Danella Photographic

These are the results from the judging of the Bagg’s Square Festival of the Arts Photo Show. The judging was completed on April 19th, 2007 by Keith Sandman and the winners were announced April 20th at a reception at the Utica Monday Night Gallery located at 106 Genesee Street in Utica.

Gallery Hours are:  Thursday and Friday - 11AM to 5PM • Saturdays -  Noon to 5PM

Special Gallery Hours -  Saturday May 5th Only - Noon to Midnight

Special thanks to Keith Sandman for judging and providing his comments, and to Peter Michel who worked tirelessly to make this photo show a reality.

Keith Sandman, of Utica, is a Professor of Photography at Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute School of Art. He holds an MFA in Painting from the School of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University; an MA in Painting from Chelsea School of Art, London, England; a BA in Fine Art from Central School of Art and Design, London, England, and a Bachelors in Engineering from Liverpool University in Liverpool, England.

Sandman’s works are in selected public and private collections at Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute Museum of Art, Utica; Leicestershire County Education Committee Collection, England and Ebury Gallery, London, England.

Following each photograph are Keith Sandman’s comments.

First Place • Claudette Ferrone • ” Trust Your Feelings ”

This photograph represents the entire spirit of Central New York. There are constant fund raising and awareness raising events that occur within in our community and the surrounding towns and villages. The expression on the child’s face ( far left ) draws the viewer into the photograph. The diagonal lines then point the viewer to the adult as he interacts with the other child.

Second Place • Deborah Otis • ” Winter’s Light ”

The photographer captured a moment when the light “blinked.” This magical light was momentary and fleeting. It allowed the winter scene to portray the snow of Central NY in a colorful array of muted colors. The captivating colors of this image are strengthened by its excellent composition.

Third Place • L the Shadowman • ” Catch ”

Here the photographer utilized an unusual angle to create the image. The resulting photo presents a usual scene in an unusual way. The photographer approached this topic in a considered manner. He needed to work at the physical situation to transform it into a special image.

Honorable Mention • Bob Simbari • ” Prospect Falls ”

This photograph is both atmospheric and emotive. It serves as a catalyst for an emotional reaction from the viewer. Here is a depiction of Winter’s stark beauty that blends with the fluid movement of the dark water.

Honorable Mention • Jan Coffin • ” Ilion Marina Anglers ”

Once again, the community spirit and fortitude of Central NY is embodied in this image. The print has a definite Kodachrome quality to it. The lone individual turning his head toward the photographer draws the viewer into the image and the activity.

Honorable Mention • Tim Fahey • ” Varick Street # 5 ”

The print quality of this carefully printed black and white image and the composition work together to create the photograph’s overall beautiful presentation. The light and the relections in the wet road combine to contribute to the liveliness of the scene.

Honorable Mention • Jodi Bates • ” One Minus One ”

This image is a thoughtful, personal statement. The haunting portrait is framed against a Victorian background. The image is fresh. It is a combination of the present and the past.

Your comments are invited and encouraged. Use the comment box below.

Questions constantly arise regarding disparities between retail store pricing ( like Danella Photographic ) and internet pricing. It is fairly simple to explain if the subject is broken into two component parts.
There are a certain number of totally bogus web sites that advertise equipment at 40 to 50 percent less than the average price. These web sites are run by con artists who may blatantly try to steal your credit card information and never deliver the requested products, or these same sites will try to sell you a camera body separately, and then add on the cost of the battery, the charger, the software and the other associated accessories that the manufacturer originally packaged with the camera.
These incredible “low ball “ pricing sites should be filed away with the information that the foreign fellow gave you in an email where he needs a safe storage bank account for his money. He will send his fortune directly to your bank account – as soon as you give him your account number and PIN.
The second area of pricing confusion involves grey market products. Simply stated, “grey market” means that the item is not covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, because the manufacturer’s licensed or authorized agent or representative did not import that item into the USA and did not sell it to the retailer to sell it to you. As an example, Nikon will not repair under warranty or out of warranty any grey market product that is sent to them if it was not imported by Nikon USA. The problems that can arise with owning grey market equipment are obvious. The repair paperwork shown below is an actual packing slip received from Nikon USA. The camera was brought in for repair by a customer who did not purchase the equipment from us. Nikon returns the camera unrepaired. Warranty work is also not available on grey market equipment.

When you purchase your new camera equipment from Danella Photographic, it is sold with full factory USA waranties. The accessories are complete and included in the price. Every customer is given full training and unlimited in person counter support, telephone support and email support. Digital SLR camera sensors are cleaned free of charge for the life of the camera. We handle warranty issues.

There’s no grey area here. We’ve been working in black and white or color for over 30 years.

The aperture priority shooting mode is designated usually as an “A” or an “Av” in the modes selection method of your camera. ( The A stands for aperture and the Av stands for aperture value. )

Many photographers prefer to shoot on Aperture Priority rather than a Full Auto ( “Green” ) mode or Program mode “P.” Now if you’re confused by what you have just read, go and get your camera and find the references to at least the “P” and the “A.” (You may not even have a green mode.) Do not continue until you’re certain about the above. If you’re still not sure about the aperture priority setting on your camera, either call us at 315-732-8442 or post your questions at the end of this article.

The most important element to learn about apertures is that f/4 is actually larger than f/16. The lower numbers represent larger openings formed by the diaphram blades inside the lens. If you have trouble remembering this fact, try thinking about the aperture numbers as fractions ( ie. 1/4 is larger than 1/16)

There are many reasons why photographers choose to shoot in Aperture Priority mode, but arguably the greatest reason is that the aperture partially controls the depth of field in the finished photograph. The wider apertures ( lower numbers ) produce photographs with a more defined line between what is in focus and what is out of focus.

This is a photograph of two cool photographers, but the sign in the background is very important. Shot at f/4.5, the photographers are separated from the sign and the important message is not readable. Nice focus for a portrait, but in this photo the sign is the key element.

Now, photographed at f/22, the all important sign and its even more important message snaps into focus. Same lens, same set up, different aperture. ( Note: The shutter speed changed as well, but this can be covered in another session. ) The photographer has taken control of the photo.
There’s more information about this topic, but for now take what you have learned and see what you can do with it. Try to control your photographs by using a specific aperture that best captures the subject as you see it.

Post your questions or comments below.