David Burnett - Greenfield Prize Winner

Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to attend a "Creative Conversation" at The Works at the Sarasota Museum of Art.

Photojournalist, David Burnett is the recipient of The Greenfield Prize at The Hermitage Artist Retreat. The Prize includes a commission of $30,000 for a new project to be completed within two years, and a residency at the Hermitage Artist Retreat. David presented a number of his images and discussed the circumstances in making them. From Viet Nam to the Olympics ... It was most fascinating hearing the stories behind the images. On a few occasions, David became quite emotional telling about how a single image can affect the lives of people, both positive and negative.   

I had come to know David and his work since we both had lived in the Washington, D.C. area. David, is not only a highly accomplished world class photojournalist, but is also "a photographer's photographer." Always willing to share ideas and talk shop ... a real mensch!

After David's presentation, there was a panel discussion "The State of the Art of Photography," led by Anne-Marie Russell, the new Founding Executive Director of the Sarasota Museum of Art ... a new contemporary art museum dedicated to exhibiting art of the late 20th and 21st century. Anne-Marie served as Executive Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tucson and adjunct professor at the University of Arizona prior to accepting her new role at The Sarasota Museum of Art.

The panel consisted of Dr. Anthony Bannon, executive director of the Burchfield Penny Art Center at Buffalo State College. Tony was the seventh director of George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film in Rochester, New York.

In addition, Christopher Jones. Christopher is Associate Curator of Photography at The Ringling Museum of Art where he oversees the photography, new media and works on paper collection.

Last but not least is Robert Pledge. Robert was the former editor of the French visual arts magazine, Zoom, le magazine de l'image. In 1976, he co-founded along with David Burnett, the international
photojournalism agency, Contact Press Images.

The panel acknowledged the importance of photography in today's ever changing news world and how images shape our perceptions and opinions. Also mentioned was how the documentary/reportage image has crossed over into the fine art world. Many examples of this can be seen in David's images where they can be viewed in a news paper, magazine, on-line or on the walls of a museum.

It's an exciting time to be a photographer, and Sarasota is an exciting place to make and discover art.

 

New Beginnings

It's been a crazy 2016...all good! We are now residing in beautiful Sarasota, Florida. I can't believe it, but it has been a year since I left my studio at The Torpedo Factory Art Center in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.  I absolutely loved the art center and my fellow artists. Being a part of such a creative venue has been the experience of a lifetime ... it's irreplaceable.

As most people who are familiar with my work, photographing the Washington, D.C. landscape and our national monuments has played a significant role in my success as an artist. I have been fortunate enough to be represented in a number of important museum and private collections. This success has allowed me the opportunity to photograph in Europe ... specifically Italy and Paris.

We arrived in Sarasota last May with the objective to purchase a home with enough work space for me to continue to pursue my art. We are now living in a lovely home on a beautiful lake, only 10 minutes from the white sand beaches on the Gulf of Mexico.

The good news is that I have been photographing like crazy. Making new images that are 180 degrees from the type of work I had pursued up north. It's so liberating being in a totally new visual environment ... I'm having a ball! 

Sarasota is a very friendly arts environment. There are galleries all over town and a vibrant community of painters, photographers, sculptures, print makers and glass artists to name but a few.
Slowly I am becoming involved. For those that are interested in seeing my new work, check out my web site at www.craigsterling.com.

Thanks for everyone's support over the years ... I'm deeply grateful. Stay tuned for the next chapter!

 
  

Michael Kenna - Black & White vs Color Photography

Why Black & White?

Having my studio at The Torpedo Factory Art Center in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia for the past 14 years has provided a unique public venue for my work. One of the questions I am frequently asked is "why black & white and not color?" As most people know, I only work in black & white and have never been interested in working in color ... but why?       

 In a recent article published Black & White Magazine, British landscape photographer, Michael Kenna, known for his exquisite black & white images, was posed the question, "why black & white and not color?" For those not familiar with his work, Kenna works exclusively in black & white and makes his prints in the traditional wet darkroom. In an age when digital imaging allows for prints in enormous sizes, Kenna prints in only one size, roughly 8" x 8" ... and they are spectacular! His work is shown in museums and galleries around the world.

For me personally, his response as to why he works in monochrome vs color sums it up perfectly...

"Kenna’s old school outlook extends to his fidelity to black and white. Despite four decades of shooting in monochrome, he has no desire to experiment with color. Black and white, for him, provides an immediate interpretation of the world rather than a literal copy of what we see, where everything is in color. He finds black-and-white photographs to be quieter, subtler and more mysterious than those made in color, and thus more inspiring to the imagination of the individual viewer. Paradoxically, because they don’t attempt to compete with the outside world, black-and-white images persists longer in our visual memory. "

A Thought for the Day

There are two types of photographers ...
Photographers that photograph "Things"
and photographers that photograph "Ideas."

Which one are you?

Invitational Photography Exhibition ... Includes 2 of My Images

Another Great Exhibition!

Multiple Exposures Gallery 

The Torpedo Factory Art Center • Alexandria, VA 

October 14th - November 23rd 2014 

What It's All About!

I have always wanted to share my experiences through photographs. Photographers can work a lifetime and never really know to what extent viewers connect with their personal vision.

Take a minute and read this email I recently received from Kara, a visitor to my studio in The Torpedo Factory Art Center in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia ... I'm sincerely touched.

 

Video of Craig Sterling - "Photographing the Familiar in an Unfamiliar Way"

After seeing my photographs, many individuals exclaim, "I've seen that before, but never quite like that." What better way is there to describe the imagery that I have created of noted landmarks here in Washington, D.C. and around the world?

This short video by talented filmmaker and photographer Dean Pagani, explores my creative approach for making meaningful images of places that we are all so familiar. Enjoy!
 

My studio and gallery is located in The Torpedo Factory Art Center in Old Town Alexandria, VA