UVAL photographers interpret, document their subjects in upbeat exhibition

Upper Valley Art League’s annual photography show exposes versatile interests among its photographers. The technophiles are represented with their close attention to f-stops and perfect lighting, as are the experimentalists who have subjected their photographs to encaustic and resins.

And there is the very interesting middle range, the documentation of scenes and objects that possess fleeting qualities that must be captured and shared with those not fortunate enough to have been there. Seventeen photographers are showing 113 photographs; new members have again popped up at UVAL, enriching the visual mix.

Many of the subjects in this collection may not be particularly noteworthy, but the way in which they’ve been captured certainly is. The aperture, or f-stop on a camera, regulates the amount of light that can pass through a lens at a given shutter speed, and the right camera setting can make a big difference in capturing a distinctive photographic image.

Cassandra Bazhow uses the camera settings to express equine importance in “Texas Paint.” Here, a dramatic spatial illusion is affected between the subject and background by the sharp image of the horse against the softer background foliage and even softer sky. The blue halter against the chestnut brown of the beast also adds a complementary color dimension. The animal comes to life.

In his series, “Portraits — Set of Eight,” Robert Codina uses different aperture settings to distinctly interpret his subjects. A portrait of a young woman is shown against a sharply defined floral background; her focus is softer. This is pure Romanticism. By contrast, his portrait of an elderly bearded man in a cap is captured using a shallow depth of field that almost obliterates the background. With a look of quiet desperation, a man whose surroundings no longer have meaning is revealed.

There are some wildlife photographs — the most interesting takes a leap beyond the traditional image capture and went for a common perception of the local grackles. Rosemary Kane’s “Plague of Grackles” shows 20 small photo encaustic images of the birds seen in different locations. A whimsical chart accompanies the work indicating where these birds were seen, by whom, and other fun stats.

The landscape, often a boring default subject, springs to life. “Happy Raindrops” demanded a double take with its superimposed droplets between the viewer and a fenced field. Was it serendipity – did rain lightly fall against the camera lens and then automatically focus? A fun photo!

“English Garden” by Judy Arnold is a breathtakingly beautiful harmony of textures with perfect light and remarkably clarity, creating a mesmerizing scene. Arnold, along with Roger Parks, also looks at bigger spaces. Her mood-enhancing photograph, “Just Me and the Fish and Beautiful Fall,” celebrates fall with a photographic immersion into the idyllic reflections of the colorful foliage of Autumn. Parks is a more objective with his impressive panoramic view of nature’s expansive dominance in “Acadia National Parks.”

There are also water scenes with lakes and rivers, but only a brief glimpse at the sea. There are a number of interesting outdoor observations, but surprisingly, there is not much in the way of flora, and we might have hoped for a plethora of pre-freeze flower shots. There are photographs of architectural details, but the architecture artwork tends to outweigh the quality of the photograph. There are also some unusual jewelry pieces comprised of studio images.

This exhibit is well worth a visit. While many photography exhibitions are a bit stuffy for the non-photographer, this one is not.

IF YOU GO
2021 UVAL Members Photography Exhibition
WHERE Kika de la Garza Fine Arts Center, 921 E. 12th St., Mission
WHEN Through April 3
HOURS 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday
INFO (956) 583-2787
COST Free and open to the public; masks required

Nancy Moyer, Professor Emerita of Art, is an art critic for The Monitor. She may be reached at [email protected].