What do I win?: Our first place winner will have their photo included in an upcoming issue of the Conservationist, along with a free year subscription to the Conservationist, and copy of our New York State Wildlife Guide. Our four runners-up will also receive a free year subscription to the Conservationist, along with a copy of the wildlife guide.

Disclaimer: No small print. The NYS DEC is in no way taking ownership of your photos. Submitted images may be used for social media outreach and DEC agency materials, with credit attributed to the photographer.

Photo at top by Steve Spudie, provided by the NYS DEC.

ROCKPORT — Pen Bay Medical Center (PBMC) is currently displaying its third temporary art exhibit along the walls of the main hospital hallway near Patient Registration.

Current featured artists and their mediums include Nicholas Beverage (oil); Alison McKellar (photography); Nina Jerome (paintings); and Eric Darling (photography/oil). The art pieces are part of 12-week exhibits scheduled to run into April 2024, with each artist required to have a connection to Maine or New England.

Other confirmed artists and their mediums for future exhibits include Anne Brown (photography); Tina Ellis (watercolor); Bjorn Runquist (oil); Amanda Lorentzen (watercolor); Anne Brown (photography); Kathleen Fox (paintings); Michael Hagenbuch (photography); and Parrish Dobson (photography). QR codes are available to be scanned on the hospital walls by a smartphone or tablet camera to access the displayed artists’ information.

The current exhibit is on display until Dec. 8, with the fourth scheduled to begin Dec. 18 and run to Feb. 9, 2024.

About Pen Bay Medical Center

Pen Bay Medical Center is part of MaineHealth, a not-for-profit integrated health system consisting of eight local hospital systems, a comprehensive behavioral healthcare network, diagnostic services, home health agencies, and more than 1,600 employed and independent physicians working together through an Accountable Care Organization. With more than 19,000 employees, MaineHealth is the largest health system in northern New England and provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. For more information, please visit pbmc.org.

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Wikipedia, the on-line encyclopedia says, “Fine art photography refers to photographs that are created to fulfill the creative vision of the artist. Fine art photography stands in contrast to photojournalism and commercial photography. Photojournalism provides visual support for stories, mainly in the print media. Commercial photography’s main focus is to sell a product or service.”

Photography as art has changed over the years since it’s beginnings and, in my opinion, with the increased interest in photography and the making of photographs since digital technology became the mainstay, photography as art interests more and more people.

That art may be nothing more than a screensaver on one’s computer display or shared to an online quorum. And it is not unusual to see a personal photograph framed and hanging on the walls of one’s home.

I have always been interested in art photography and over the years studied the history of photography as well as what is currently being accepted as art in the medium of photography. I find the previous definition interesting because it separates fine art photography from photojournalism and commercial photography.

By the middle of the nineteenth century photographers felt their art should be held in the same exalted status that painters claimed for theirs. Their contention was that it was the photographer, not the camera that made the picture. The goal was, and still may be, to convince not only the art community, but also the community-at-large that photography is art. Then, as now, the discussion may be about whether the different aspects of photography; commercial, photojournalistic, or those created only as personal creative vision should be considered art.

The question we can ask is whether photographs we see only work as “visual support,” or are produced to “sell a product” or as a creative vision?

I have come to think that definitions like those of Wikipedia’s might have changed. Maybe it is the way modern viewers see and use photography. That quickly-snapped portrait of a favorite pet displayed in the owner’s home probably needs an explanation to go along with it, but is cherished enough to be included with the rest of the owner’s art even though some scholar of the arts may disagree.

Remember, photographers are still contending with those critics that hold that only painting and sculpture are art. For me the lines have become blurred, and I see photography as an artistic medium equal to others and I am not altogether sure in categorizing any photographer’s work.

The camera is just a tool that helps photographers be creative and a photographer only needs to decide on their own particular style and what is “created to fulfill the creative vision of the artist.” What that vision is up to the photographer and the audience for whom the image is produced.

Stay safe and be creative. These are my thoughts for this week. Contact me at www.enmanscamera.com or emcam@telus.net.

While there are differences between micro four thirds, APS-C, full frame, and medium format, the general shooting experience of all those various sensor sizes is mostly the same. On the other hand, large format photography is an entirely different process and approach, but if you are willing to put in the time and effort to tackle the beast, you will be rewarded with incredible images unlike anything you have even seen before. This awesome video takes a look at the experience and its impact on how you shoot. 

Coming to you from Steve O’Nions, this great video takes a look at large format photography and its impact on how you approach the image-making process. If you thought medium format was big, large format is an entirely different beast, with 4×5 film offering negatives that are almost 15 times larger than full frame and 8×10 pushing that factor to almost 60, offering unparalleled levels of detail. The downsides of large format are the cost and specialized techniques it requires. Each 4×5 negative costs about $5 (which does not include the cost of development), so every single frame needs to be thought through very carefully. Check out the video above for the full rundown from O’Nions.