ISO Two Fantastic Photographers

"Multiple Exposures is the best photography gallery in the DC area. I tell all of the photographers that attend my "Success as an Artist" seminar, "If you want to be in a gallery, this is the one you want to be in.” -- Catriona Fraser, owner and director of the Fraser Gallery.

Catriona Fraser is a well-respected representative of local, national and international artists and if you want to take her words to heart, now's your chance. Due to a move and a retirement, Multiple Exposures Gallery (MEG) is looking for two new photographers to join us. 

Applications and full information about our call for portfolios are available on the MEG website. In addition, two information and orientation sessions will be held on the following dates:

        *  Sunday, January 8, 10am-12noon

        *  Thursday, January 19, 7pm-9pm

The information offered at both sessions will the same. Topics to be covered include: the benefits of MEG membership; roles and responsibilities of a MEG member; expectations for sales; displaying your work at MEG; the application and portfolio submission process and timeline; and “best practices” for submitting a portfolio for membership consideration. We’ll also answer any and all questions you might have.

The portfolio submission deadline is February 20, 2012. 

If you would like more information or want to RSVP for an information session, please contact Alan Sislen.

Small Works, Big Advice

MEG’s December show, Small Works, was juried by Catriona Fraser, owner and director of the Fraser Gallery. Fraser represents the work of local, national and international artists with an emphasis on contemporary realism and photography. She spent some time at MEG last week sharing her thoughts on both the Small Works show and submitting to juried exhibitions. Some excerpts include:

Do you view works differently when you view .jpgs vs. physical prints when you are making selections for an exhibit? No. Photographers worry the most about this, but they shouldn't. The elements of a good photograph are visible whether it’s a .jpg or a print. Experienced jurors realize that there may be slight differences in color or tone because of the monitors they're using to view the work, so those issues don’t have much of an impact.

(c) Eric Johnson

One of Eric Johnson’s images in the Small Works show is a good example. I loved his photograph “Collection of Baskets.” It reflects a wonderful use of light and shadow, and has great composition...all of these elements come through whether it’s a .jpg or a print.

Are you ever surprised when you see an exhibit after you’ve selected images via .jpg? The images themselves never surprise me because I know they are going to be good. The presentation of the artwork is another story. Poor printing, unprofessional matting and framing, use of acidic materials, poorly cut mats, dirty frames, scratched plexiglass, metallic signatures on prints, the copyright symbol after the artist’s name...all of these things will have a negative impact on the work.

Typically, the only downside between the submitted .jpg and the finished print is when the image has been printed too large for the file size, so the print looks soft and pixelated.

Are there any common mistakes photographers make when submitting work to jurors? A big one is submitting too many similar images. If the juror doesn’t like the first one, the odds are high he or she isn’t going to like any of the others either if they are in the same vein. If you’re submitting a portfolio for consideration, you absolutely want consistency; if you’re submitting 3 or 4 images to a juror for an exhibit, you want variety in subject matter/theme.

For more insight from Fraser, consider attending one of her “Success As An Artist” seminars, held throughout the year. A number of MEG members have attended in the past and found them very useful.

Small Works can be seen through December 31, 2011 at Multiple Exposures Gallery, Studio 312, Torpedo Factory Art Center, Alexandria, VA. 

New Exhibit: "Small Works"

Can Chocolate Make You A Better Photographer?

How does a winter drink translate into artistic improvement? Just ask MEG member Colleen Henderson, whose recipe for Cioccolata Calda, a rich Italian hot chocolate, made headlines in a recent issue of the Gazette.

After taking a bookbinding class with Patty Lee at the Pyramid Atlantic Art Center in Silver Spring, Henderson was asked to submit her favorite drink recipe as part of a fundraiser for the center. When her Cioccolata Calda was selected as one of 13 drinks included in "Drink Me," a fun compilation of winter beverages, Henderson was invited to a two-session linoleum print workshop where she made a linoleum print to accompany her recipe in the book.

Henderson says the experience showed her once again that stepping outside your traditional medium to try something new can bring both new skills and inspiration. "To make a linoleum block print, you first need to carve out the areas you don't want inked. Creating that negative space is a different way of thinking as an artist. It forces you to focus intently on structure and composition, two elements that are also critical in photography," Henderson says.

To test out our theory that chocolate does improve your photography, below is Henderson's recipe. Make a batch and while enjoying a cup, let us know what other art forms you've tried that have influenced your photographic work.

Cioccolata Calda (Tuscany Hot Chocolate)

by Colleen Henderson

— 5 tablespoons cocoa powder (Pernigotti or Droste)

— 2 tablespoons sugar

— 6 ounces (70 to 80 percent) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

— 2 cups milk

Place the cocoa powder, sugar, and 3 to 4 tablespoons of the milk in a saucepan and heat until the sugar melts, stirring well to remove any lumps. Boil the remaining milk, and then add to the chocolate mix.

Heat milk to steaming, while whisking thoroughly to incorporate the ingredients. Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Stir to melt the chocolate.