April 2007
 Vol 4, Issue 2
Jens Grubert The Black & White Project

 Newsletter of the BWPC
Greetings!
Several new BWPC members and a few long time contributors have turned out for the April 2007 exhibit. The current exhibit features People & Portraits and the Open Gallery Submissions where anything goes.

What follows are brief articles about a few of our new artists and some of our outstanding contributors. Make sure you fill out your bio or email the administrators a brief note about yourself and your work for consideration in future newsletters.
Erwin Bosman
Erwin BosmanJoined     Oct 19, 2006   (Belgium)

My name is Erwin Bosman, born in 1958, with the Belgian nationality and living nearby Brussels, in a small village at the countryside. I am married to a lovely woman and I am since 1999 the proud father of a very charming girl. My mother tongue is Dutch. My educational background is that of a sociologist, but since 1990 I am working as a civil servant in an international organization.

Since the birth of my daughter I have developed a real passion for photography. At the start, my passion was almost exclusively oriented towards the manipulation of digital images since I had a real desire to master completely the ins and outs of Photoshop. However, gradually my attention turned towards pure photography. I use Photoshop now merely to enhance a picture and to help to express the visual chock that I felt when pushing the button. The real pleasure of photography is being able to translate the emotion one feels seeing a scene into a two dimensional image in order to communicate that feeling to others. In this communication, I try to put the focus on pure forms and lines, reducing a composition to its basic elements. I don't want to hide a certain admiration for contemplative photography (Miksang).

Click here for a photographic introspection 
In This Issue
Erwin Bosman
Jens Grubert
John Giolas
Jon Martin
Katie Jewell
Richard Burke
Other Artists
Quick Links
Jens Grubert
JGrubertJoined: Jan 21, 2006   (Germany)

Jen Grubert is a student in Computer Science at the Otto-von-Guericke-University in Magdeburg Germany. He credits his interest in Photography to his artistic Grandfather.

In 1998, Jen purchased his first camera, a Nikon F50. The Nikon opened a deeper love and excitement for photography. At all times, day and night, Jen found something new and interesting to photograph.

His photography shows a strong interest in everyday things including stairs, archways, signs and landscapes. His photographic journeys span numerous countries from Czechia, Slovenia, Hungary, Italy as well as many parts of Germany.

At first Jen had little interest in portraiture or studio photography. He wanted to discover the innate character on the spontaneous and unposed image. He chose to be an observer who discovers rather than directs the visual he is trying to capture.

Recently, Jen says, "I turned to candid shots and photojournalism." Trips to Paris, Israel and Pakistan left have left lasting impressions.

- by Mark Cappuccio

Visit Jens' website
John Giolas
Joined: August 10, 2005   (USA)

My interest in photography started as a young boy when I received a Cannon AE-1 for Christmas. I experimented with photography during my family's long summer vacations at a cabin we had in the High Uintah Mountains near Flaming Gorge reservoir (not far from the Swet Ranch fedatured previously on bwpc.org).

I graduated from University of Utah in British Literature and Creative Writing. My intent was to return to school after a year or two to obtain a graduate degree, but instead followed my long love of high-end audio and opened a small audio specialty store in Salt Lake City, Utah called Audition Audio.  

I loved making images as a teenager and young adult but didn't get serious about photography until I met my good friend and Cinematographer, Brian Capener in the mid eighties. He and I would create images of the equipment we sold at Audition for wall displays. He was and is a good mentor. In 1999, I sold my business, Audition, and came to work for Wilson Audio (a high-end loudspeaker manufacturer) as the Director of Marketing. I create all marketing material for Wilson, including all brochures, ads, website, newsletters, etc. Brain and I create all the photographs for those projects.  

I purchased a Hasselblad 503cw and three lenses (50mm, 80mm, and 150mm) as well as a Leica M6 with 35mm, 50mm, and 90mm lenses about six years ago. I was immediately hooked.  

My photographic interests have evolved, but still center around the history, the stories if you will, that surround and are embedded in old, abandoned buildings. I am also fascinated with relentlessness of nature, how these old structures, left unattended, are reabsorbed into the earth from which they originated. Utah is filled with old pioneer homes, buildings, and farms that have been left to decay. I love to search out these historic places, camera in hand. 

I shoot primarily in black in white. I mostly use the Hasselblad system, tripod mounted. I also use a Leica, but now have both a M7 and a MP with the same three lenses.  Each camera creates a very different dynamic for me, the Hasselblad is studied and meticulous, the Leica free and impetuous. I love them both. I primarily shoot with Kodak Tri X 320 in the Hassy, and a B&W C-41 film, T400cn in the Leica. I also shoot with Ilford Pan F50 and Kodak TMAX 100 and 400.  

View all of John's BWPC contributions
Jon Martin
Jon MartinJoined:  Aug 26, 2006   (UK)

I have been taking photographs casually all my life but in the last 5 years have tried to create more expressive images. I enjoy mostly Landscape orientated work and shoot 80% of my photos on a Bronica 645 ETRsi and Ilford film.

See Jon's entries in April's Open Gallery
Katie Jewell
Joined:  Feb 21, 2007   (USA)

Hi everyone! Im a student at UCSC. All of my pictures are taken with 35mm tri-x 400 and scanned in to photoshop.

I enjoy taking "fashion" shots. I'm trying to replicate the emotions I feel when looking at fashion. There is an aggressive energy that is both ugly and beautiful that attracts me.

My work also endevors to re-present the historical display of women who are often found passive lying naked in the landscape.

Addidional pictures can be found @ artwanted.com/pinkkat1216
Richard Burke
Richard BurkeJoined     May 18, 2006   (USA)

Richard is a self-taught photography enthusiast who originated from Western New York but has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Central and South America. For ten years he settled on The Big Island of Hawaii during which time he became a scuba diviing master. His time spent under the blue depths of the Pacific awakened an affinity for photography .

Richard returned to New York in 2001, where his photography passion continued to develop. While he has gained experience with many different photographic formats and styles, he mostly enjoys black & white, stating, "I find that the many levels of control that I have with black & white photography lend to my artistic expression. I'm always learning something new; whether I am considering the composition of the shot, printing in the darkroom, toning and hand-coloring the shot, or matting and framing the final print. Photography offers me a creative outlet and provides me an avenue to share my perceptions with others."

Throughout his 20 years of fine-tuning his skill and exhibiting his work, Richard has received numerous awards for black & white, underwater color, and more recently infrared photographs.

Richard's devotion to his craft continues to grow and diversify. He is currently experimenting with printing his photographic images on a variety of textiles and miscellaneous surfaces, as well as experimenting with double exposure techniques . He is an active member of the Wellsville Arts Association and the Cattaraugus County Arts Council. When not taking pictures Richard helps care for stray and abandoned cats .

See Richard's Online Portfolio
Other Exhibiting Artists
The following list represents those artists who submitted images that were selected for our current exhibits but have not supplied us with any biographical information or insights into their photography.

  • Josh Sellers - Joined: Oct 27, 2006   (USA)
  • Jude Marion - Joined: Oct 6, 2006   (Canada)
  • Nugie - Joined: Dec 6, 2005   (Indonesia)
  • Rashidi Said - Joined: Mar 19, 2006   (Malaysia)
  • Ritchie Diga - Joined: Apr 25, 2006   (Philippines)
  • David Kakalashvili - Joined: Jun 09, 2006   (Tbilisi, Georgia)
  • Toni Camarillo - Joined: Feb 20, 2007   (USA)
  • Alberto Pascale - Joined: Dec 18, 2006   (Italy)
  • Cre8unique - Joined: Oct 16, 2006 

The Black & White Photography Community is an international non-profit organization comprised of amateur photographers who are dedicated to preserving the art of black & white photography.

Sincerely,

Steven Remington
Black and White Photography Community