'Exposing' the world of special effects: today's fine art photographers combine old techniques with new technologies

Advancements in digital cameras and computer technology are providing photographers with an extensive palette of tools and techniques to create literally thousands of special events that enhance, alter and support their images. These advancements have propell the evolution of photography as an art form, with a certain number of saying that the use of special results in photographic images has catapulted photography more firmly into the realm of fine art.

Andre Gallant, a travel photographer from novel Brunswick, Canada, and author of several photography works including, "Dreamscapes: Exploring Photo Montages," says, "As an art form, photography has not been as widely accepted as say, painting. Photography has been accepted a little more in the states than in Canada. on the contrary the use of techniques to create special events will only improve on that acceptance of photography as a fine art form. Many photographers now are more artistic than they are straightforward."

The search for greater expression in their work and escape from boredom has motivated many photographers to experiment with elderly and new techniques that enhance and ignite their images. Apparently, change has been profitable for inspiration and business.

"When I stumbl on the technique of creating montages it was like rediscovering photography" says Gallant. "I was true excited about the process, and I realized that I can expres myself better with this technique than with straightforward photography."

Gallant has dedicated an entire work to images of his montages and the techniques behind them, which he has self-published and financed. Believing that photographic techniques should be shared rather than guarded, Gallant also teaches weeklong seminars upon visual design in photography for the pair amateur and professional photographers. These seminars also provide a built-in market for Gallant to exchange his images and his books

Thomas Barbey (pronounced Barbay), of Thomas Barbey, LLC originally worked with black and white and color in the fashion industry in Italy. He says he eventually became "burnt on the outside on people and color," for a like reason he started experimenting in the darkroom before computer technology became affordable. He started having plenteous more fun taking pictures of architecture and creating symbolism in his images.

Barbey says he is exhibited in about 100 galleries now and that many of those gallery holders have never represented a photographer before they saw his work. "I think the reason they accepted my work is because I am more like a painter with a camera," says Barbey. "I am a fan of Surrealistic painters. I don't find inspiration with normal photography."

Carla Klouda, another creator of photographic montages, says that customers who previously were not interested in hanging photographic works upon their walls are now buying her photographs because they recognize these images more as art. "When race walk by a wall of my images they are twitched in. They look puzzled and awe how the images were created," says Klouda. "People have an emotional connection to the image." Klouda says that this connection uncloses up a dialogue between the photographer or the gallery proprietor and the customer.

Barbey also remarks on the number of customers who are drawn to the Surreal quality of his work. He exclusively works with black and white images, which he initially meditation might be only for a certain host "But it is very popular, and the younger generation accompanys to be drawn to black and white," says Barbey. "I don't know [whether] it's because of the retro feeling or because the images aren't bombarded with in like manner much color."

Creative Choices

A wide variety of photographic techniques are available to today's photographers. Many of those who are interested in creating special issues mix the old with the of recent origin The end result of this proces is many times an image that appears to be a painting rather than a photograph.

Gallant works with an older on the contrary popular process, known as montaging or slide sandwiching, and uses four different techniques. "The techniques I use are actually quite of advanced age and I experiment extensively with putting slides together and creating images. I create large bodies of work from one side this process," says Gallant. "When the yield is finished, you're not certain if you are looking at a painting or a photograph. The event is an Impressionistic painting that is actually a photograph."

Describing the proces used for creating the photograph, "A Crash Course in Italian," Barbey says, "I discharge the picture in Venice of the Grand Canal and then three days later while in Rome I discharge the steps of a fountain. I then created an image [that depicted] the canal turning into the fountain." The gondolas were added from one side the use of collage and reimaging. Barbey typically uses a combination of in all senses and printing techniques that combine, for instance, layering of images and rephotographing of collaged photographs.