Someone once said, “It’s not really a photograph until the photograph is printed.”
To members of the Photography Club of Beaufort, a print is the completion of the photograph. Printed images are necessary as photographic art. Members cannot imagine that the digital age will render prints irrelevant. Fine art photographer Huntingon Witherill stated that an electronic image could no more replace a fine art print than a synthesizer could replace a violin!
To that end, each Spring the Photography Club holds a print competition among its members. The entries are divided into Novice, Intermediate, Advanced and Expert categories. Charleston professional photographer Kenny McKeithan was this year’s judge. He reviewed each print in a regulation “light box,” offering the best possible illumination for prints up to 16×20. He critiqued the prints on composition, impact and technically, on exposure, contrast, depth of field, and focus sharpness. Then because he was judging a fine art print, he specifically examined how well it was printed on photographic paper.
Winners this year are as follows (pictured from top to bottom):
Novice category, Pam Keith for “What a Beauty”; Intermediate Category (tie), Gregg Hunt for “Rough Neighborhood” and Albert Stockell for “Snow Storm in the Andes”; Advanced, Juergen Thiessen for “Zebra Quintet” and a tie in the Expert category, Susan DeLoach for “Compelling Woman” and Sandy Dimke for “Shades of the Palouse.”
The Photography Club of Beaufort meets the 2nd Monday of every month at the Technical College of the Lowcountry, Building 23. The members hope to resume meetings in May. www.beaufortphotoclub.org
