Three Viewpoints: Three Photographers in Communication With Their Surroundings - a Group Show

Reported Thursday, February 8, 2024

Pictured Above: By Scott McNeill. Photo Credit: Contributed.

Newsroom Post: LAMBERTVILLE, NEW JERSEY

Scott MacNeill, Don Ross and Christopher H. Tenev present a group show of their photography work at the Lambertville Free Public Library Gallery in Lambertville NJ, from February 17th until March 30th. 

There will be an opening reception on Saturday, February 17th from noon until 3PM. 

Lambertville, NJ – There are millions and millions of cell phones taking billions of images each year around the globe. Most of these photos are simple efforts to document one’s family, friends and pretty scenic views. For most, a modern phone is an excellent tool for doing the job of recording our personal moments through our time and place. The computers in our phones can instantly decide what is the best point of focus, color effect and exposure time, and you can take thousands of shots without any thought of artistic value or cost. There is nothing wrong in this, but there still are artists who prefer using traditional “stand alone” cameras – be they digital or analogue – because these artists have a goal to show a world beyond a simple capturing of everyday existence. The Three Photographers in this group show are looking beyond the average pretty images most photography stories tell. By using film cameras, where every shot requires some form of forethought of the specific physical properties and costs that film requires, these Three Photographers have deliberately chosen film cameras as their specialized tool to explore themes and ideas that are not associated with what is usually referred to as “snapshots”. 

What are the things that these Three Photographers are trying to do with their cameras that goes beyond the everyman/everyday snapshot, and why do they use a stand-alone camera? First of all, as it is with every serious artist, the dedicated photographer is trying to see and explore the world from a very personal perspective. The Three Photographers are working to find and capture unique viewpoints, all through their personal vision. By opening their eyes to each moment, and then using a camera instead of a paintbrush, these artists are catching lightning in a box. Successful results from this effort are accomplished by an awareness of light vs darkness, colors or tones, composition and framing of the image, all at the same time at that specific moment. These Three Photographers have a deep desire to use the storytelling magic of art, through photography, that comes from a combination of training and intuition. A classic camera forces the artist to think of each step of the process well before the shutter button is pressed. 

Pictured Above: Balance Work by Cathy Begg. Photo Credit: Contributed.

Classic artistic photography follows the same rules as classic painting: to make pleasing pictures, but photography can and should go beyond that. Those same classic elemental rules of art can be altered or discarded, in countless ways, to create beautiful, confusing, disturbing and fantastical photos. Each one of these photographers is trying to see something that an average person doesn’t see. Is it an attempt to capture in 1/100th of a second a dream, or a nightmare? The history of Modern art and photography is the story of finding and then breaking the rules… all in an effort to see the world with new eyes. 

Every day we interact with other humans, other forms of life, the Earth under our feet, and the atmosphere and sky around us. We see and hear and smell and taste things. And we feel things, in our minds, our bodies, and our emotions. Our understanding of these interactions, and our responses to them, form who we are. We are shaped by our surroundings, and our very presence establishes a relationship between ourselves and everything beyond us. Our cameras are our partners in this time and place. 

About the Artists: Christopher Hingston Tenev (known colloquially as Terbo) through his photography invites viewers to reflect on their own humanity and to wonder at their surroundings. Tenev portrays people, social interactions, natural features, and landscapes in hand-made silver gelatin prints, color transparencies, and instant positive film. Tenev’s expressions are informed by a desire to facilitate communication between humans, and to promote peace-making and environmentalism. 

Don Ross has embarked on a captivating visual journey of present day Lambertville, through the lens and film of his cameras. “Greetings from Lambertville: A 35mm Film Journey,” is Don’s contribution to this group show. Each image encapsulates Don’s unique perspective in capturing the essence of this picturesque city through the classic usage of a 35mm film camera. His work is an invitation to explore Lambertville’s distinct character and stories as illuminated by the nuanced interplay of light, shadow, and emotion. 

Scott MacNeill’s contribution to this Three Photographers Show is an adventure in time traveling. The NYC of the early 1970s is presented as he saw and recorded it on B&W film. Abandoned Cars were a particular feature of the City Landscape that Scott encountered while studying photography at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. He presents in this show his collection of original 35mm photos of cars wrecked upon the streets of NYC and “Abandoned Cars” a limited edition book of 50 plus images from that time. 

Please visit the Photography Show at: 

 

The Lambertville Free Public Library Gallery 

 

6 Lilly Street, Lambertville, NJ 08350 

 

(609) 397-0275