people

Work in Two Juried Shows - Portland and Astoria /  by John Ritchie

I’ll have two of my favorite photographs in two different exhibits during March.

Black Box Gallery in Portland

One of my favorite whimsical photographs will be on display in the Black Box Gallery for their “Focus: Shadow and Light” exhibit.

Black Box Gallery is located at 811 East Burnside St. #212 Portland, Oregon. The exhibit runs from March 1st to March 20th with an artist reception from 6-9 PM on Friday March 6th.

Zebra In Hiding

LightBox Gallery in Astoria

I’ll have another favorite on display in the “A Jury Of Your Peers” exhibit at Lightbox Gallery. The theme for this exhibit was interesting - artists submitted work, then participated in the jury process to select which images were included in the show. It was educational and really difficult, giving me new respect for jurors faced with selecting works from large pools of excellent images.

LightBox Photographic Gallery is located at 1045 Marine Drive, Astoria, Oregon. The exhibit will be on display from March 14th through April 7th with an artist reception from 5-8pm on Saturday, March 14th.

“The Evolution of Surfing” was an example of the kind of created luck that makes street photography so rewarding. I was people watching on the beach when this man came down to surf. Each of the people in this photo gradually moved into place and I was ready with my camera when the composition momentarily came together. I still get a rush just looking at this and thinking about it!

The Evolution of Surfing

A New Year, A New Project /  by John Ritchie

Viewers of this site currently see two bodies of work: Night’s Quiet Light and Their World, Our World. The first is all about night, and dark, and quiet, while the second is about people, primarily street photography. I’ve decided to marry the two in a new project that I’m calling “Night Life” until the project shapes itself into a better title. Its goal is to show lively night and people as they are at night. A prime example is “Street Party,” a photo I took a few years ago.

Street Party

Street Party

Toward that end, I’ve been going out at night, shooting handheld, trying to capture the type of energy and life I see out there. I’m experimenting technically, artistically and thematically. Here are several photos showing what I’ve been coming up with. Some of these might better be characterized as “studies” rather than as finished art for the gallery walls, but I’m pretty happy with what I’m seeing so far.

Storytelling at the Scandinavian Festival /  by John Ritchie

I finally made it to the Scandinavian Festival in Junction City - something I’ve been meaning to do for many years but never got around to. I’m glad I did! Not only was it a fun and interesting time, but the people watching (and people photography) was fascinating and fruitful.

I used the opportunity to practice capturing people moments and gestures. Peoples’ expressions can be challenging because they’re constantly in motion and are usually fleeting. It requires constant readiness, careful watching, and quick reflexes to see when something is about to happen, quickly compose, and take the photo.

The most interesting of these tell stories. With photography’s power of freezing momentary expressions and juxtaposing unrelated elements, a story can be manufactured from almost nothing. The story doesn’t need to be true to make it engaging but, in my opinion, it shouldn’t dishonor the subjects.

I had an excellent time finding the stories in these photographs. I hope you enjoy them too.

Their World, Our World /  by John Ritchie

I've published a new body of work entitled "Their World, Our World."

Dog Nappers

Dog Nappers

People do fascinating things in the world we share.  Self-engaged, they are puzzling, amusing, and energizing.  We imagine ourselves in what we see others do, in the way they interact with their environment.  We learn about ourselves from the way they move in their world, which is our world.

I photograph people's moments in their world so we can share them, to study them, to learn about our shared world.

Ekphrasis III /  by John Ritchie

Matea

My photograph "Matea" inspired poet Timothy Black to write a poem as part of the Ekphrasis III exhibition.

The exhibit is an annual collaboration between the Willamette Valley PhotoArts Guild and the poetry club at Linn Benton Community College.  PAG members submit candidate photographs to the poetry club members, each of whom selects one photograph that inpires a poem.  The resulting collection of poetry and photographs is exhibited on the LBCC campus.  A catalog of the assembled works is published as a small booklet.

I'm happy to have "Matea" selected and exhibited because she's an extraordinary girl and a delight to work with.  My brief photo shoot with her was one of the most fun I've had and it makes me glad to share the outcome of it.  I'm pleased that Matea's photograph was selected for the back cover of the exhibit catalog as well.

The exhibit is on display at the South Santiam Hall on the Albany LBCC campus. It runs from February 2nd to 27th.

The exhibit catalog is available for preview and purchase from Blurb: http://www.blurb.com/b/5940053-ekphrasis-iii

Night/People - August 26th through September 30th 2014 /  by John Ritchie

Dance

The fascinating people I've met while out doing night photography have inspired me to learn to photograph them.  I often use night photography techniques when photographing people, which brings out unusual aspects of their personality.

I will be exhibiting a collection of photographs in a solo show at the Unitarian Church in Corvallis from August 26th through September 30th 2014.  The exhibit, entitled "Night/People," highlights my transition from peaceful night photographs to photos of people, mostly at night.

The exhibit can be seen at:

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis

2946 NW Circle Blvd., Corvallis

Hours are 9:30AM to 1 PM Tues - Thur (until mid-September, then Mon-Fri) and when open for special events.