:  I haven't written a blog entry on winning awards, yet I've won my fair share.  Many beginning and mid-career photographers want to win a local, regional, national, or even international award.  Not only is it good for business, it set you apart from the ordinary and shows that other supposed experts recognize your superior abilities or the excellence of your photographic product.  It can also make you feel good for a couple of days.

Mayan Beauty by Tom Bell

You'll notice that a photographer who wins awards keeps winning them.  It's not luck.  It's because they have what it takes to be an award winning photographer. There are several reasons.  While I may not be able to make you an award-winning photographer with this one blog entry, I can offer a few bits of advice that will get you on the way.  Don't skip to the end, but the #1 secret to being a fine art photography winner is there.

Mother and Child by Tom Bell

1.  If you want to win a fine art photography contest, be a fine art photographer.  When I enter a contest, I know I'm putting my work up against the best in the world.  I won't enter if I don't have an image that is blow-away, one that makes an impression on anyone who sees it, including gallery owners and fine art curators.  It's not good enough to have an image of a kid with the most beautiful smile in the world, or one that truly shows the strife of a laborer in a third world country.  It's also not enough to convert it to black and white and add a little vignetting around the edges.  Almost everyone can learn to be competent photographer.  Not everyone has the aesthetic to naturally be one of the world's best fine art photographers.  If everyone had it, you wouldn't be appalled at how much bad and mediocre photography is out there.  This being said, most of us have to work for it; we work very hard to make images that break a threshold of excellence that not everyone else will rise to, simply because they haven't worked hard enough to get there.  Be a fine art photographer.  Don't fall for the neighbor's "Oh, what a great picture of your daughter!  You need to enter that in a contest."  Look at the photo:  is it a beautiful picture of your kid, or is it fine art.  There's a big difference.  If it's a beautiful picture of your kid, it might still be a winner at local contest or one that is looking for a theme, such as Summer Happiness or the Big Smile Photo contest.  Otherwise, print it, frame it, and put it on the mantel for friends and family to enjoy.  They will think you're a fine art photographer even if the judges don't.

Arch of Santa Catalina by Tom Bell

2.  As I said, there is a lot of bad and mediocre photography out there.  There's also plenty of good photography and lots of excellent photography.  Study photography.  Go to web sites with the type of photography you want to do:  abstract, portrait, wildlife, landscape, etc.  Then make sure you have the equipment to do the job you want to take on.  Your $800 kit camera and lens probably won't make you competitive in a wildlife contest where the competitors not only love living in the wild for weeks at a time and risk being eaten by their subjects to get the shot, but also have $30,000 in lenses and camera equipment.  On the other hand, the $800 camera, or a $100 point-and-shoot, might be just fine for street photography or flowers or architecture.  You be the judge.  Look at what the best photographers in the world are doing.  Can you compete with the equipment you have?

Woman of Chichicastenango by Tom Bell

3.  Okay, now you have the camera, lens, tripod, etc.  You also have Photoshop or another program to edit your photos.  Do you have the skill and knowledge you need?  Maybe you have the vision for the most astounding image in the world.  Do you have the skill and means to make it happen?  Do you understand the mechanics of your camera?  Do you really understand composition?  Do you know how to correct levels and how to convert an image to black and white?  Do you know how to make the image come to life?   If not, get books, take classes, download tutorials, join groups, get advice from other photographers, practice, practice, practice...  If you want to win an international photo contest, you may have to become a learning fanatic.

Antigua Garden by Tom Bell

4.  Shoot what you want to shoot.  I've been told that I have an unfair advantage in winning photography awards because I shoot exotic locations and exotic people in remote villages that most people will never be able to visit.  True that I sometimes shoot in exotic locales, and it's certainly not a disadvantage, however, it's not true that that gives me an unfair advantage.  I won a major international award for a photo of my dog that I shot in the hallway of my house as I was coming home from work.  Pick a subject that appeals to you.  If you have the resources, travel to a remote Indian village in Guatemala, or to Antarctica to shoot icebergs.  If you can only get to your backyard, shoot in your backyard.  Learn to see whatever you're shooting as art.

Mr. Watson by Tom Bell

5.  Here it is:  the #1 secret to winning fine art photography competitions - Know that you're one of the best. Know that you will at least make it to a finalist spot against thousands of others.  Know that when you submit to a contest that you will be a winner.  You are now a fine art photographer.  This is not about having a positive attitude, by the way.  It's about knowing yourself and your product.  If your product is good, really good, but not good enough, know it.  Don't waste your time and money on submitting.  Wait until you've refined your skills to break through the threshold of the very best.  Only a few will do it.  When you reach that point, you won't have to tell anyone you're a fine art photographer; they will know it from looking at your work.  When you've truly reached that point, you'll win recognition in any photography competition you enter, maybe first place, maybe third, maybe honorable mention.  But you'll win time and again because you did what it takes to reach that level.  Okay, you say you've reached that level and entered three or four competitions and didn't win anything:  it's now time to reassess.  If you really have the degree of excellence you think you do, a panel of judges from galleries and museums and fine art programs won't miss it, and you will be recognized.  You say they must have missed something.  I'd say it's more likely that you're missing something.  It's not that you're not good.  It's not that your work isn't good.  It's just that you have to reassess, go back and do whatever it takes to be the best.  Recognize it and work even harder.

6.  Here's the #2 secret:  Work even harder!

You can view my website at: www.tombellart.com.

The Back Story of the Mayan Beauty

I've probably received more attention from my award-winning image Mayan Beauty than any other.  I'm often asked if she was modeling for me, or how I got her to pose.

The Mayan Beauty by Tom Bell

The truth is that she was a total stranger.  I don't think I ever spoke to her other than maybe to say, "hello."  If not for a broken-down car, this image would have been lost.

It was the end of July in 1995.  My wife and I live in Illinois.  However, my wife is from Guatemala and taught Spanish classes in Guatemala for an American university during the summer.  I accompanied her and some of her students on a field trip to the highland lake towns of Panajachel and Santiago Atitlán.  I shot numerous images on the trip, among them, another of my well-know and award winning photographs The Chicken Bus; I also came back with an image of a Mayan man praying and making offerings of candles, rum and cigars to the mysterious idol/saint/god Maximón (pronunced "maa-shee-MOHn").

The Chicken Bus.  Panajachel, Guatemala.

Worshipping the Maximón.  Saintago Atitlán

After several days of sight-seeing, good meals and cultural experiences with my wife's students, we headed back for Antigua, the best preserved Spanish colonial city in the Americas.  However, right out of town, we stopped the van to view a waterfall that overlooked the lake.  An old Nissan car was stopped near where we parked the van. The hood was raised. The Mayan Beauty, another couple of women and some children, all in traditional colorful Indian dress stood nearby.  My wife's students saw it as an opportunity to practice their Spanish.

A Mayan Indian girl, presumably the daughter of the Mayan Beauty.

Initially, I started to photograph the encounter merely to document the trip.  My first photos were wide shots showing the students in animated conversation with the Indian lady. One of the students was also taking photos with her point-and-shoot camer. As I walked closer, I noticed the woman's gestures, the way she held her hands and head as she spoke and paitently listened to my wife's students.  I nodded and said "hello" as I approached, but didn't interupt the conversation.  I did however frame several of the shots as a portrait of the woman.  She was well aware that I was taking photographs, but never really paid attention to me.  It was obvious that she was pleased that we had taken such an interest in her.

Another view of the Mayan Beauty.

She explained to our group that the vehicle had overheated and the men in the car had gotten a ride back into town to get a replacement fan belt.  They would be back soon and the group would be on their way.

Normally, I'm sorry for any person's misfoutune.  However, if a fan belt had to break, I couldn't be more pleased that it broke when and where it did.  My wife gave the woman the name Mayan Beauty after seeing the photographs.

You can view the Mayan Beauty and my other images at my fine art photography website: www.tombellart.com.

Another Exhibition

My photo Lady of Antigua will be one of 38 featured photographs by 36 different artist to be exhibited at the Mitchell Museum in Mt. Vernon, Illinois at part of the 2012 Shrode Photography Competition.  The judge of the competition is well-known photographer, writer, and educator William Sawalich.

Lady of Antigua.  Click for a larger image. 
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

If you're in the area, here's the information for the show:

The top award winners will be announced at the Opening Reception, Saturday, October 27, 2012, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend! Cedarhurst members are admitted for free, non-members $5 admission. Exhibiting photographers will receive free admission plus one additional ticket for their spouse or friend. Tickets will arrive in the mail in the following weeks. The evening will begin with a live glass blowing demonstration outside the Mitchell Museum by students and faculty from SIU-C! This special event is in conjunction with the opening of The Joy Thorton-Walter and John Walter Collection of Contemporary Glass Art in the Main Gallery at Cedarhurst. The photography awards will be announced in the Mitchell Museum at 7:00 p.m. We will gather at the Shrode Art Center shortly thereafter to present the checks and certificates. Complimentary hor’devours are provided; alcoholic beverages are available for purchase.

You might also be interested in Mr. Sawalich's judge's statement:

JUDGE’S STATEMENT

FOR SHRODE ART CENTER PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION

BY WILLIAM SAWALICH

Great photographs frequently make the common appear uncommon, and that is certainly the case with my selections for this exhibition. I’m especially drawn to simplicity, graphic strength, and a clear, concise visual statement. But I’m also particularly drawn to photographs that are uniquely about the medium itself; motion blurs, time lapses, patterns of light and shadow… compositions that are inherently “photographic” in nature are sure to impress me.

This also means that I give preference to images that are primarily made “in camera” rather than via a peculiar post-processing effect. That said, clicking the shutter is only part of the challenge, and good post-production refinements—processing, retouching, contrast, color correction—are integral to a photograph’s success. When these simple technical elements come together with a strong composition, at the perfect moment and with just the right light, it’s the perfect storm that creates a tremendous photograph. Add to that a bit of artistic vision and the results become truly special.  

Because of the democratization of photography (easy access to improved tools has spawned tremendous growth in the medium) it’s no longer enough to simply create a technically correct photograph. To stand out in the sea of images we encounter every day, aesthetics, composition and vision matter more than ever. And with so many great photographs in the world—and in the entries to this competition—technical perfection becomes a relative baseline.

In the end, I found the photographs that elicited my strongest response drew some connection—intentional or not—to the masters of the medium. Whether it’s the cinematic drama of Gregory Crewdson, the documentary portraiture of Steve McCurry, or the simple beauty of an Aaron Siskind abstraction, the standout photographs in this exhibition are directly connected to the larger history of photography. These photographers are clearly working deliberately, and their photographs are exciting, inspiring and simply very well done. 

 # # #

 You can view my website at:  http://www.tombellart.com

The Fair is Good for Fine Art Photos

State and local fairs are going on around the country this time of year.  The local DuQuoin State Fair starts this weekend.

Fairs are a great place for a photographer.  If you like the fast and furious nature of the rides and roller coasters or the depth of people photography, there's bound to be something there at which you can point a lens.

Here are a couple of photos from my last trip to the fair.  They stayed on my hard drive unprocessed until I was looking through my files recently.

The little guy who takes your quarters is always an excellent subject for a portrait.

People and their fascination with the weird and wacky are great subjects.

If you get to the Fair, bring your camera and see if you can find a shot worthy of fine art.  I bet you can.

You can see my website at:  www.tombellart.com