Baltimore Woods features virtual art exhibit of Syracuse Camera Club

By Karen Jean Smith

Gallery Coordinator

Spectacular color. Dramatic lighting. Astounding natural beauty all around. These are just a few of the attributes of the fall in New York that have been captured in “Autumn: A Visual Feast of Images,” a celebration of the season by members of the Syracuse Camera Club. This exhibit is being presented virtually by Baltimore Woods Nature Center and will be on exhibit from now  through Oct. 30 at baltimorewoods.org. A total of nineteen photographers are featured in Parts 1 and 2 of the exhibit. All the images will be available to order in print form with archival white mats. Proceeds help to support the mission of Baltimore Woods Nature Center.

Syracuse Camera Club member Sandra Patnode said that “one of the greatest pleasures of photography is discovering and sharing the beauty of the ordinary.”

It might be said that photographers also remind us of the extraordinary and so we have both – the highlighted ordinary as well as the extraordinary – in this exhibit. “Autumn: A Visual Feast of Images” is a striking collection of photographs that take us to familiar places we enjoy and unfamiliar ones yet to be explored.

They cause us to look from afar and then to look up close, to notice and marvel at what nature offers. The images may even, in their celebration of the season, inspire us to be outside more and perhaps, pursue our own artistic endeavors.

Viewers will recognize favorite local spaces such as Green Lakes State Park, Clark Reservation, Delphi Falls, Bucktail Falls, Chenango Falls, and even Route 20.

Kenneth Frehm’s image “Erie Canal” transports us to a popular local park in Camillus, where  both the color of the leaves and the faded wood of the building alongside the water, caught the photographer’s  attention.

Conversely, Buddy Bellonsoff shares an image of Wolcott Falls, a waterfall that fewer people know about but that he finds particularly lovely.

We also journey north to the Adirondacks with Rosalie Spitzer’s “At Peak! Ausable Chasm”, a depiction of a colorful distant view and Dan Roche’s “Fairy Path”, an image that beckons us into the forest. In “Paddling the Middle Moose” by DJ Igelsrud, we can imagine the joy of the kayakers as they view the surrounding landscape from the water.

The origins of some images will remain a mystery, especially those taken of leaves on the ground as in “Cones & Leaves” by Barbara Nevaldine or “Frosted Leaves of Autumn” by Jeff Perkins. Viewers will want to take note of the textures in these and other close-up views.

While some images may be taken quickly and determined to be “lucky shots,” many photographers will tell you that it takes thoughtful consideration of color, lighting and composition, knowledge of their cameras and patience above all else, to achieve their desired results.

An example of artistic considerations can be seen in “Taking Off,” an image in which Bob Gates makes use of color contrast in his depiction of geese taking flight from the water at Green Lakes State Park. The warm colors of the trees are reflected in the water, and the geese are sharply silhouetted against this vivid backdrop.

Another example can be found in “Adirondock,” Jeanne Lagergren’s image of Tupper Lake in the Adirondacks. The lighting of the late afternoon which lasts just a short while, and the choice to shoot the image from the center of the dock,  provide visual drama.

Dramatic lighting is also essential to “Treeline”, by Deb Putman, but in a different way. In this picture from Zenda Farms near Clayton NY, a row of trees is sharply lit from one side. In addition, the composition was framed to provide overall balance between the light and shadows.

Members of the Syracuse Camera Club and participants in this exhibit are Maria Aridgides, Buddy Belonsoff, Sherry Dans, Justine Fenu, Kenneth Frehm, Bob Gates, DJ Igelsrud, Nancy Kieffer, Jeanne C. Lagergren, Diane Lansing, Barbara Nevaldine, Sandra Patnode, Jeff Perkins, Deb Putman, Dan Roche, Micah Shannon, Michael Slaunwhite, Rosalie G. Spitzer and Guy Swenson.

Originally established in 1886, the Syracuse Camera Club is one of the oldest photography organizations in the United States.

The membership comprises both amateurs and semi-professionals who gather to share and learn more about the art and craft of photography through competitions, workshops, slide shows and presentations by experts. For more information, visit:  syracusecameraclub.org.