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Multiple
Exposure Gallery (MEG) is featuring the work of its newest members -- Soomin Ham, Tim Hyde and
Fred Zafran -- through March 24th. The show's images reflect the three photographers' very different ways of seeing and interpreting the
world around us.
In the show, Fred Zafran offers a new selection of images from his series, Light of an Ink Dark Moon. Below, Fred shares some thoughts about his work and his fascinating portfolio of street photography.
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| (c) Fred Zafran |
The title of your show is “Light of an Ink Dark Moon.” This is intriguing. Tell us a little more. In “Light of an Ink Dark Moon,” I share a new portfolio of work captured in the “venerable tradition of street photography.” The images are an inquiry into the contemporary urban landscape… a response to the uncertainty and wariness of the city if you will. Beyond the depicted image however, this work is about the shadow and illumination that give emotional dimension to the image. Darkness is the color of ink… and the canvas upon which light reveals and imparts meaning.
Share with us your approach to image making, and the major influences on your work. I have found a strong resonance with the black and white images of Ray Metzker, Josef Sudek and Fan Ho, and the color photography of Sam Abell and Alex Webb – all reflective and multilayered in emotional content and depth. I owe much to Sam Abell with whom I studied recently. He helped me understand the importance of “finding the setting first” and then remaining open to the (anticipated) story that follows. It is clear that the principal barrier to image making is our readiness to receive… to see and to be moved by the world around us.
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| (c) Fred Zafran |
The quality of your prints has gained notice and attention. What is your way of working? As photographers, the print is the full realization of our artistic intent. All of my images are captured digitally with careful consideration given to light, shadow, darkness and color as key structural elements. I work to quietly “illuminate” the subject without closing down the shadows or losing detail in the brightest elements of the image. Very little post processing is required. The resulting image is printed using pigment inks on the very highest quality fine art archival paper.
You are the Multiple Exposures Gallery newest member. After a year’s time, what are your thoughts? Impressed… and very grateful for the opportunity to be part of this group. MEG is a well-known exhibition venue, one of the oldest photography cooperatives in the
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| (c) Fred Zafran |
region, and includes some of the DC metro area’s most respected photographers and educators. I am honored to part of this organization, and to be associated with so many dedicated and talented individuals. A wonderful group of people!
Multiple Exposure Gallery (MEG)'s newest members -- Soomin Ham, Tim Hyde and Fred Zafran -- launched their new joint show this week. The images included showcase their different ways of seeing and interpreting the world around us.
In his part of the exhibit, Tim Hyde offers a new selection of images from his series, Country. While the images concentrate on rural Nebraska, the series as a whole documents a way of life that is passing across America's rural terrain. The small towns and farms are not really disappearing, but they are going through fundamental changes. Mexican restaurants and convenience stores are replacing the cafes, large industrial farms are replacing the family farm, and schools are consolidating. Rural America isn't disappearing, but it is becoming less quiet and more saturated.
Below Tim shares some thoughts on the series and his process for capturing what's before him:
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| (c) Tim Hyde |
Why did you choose Nebraska as a subject?
Over the past few years I have traveled around the South, Midwest, and Great Plains. Logistically, I try to visit America's small towns and rural areas small chunks at a time. I go to an area, rent a car, and drive around according to a rough plan, staying away from freeways, for three or four days at a time. You would be surprised how much ground you can cover in four days of driving—even when you stop at every small town along the way. In the past three years I have made four trips to the Great Plains, an area of special interest.
What is your interest in rural areas?
American's have always had a romantic view or small towns and rural areas, the "myth of the garden." It is the seedbed—in spirit, at least—of much of what we view as quintessentially American. Now all of that is changing. Farming has become a large-scale economic enterprise, and less a family affair. Small towns are changing dramatically, dying in some cases, consolidating, and certainly becoming more ethnically diverse. I have an interest in capturing a way of life that is passing as well as the new rural America that is emerging.
On another level, I've always had an interest in the interplay between nature and humans, the "battle" between mankind and Mother Nature. I operate on the premise that nature will win. Still, I'm fascinated by those places where humans live on the edge, places where nature is big and man's works are small: such places as Iceland, northern Canada, and deserts. The Great Plains is such a place, especially in winter.
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| (c) Tim Hyde |
Do you interact with the local people when you shoot?
Not
intentionally, as a rule. Unless I have a specific question or need to
solve a particular mystery, I do not talk to the local folks; I let the
visuals explain themselves. I also attempt to avoid shooting people in
my work because it can make the subject more melodramatic than I
intend. Of course, people do come up to you often and ask what you are
doing. Interestingly, these are unfailingly friendly inquiries in the West and Midwest, but sometimes hostile and suspicious in the South.
Honestly, this is perhaps the most dramatic regional variation I have
found when shooting in small towns and rural areas around the country.
What
equipment do you take with you on the road?
I use a 60 megapixel Hasselblad on a tripod,
and occasionally a 35mm SLR handheld. I am unconstrained in rural
areas, so can take the far shot with a shorter lens, putting a farm in
perspective. I am more confined in small towns and along Main Street—parked cars are my biggest hazard. If I had all the time in the
world, I would only shoot small town Main Streets on Sunday mornings
when they are empty. I tend to use my Hassey and a 28mm or 35mm, again
locked down on a tripod.
Where to next?
I am headed to Cape Breton and Nova Scotia for a week of shooting next month, then, in the spring, I want to make a trip to Alaska to shoot the tsunami debris as it makes its way onshore from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011.
* * *
MEG's New Member Show
is on exhibit at Multiple Exposures Gallery at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, VA through March 24th. An opening reception will be held Sunday, February 17th from 2pm-4pm at MEG.
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