May 2023
Ximena Peryea: Contemporary Photographs and the Transformative Power of Color
DALLAS CAMERA CLUB PROGRAM.: May 23, 2023 GUEST SPEAKER
My photographic works are an open invitation for contemplative reflection. The body of work I will be sharing has the unifying quality of being contemporary and rich in color, geometrics and textures. As a photographic artist, I am drawn to patterns in nature and our manmade world. I truly believe in the transformative power of color. I believe in the importance of incorporating art in interiors. Where there is no window, the illusion of space needs to be created for the sake of the soul. Life has afforded me peeks into many cultures and a myriad of experiences. I come to you as a photographic artist, a biochemist, a nature lover, a gardener. I am a daughter, a spouse, a sister and a mother. I will share my photographic lens with YOU and we will travel to Dallas, Amsterdam, Reykjavik, Montreal, Kyoto, New Delhi, Berlin, Milan and Buenos Aires.
A Focus to Live by: My approach to photography involves the routine practice to seek the extraordinary where-ever I may be. This practice of seek and you shall find, yields rewards in the form of significant photographs as well as it grants me a rich, meditative mindset. It is an immersive routine a ritual of observation, that even without a camera in tow I practice to develop the eye, the focus. I truly believe that all around us, exist wonderful installations waiting to be collected and curated. In my life and with my photography, I cultivate the habit to be curious, to be receptive, to not be dull to the wonder around us. I am an observer of people and the environment in which we live. Faces, nature’s designs, color, texture all intrigue me. It is my intent as a photographer to capture the essence, the wonder, and the soul of a subject, whether person, place, or thing, and freeze that moment for all to experience.
I approach art with a cosmopolitan perspective: I was born in Cali, Colombia and grew up in New York City grounded by a very close-knit Catholic family that valued education and exposed me to a myriad of cultures and artforms. Shortly after our family’s immigration to the USA, we lost our father to a heart attack- I was the youngest of six. With intelligent resourcefulness, our mother guided us past these sad times by making ample use of the wealth of cultural offerings found in New York City. Art and photography have always been a part of my family life either as subject or behind the lens; Growing up, in our makeshift bedroom darkroom, my sister, brother and I developed our B&W photography.
My body of work has evolved from B&W photography, digital photography, professional portraiture and my formal education in the sciences: I am a graduate from the School of Arts & Sciences, Cornell University- I majored in biochemistry. After working various years in cancer pharmacology research at Southwestern Medical School, I changed direction to devote time to family and portraiture photography. The practice of experimentation and observation has carried through to my photography.
EXHIBITIONS
Irving Arts Center: Seven photographic works in the AQUI/AHORA Hispanic Heritage Exhibit: A group exhibit curated by Marcie Inman highlighting six Latin artists.
Irving, Texas Sept 2022 – Feb 2023.
Eisemann Center: Plano Art 125 SHOW 22: Richardson TX 2022
Recipient of merit award in photography. Juried by Marilyn Waligore, Bart Forbes, Marty Ray
Oakcliff Cultural Center: ART214: Juried by Du Chau; Dallas, TX 2019
Irving Arts Center: Art Connection Group Show; Irving, TX 2015
Recipient of first place award in Photography: Juried by Elaine Taylor, Fort Worth Community Arts Center
Fort Worth Community Arts Center; Fort Worth, TX 2014
Latino Cultural Center: Hecho en Dallas, Juried show; Dallas, TX 2013
Photolucida, online exhibition 2010
Latino Cultural Center: Hecho en Dallas, Juried show, Dallas, TX 2010
Dallas Arboretum: Artscape, Dallas, TX 2009
Recipient of merit award in photography
Frisco Sculpture Garden; Frisco, TX; Public Art Loan; Hartford Group 2009-2010
Irving Arts Center: Art Connection Group Show; Irving, TX 2009
Irving Arts Center: Art Connection Group Show; Irving, TX 2008
BACKGROUND:
Cornell University; Ithaca, NY; Bachelor of Science, School of Arts & Sciences 1979- 1983
Owner/partner of ME Photography: portraiture and photojournalism: 1996 to 2009
June 27, 2023
Ian McVea
Elevating Your Art: How to bring more depth, form, and emotion to your images.
Description;
We know how to compose an image, but how do we raise our photography above producing well-arranged, 2-dimensional representations? How do we express our vision? It doesn’t matter if you’re a landscape photographer, a portraitist, a bird photographer, an architectural photographer, or you live for bugs on flowers, this conversation is designed to discuss elements we can bring to any of those disciplines to elevate our photos and communicate our vision.
Biography: (the I-really-love-me version)
Ian McVea is a British/Irish-born photojournalist and photography educator. His passion for photography started as a 9-year-old with his mum’s Olympus Pen F half-frame camera, and in 9th grade, at boarding school in Ethiopia, he discovered a life-long love for the darkroom. While attending college in San Diego and Arlington Texas, he worked as a custom black-and-white printer. On graduating from UT Arlington with a degree in Management, Ian joined the Fort Worth Star-Telegram as a staff photographer, later becoming a photo editor and then Director of Photography. During his 23+ years at the Star-Telegram, Ian covered news, features, and sports. Sports photography was not his forte, but he covered the Stars, the Cowboys, and shot a dizzying number of Friday night football games. He covered the OKC bombing, the Shuttle Columbia disaster, and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita for international wire services.
While on staff at the Star-Telegram, Ian taught photojournalism classes as an adjunct professor at TCU’s Schieffer School of Journalism, and on leaving the paper in 2012 he began teaching Commercial Photography full time in the Arlington ISD. He also teaches summer workshop for photography instructors.
Ian’s images have been published by Getty Images, the AP, Reuters, New York Times, LIFE, Time, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, and then there’s a National Examiner cover he’d rather not discuss. His work has been part of recent exhibits at a number of Texas galleries and art museums, and have received honours from the Dallas Press Club, National Headliners, Houston Press Club, The Texas APME, and the Texas Photographic Society, among others.
He is an active member of the Royal Photographic Society, the Texas Photographic Society, the National Press Photographers Association, American Society of Media Photographers, and the Association of Texas Photography Instructors.
He shoots mostly analogue medium-format and 4x5 cameras. Digitally, Ian is a Nikon Z mirrorless user, but firmly believes that Canon and Sony cameras can lead very productive lives.
Ian has two married daughters who share his passion for analogue photography.
To see more of Ian’s photos, go to:
www.ianmcveaphotography.com
Instagram: @cloakndaguerre
August 22, 2023
Russell Graves
Program Description: A World Full of Wildlife - Traveling the world to capture memorable images. This presentation will be a behind the scenes look at taking dynamic and memorable photos from both near and far.
Bio: Raised in rural Texas, Russell is the product of a modest, blue-collar upbringing, a stalwart work ethic, and a family who put no bounds on his imagination and creativity. When Russell was a junior in high school, he wrote a research paper for his end-of-year English project. The research paper (which he still has today), titled simply Wildlife Photography, earned him an "A" for the project. Still, more importantly, the mini-tome served as a manifesto of sorts that would define his life's work.
When he was 19, he had his first photographs and article published in a magazine. When he was 20, he earned his first magazine cover. By his own admission, the work now appears marginal and sophomoric. It was the spark, however, that ignited the fire to keep him going and perfect his creative craft.
After earning a degree in agriculture education from East Texas State University (now Texas A&M-Commerce), Russell went out to the sparsely populated Texas Panhandle, where he was hired to teach agriculture science for the Childress Independent School District. Upon earning his degree, Russell describes the experience as surreal. He's the first in his family to earn a college degree. Upon the conference of his baccalaureate honors, he witnessed his father cry for the first time in his life. It's a moment of pride that has stuck with Russell and driven him to be the best he can be at whatever he chooses to do. As a result, in his 16-year teaching career, he was named Texas Agriscience Teacher of the Year on three occasions, a finalist for National Agriscience Teacher of the Year twice, and won just about every major award conferred on those in his former profession. He also built a solid reputation as a top Texas photographer and writer during that time.
Upon leaving teaching in 2009, Russell continued his life's work by capturing the people and places outside of city limits in innovative and authentic ways. In the ensuing years, he continued to build on his experience and churn out content for clients through magazine pieces, advertising campaigns, television projects, and numerous books. In addition, he also worked with a small West Texas town to help them develop a marketing strategy and put together development deals that would bring jobs and prosperity to that little corner of rural Texas.
In 2018, Russell started leading photographic workshops and sharing his knowledge and love of the outdoors and photography. Since then, Russell has led nearly 500 guests on adventures worldwide.
Russell says he feels like he's come full circle by combining his love of photography with his teaching ability.
In the media, Russell's been called a rural renaissance man, recognized as one of the top photographers in Texas, and praised by editors, art directors, and audiences alike for his ability to connect people and places through his written, spoken, and photographic stories. He's had nearly a million words published, authored six books, has had thousands of images grace the pages of magazines and advertisements all over the world (including about 600 magazine covers), is an in-demand speaker, has photographed some of the most prominent people in our country, and is the owner of two businesses. Still, he insists that his most significant accomplishments fall under the heading of father, husband, brother, son, and friend.
When he's not in the field teaching or doing projects for one of his clients, Russell is found on his beloved Hackberry Farm driving his tractor and doing tasks that benefit the land and her denizens therein. He now lives a mile from the small stock farm on which he was raised. Black dirt and creek water is a powerful poultice.
His parents are still proud of him.
To see more of Russell’s work, check out www.russellgraves.com
2023 Programs
January 2023 - Members Showcase "The Elements"
February 2023 - Dennis Fritsche: Themes and Projects
March 2023 - Norm Diamond: Photography from the Heart and Soul
April 2023 - Jeremy Lock: Outside Your Front Door
May 2023 - Ximena Peryea
June 2023 - Ian McVea
July 2023
August 2023 - Russell Graves
September 2023
October 2023 - Bird
November - Susan Kindley
December - No Program
2022 Programs
January - Member Show "My Favorite Photographs"
February - Sean Fitzgerald
March - Kaye Hargis
April - Jim Hamel: Night Photography: Big City Lights
May - Richard Sharum: Campesino Cuba
June - Steve Reeves: Contest Judging Confidential
July - Richard Klein: Finding Inspiration & Permission, The Contemporary Photographers’ Paradox
August - Jarrod Oram: Journey, Not Destination and Shooting with Intention
September - Chris Rusanowsky:
October - Michael McLean: Environmental Portraits and Building Visual Narratives
VIDEO
November - Frank Richards: (sometime in the last half of 2022)
December - No program
2022 Programs
January - Members Photos of the DFW Metroplex
February - Lisa Langell An artistic photographer lies in ALL of us
March - Smiley Pool DMN Photographer
April - Robert Moore - My Life on the Street
May - Jim Walsh
June - Carla Golden
July - Lisa Langell
August - Jeff Parker
September - Larry Petterborg
October - No Program - DCC Hosts the Bird
November - Steve Hawiszczak & Dalis Foglia
December - No Program
History of prior programs HERE