Artists Describing Their Art:
David Bechtol - Photography is an integral part of my life. Each image captured attempts to take the viewer on a journey, to transport them to that place of wonder and grandeur as I experienced it, to feel the sense of awe, beauty and peacefulness. As a boy growing up in rural Michigan, I had many chances to take long, slow walks in the forest, soaking in all the beauty a child sees in nature. Now I use photography to slow down life and try to take in all that nature has to offer as I once did those many years ago. I am a self-taught photographer and have studied the photographic process for over 50 years. My interest includes the digital realm where my technical background lets me exploit all that the camera can capture. Throughout my travels, I try to bring back and share a vision of some of the awe-inspiring vistas I encounter. No matter where you are in the world, natures extraordinary beauty is around every corner. I believe that great images are always around us. They are ours to capture with our vision and share with the world. ...
Ruth Zachary - My goal is to create striking images that touch the viewer emotionally. I try to capture the essence of a subject or scene, so that the viewer reacts with an immediate recognition, and immediate click of Yes. I depend upon composition, simplicity, shape and contrast, as well as my own aesthetic sense and emotional responses. I love creating art through photography. For me it is an opportunity for self-expression, a means of capturing a moment in time and creating beauty, as well as am important means of communication. My education includes a Masters in Social Work and a BA in English Literature. I have done formal study in drawing and pastel, but my photographic study has been informal and self-taught. Since 1980, I have been a frequent visitor to Monhegan Island, 12 miles off the coast of Maine, a remote lobstering island with a summer artists colony. On Monhegan, I became friends with a group of painters and photographers. I applied what I learned from them to my own work. Those I am most grateful to include Frances Kornbluth, Leo Brooks, Robin Young, Judi Wagner, Josie Vargas and Nancy Stanich. I show my art summers on Monhegan Island ...