New Perspectives- Original Fine Art Photography by Larry A Brechner [brechner] 

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	Do you have an online gallery where one can view your photos? New Perspectives - Original Fine Art Photography by Larry A Brechner www.brech.com/np Also my current theater PR images can be viewed at www.munaud.org More recently I have uploaded my images to the Trek sites: http://www.trekearth.com/members/brech/ http://www.treknature.com/members/brech/ http://www.treklens.com/members/brech/
	For how long have you done photography? How did you begin? I have always been interested in photography. My father did a lot of family photography using a Roliflex TLR and processing his own images. Early on I shot 8mm film movies but also used a non-SLR 35mm camera for still pictures. I have always had a strong interest in the visual composition of things which combined with my interest in technical fields like radio electronics and computers, for me it is a natural convergence of interests leading to my artistic development in both theater and photography. My interest and career in theater, especially as a Lighting Designer and later as a producer director, caused me to use photography to build first a design portfolio, and then later a director’s portfolio. As a Theatrical Lighting Designer I feel has influenced my understanding of the nature of light in general and helps me in my photography. Thus photography became avocational to support my theater work. I also began shooting actor’s headshots and other portrait and publicity work as an adjunct to my production images. I have been active as a fine art photographic artist for over thirty years.
	What has been your education as a photographer? My training has been largely self-taught. I have a farily extensive library of photo method books, manuals plus I study various photographers' techniques in their work. I constantly seek to keep myself current by further reading and study plus the many resorces found on the web.
	Please list any exhibitions in which you have participated. RECENT EXHIBITS / PROJECTS / PUBLICATIONS ILLIANA ARTISTS EXHIBITION - Mar 4 - Mar 26, 2012 The Hobart Arts League - 3850 Howard St, Hobart, Indiana 46342 BLACK & WHITE JURIED PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION - Nov 13 - Dec 13, 2011 The Chesterton Art Center - 115 South 4th Street, Chesterton, Indiana 46304 ILLIANA ARTISTS 13th ANNUAL JURIED EXHIBITION - Aug 27 - Sep 26, 2011 The Chesterton Art Center - 115 South 4th Street, Chesterton, Indiana 46304 ILLIANA ARTISTS 3rd ANNUAL MEMBERS EXHIBITION - April 1 - May 6, 2011 W. F. Wellman Exhibit Hall - Indiana Welcome Center (South Shore Convention & Visitors Authority) I-80/94 at Kennedy Ave, Hammond, Indiana This Exhibit will feature six framed pieces from the New Perspectives Gallery including: STILLWATERS, TRANQUIL HEADWATERS, WINTER DUNE GRASS I, ROCKPORT DINGY, MOTIF NO. 1 (Antique Plate Sepia Tone), and BALLARD SUNSET. Munster, Indiana - A Centennial History by Lance Trusty with photo compilation by Ken Schoon December 2006 A coffee table book featuring several images of from theatrical/lighting portfolio. ERRATA: Page 19 caption incorrectly credits Dr Tim Bartlett as the director of the 2000 Munster Theatre Company production of Fiddler on the Roof. Larry A Brechner was the Producer/Director (and Lighting Designer) while Tim Bartlett was the conductor/music director on that production. On Stage - Off Stage An Exhibit of the work of Larry A Brechner Calumet College - February 2003 On Stage - Off Stage features a collection of works from the New Perspectives gallery. The exhibit will feature pieces from the theatrical lighting/directing portfolio as well as many of the fine art offerings. Calumet College of St Joseph's Gallery is located in Whiting, Indiana and will run through March 15. Faculty and Staff Exhibit at Calumet College - February 2002 Lost Memories and Scarecrow will be on exhibit from February 15 - March 15, 2002 at Calumet College of St Joseph's Gallery (Whiting, Indiana). Opening reception is Tuesday, February 19 from 5-7pm at the Gallery. A tentative solo exhibit is being planned for January or February 2003 featuring a collection of work from the New Perspectives gallery. Oregionality - a coffee table book published by The Times (Northwest Indiana) complied from the works of photographers throughout the area - Winter 2000/2001 Chicago's Neighboring South Shore : The LAKE COUNTY INDIANA - a coffee table book by Archibald McKinlay containing several theater and outdoor images from the artist's portfolio. 2001 The Donning Company Publishers (for The Lake County Convention & Visitors Bureau) One Gypsy's Trek through Regional Theatre - a 30 piece exhibit from the artist's lighting design and directing portfolio, plus examples of his fine art work Atrium Gallery - October 1997 Border's Bookstore Gallery (Highland, Indiana) - Jan 1998 WYIN-TV PBS 56 Fine Arts Auction WYIN-TV Channel 56 first televised Fine Art and Furniture Auction on September 14-15 at 7pm with Gallery Viewing at the Lake County (Indiana) Convention and Visitors Bureau September 9-13 NORTHERN INDIANA ARTS ASSOCIATION The Center for Visual & Performing Arts 57th Annual Salon Show - Bachman Gallery - Sept-Nov 2000 Black, White, and Shades of Grey - Bachman Gallery - March-April 1999 55th Annual Salon Show - Bachman Gallery - Sept-Nov 1998 54th Annual Salon Show - Bachman Gallery - Oct 1997 53rd Annual Salon Show - Bachman Gallery -Oct 1996 Artists Exhibit - Bachman Gallery - September 1996 Rental/Sales Gallery Apr-Nov 1999, Apr-Jun 1998, Feb 1998, Jul-Oct 1997 ILLIANA ARTISTS 5th Juried Exhibit - Chesterton Art Gallery - Jan-Mar 2000 4th Juried Exhibit - Atrium Gallery -The Center for Visual & Performing Arts - Jan 1999 Under One Hundred - Courtney Frame/Gallery - Nov-Dec 1998 Flower Power - Courtney Frame/Gallery - Oct 1998 Spring Fling- Atrium Gallery -The Center for Visual & Performing Arts - May 1998 3rd Juried Exhibit - Atrium Gallery -The Center for Visual & Performing Arts - Jan 1998 2nd Juried Exhibit - Atrium Gallery -The Center for Visual & Performing Arts - Jan 1997 1st Juried Exhibit - Atrium Gallery -The Center for Visual & Performing Arts - Jan 1996 Under All is the Land - Atrium Gallery -The Center for Visual & Performing Arts - 1996 CALUMET COLLEGE OF ST JOSEPH Gallery- Whiting, Indiana Faculty & Staff Exhibit - Gallery - Feb-Mar 2001 VOGT Visual Arts Center - Tinley Park, Illinois Small Works Show - Nov-Dec 1998 Invitational Exhibit 97 - Aug 1997 1st Juried Exhibit - May 1997 Black & White - Jan 1997 Christopher Art Gallery - Prairie State College, Illinois Distilled Life - Oct-Nov 1997 Lake County Parks Department 1997-98 Calendar - two photos part of cover composite and monthly photo
	Please list any awards for your work. I have received various gallery exhibition awards over the years, and have had showing in several regional galleries plus purchases as part of several collections.
	What is your favourite type of photography? Outside of theater, I always was interested in a wide variety of subjects. As a pilot I have shot aerial images, but I am drawn to scenics, landscapes, “found” stills life images, structures, aviation themes, nautical themes, portraits, figure studies, and flora & fauna (wildlife). I actually enjoy shooting theater show publicty shots, headshots, and the produciton pictures. I have actually exhibted my theater work which together shows my work as a lighting designer/producer-director, and as a photographer.
	What do you try to express through your photography? Creative photography is more than making a simple visual recording, it involves the innovative artistry and vision of a photographer, who manipulates the given visual elements in order to both preserve and represent the subject while creating New Perspectives. I view my artistic photography as more than merely making a visual recording of existing subjects, but to capture both obvious and subtle visions of the subject. A photograph actually freezes a moment in time, forever preserving an image of people, places, things, or events, which then can be revisited again and again, thus creating an existence of its very own. A creative image is both the product of the subject and the artist, whose discriminating perception seeks to evoke those more intangible and profound impressions of intimacy and mood. The viewer completes this triad (subject, artist, and viewer) by hopefully realizing a successful artistic communication.
	How do you choose your subjects? In both my color and monochromatic photography, understanding light is the key to any successful image. While color photography currently has less artistic acceptance, it forms a major portion of my scenic and nature work. Color is an important compositional element, tied more directly to mood than any other visual element. Modern photography can create a full palate and range of natural colors, and manipulating this natural color to enhance or intensify the mood represents an important stylistic portion of my work. When I choose monochrome over color, it is to heighten the focus on shape, form, texture, pattern, and tonality, by removing color as a visual element. By its inherent nature, a black & white image evokes a different and more ethereal emotional response to the subject. The postcard style images are consciously part of my scenic visual style. Compressing the visual elements in order to achieve a flattened perspective of the subject is a strong characteristic of my scenic images. Isolating a subject from the background in order to reveal and capture details, which may be otherwise overlooked by a casual observer, is an important style element of my photography. Especially used in my close-up macro work, I like to focus attention on the minute details of the subject. An artist's style should not be static, but consistently open to alternate visions.
	What type of preparation do you do before undertaking the photo session? If it is a studio type seesion, then of course the entire flash lighting set-up, any background, props, scenic pieces that will be part of the shoot. If I am in the field, I try to take what equipment I really need and leave what I do not absolutley need. I like to use two camera bodies so I can minimize changing lenses in the field. Where possible I use a tripod or at least a monopod especially for telephoto or marco shots. Basic equipment preparation: charge and have spare batteries, CF Flash cards formatted and ready to use, operational checks on cameras, cables, lenses, flashes, reflectors, etc. are always part of a photo shoot.
	Do you normally photograph with a purpose already in mind, or do you let yourself go with the flow? I will do both. Obviously theater publicty and production photos have a definitie goal in mind with specific techniques to be used in their production. The same with head shots or other studio type photography require flash lighitng set-ups in preparation to the actual shoot. With my fine art photography, I will often let opportunities appear. One of my favorite things is what I call a "found still life." A subject that I did not plan to shoot but discovered while exploring other subjects.
	Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Sigma, Olympus, Sony, Pentax...which do you place your bets on and why? I have shot with Canon most of my serious photgraphic life. Starting with an AE-1 and moving to A-1s and finally a couple of T-90s. It was difficult to make the jump to EOS because I had such a large investment in quality lenes (FD series). Nikon was the leading pro camera brand with Canon seemingly having a second tier status for many years. That has really changed in the past ten years as many photographers are shooting with Canon EOS as Nikon. Canon has always had a reputation for quality glass especially in their "L" series lenes. Canon is also involved in the entire image making process and their CMOS sensor is second to none.
	Describe your current equipment: cameras, lenses, computers, accessories... I use a Canon 5D MK II and two Canon 5Ds which have full-frame (36x 24mm) image sensors at 21 MP and 12.8 MP respectively. I like the fact that there is no “crop factor” so the lens will produce the same final image as with 35mm film cameras. For lenses I like zooms - understanding their inherit faults. I use a Canon 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 for general purpose or casual work, 24-105mm f/4L IS, and a 70-200mm f/2.8L IS (Image Stabilization) lens for outdoor and theater/concert production photography. I also have a 70-200mm f/4L that is lighter as a back-up to my other zoom lenses. I also have 1.4x and 2x extenders to use on my 70-200mm zoom to achieve better close-up both outdoors and even in theater photography. I now also have a Canon Rebel T1i (APC-C sensor) 15.1 MP sensor as a back-up/causal carry around camera using its EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS or one of my other lenses. I have a several studio mono flash units with softboxes and umbrellas, backdrops, chromakey backgrounds, etc for studio portrait, actor headshot, and publicity photos. In the past I used tungsten studio lights for portraits which I still occasionally use. I also use portable flash (Canon 580ex) on a Stroboframe for location of the rare locations event, and I carry a portable reflector for natural light. I almost always use a tripod or monopod for exterior work, and I often carry both cameras for outside work so I am able to quickly shift from telephoto to wide angle without changing lens in the field (that is something I always did with my film cameras). I have always been a heavy filter user. Currently I use the Cokin “P” series that slides into the front of lens. Almost always I use a polarizer (I have three, one for each camera) for sunny exterior shots to achieve more saturated colors. I also use gradient blue and neutral density on scenics and sunset filters to enhance and saturate colors. I used to use color filters for B&W photography but Photoshop has made that unnecessary. Film cameras I have used in the past are Canon AE-1, A-1, T90 (I have two of each and three of the AE-1s).
	What software and plug-ins do you use to retouch and manage your photos? I use Photoshop CS5 and occasionally several other image editors. For a long time I used GIMP, a free but very powerful image editor, and I recommend anyone who cannot get Photoshop to download and use it (gimp.org). Most students qualify for an educational discount on a full version of Photoshop for around $280. I have been using digital editing for quite some time, even when shooting film I would get my images burned on a CD-ROM as JPEGs or scan high resolution digital images. Lightroom is another fine editor that has many features that photgraphers really need bypassing some of the more exotic features found in Photoshop. Canon's Digitial Photo Professional (packaged with most EOS cameras) is fairly powerful management and RAW editor. I occasionally use it as part of the workflow in lieu of PS CS5 Raw editor. I recently began using Nik Software's Complete Collection plug in which contains: Color Efex Pro, Dfine, Viveza, Silver Efex, Sharpener Pro , and HDR Efex Pro. At present, I manually manage my images using "shoot folders" filed by date. Images that are worthy for further editing are copied into a working folder and final images are sorted by theme or content. When I shoot I almost always shoot RAW and usually the smallest size/resolution JPEG also. I use some filter effect plug-ins and plan to expand the use of these.
	What measures do you take to protect your work against Internet piracy? I am re-tooling my website to address the issue. Most of my current web images are fairly low resolution so there their use is fairly limited outside of the internet. Embedding Meta Tag copywright data in images will certainly be a part of any internet images.
	Are you a good salesperson of your work? In what should you improve? Because I do mostly photography directly related to my theater work, this workflow process is fine. Due to my theater committments, my fine art photography appears and is sold mostly through my web site, or at gallery exhibits. During the last few years while completing my DFA degree in theater, my gallery showings were limited. With that degree completed, I plan to more aggressive in seeking exhibting opportunites in the area including the greater Chicagoland area.
	Which past masters of photography do you most admire? I have several for different types of work and photographers that have influenced directly or indirectly my own photographic style. I admire Ansel Adams for his striking B&W scenic photography and I have been working on B&W images that attempt to achieve the textures Adams achieved in his work. What Adams did in the darkroom using chemical based methods also work in the digital era with Photoshop. He would have completely understood its use if alive today. Like Adams, I also feel Edward Weston’s very realistic work in B&W using still life, nude figure studies, landscapes, and other natural forms had a sharp and clear image style that gives his work an unique texture and composition. Alfred Stieglitz and Paul Strand both have work that falls into this realistic photographic realm where sharp images should be seen as art. The western-themed and American Indian portraits of Edward Curtis are striking more for their subjects than the photography itself, yet they seem to tell a whole story in each image. Outdoor, Landscape and Wildlife photographers like Art Wolfe, George Lepp, Galen Rowell, Rick Sammon, and John Shaw all produce stunning outdoor images that I try to emulate in my own color work. John Hedgecoe and Tom Ang are photographic "generalists" that shoot a wide variety of subjects and styles that I tend to do in my own photography. I admire the edgy work of art and fashion photographer Richard Avedon, that seems to push the envelope of subject matter in this field. Also Anne Leibovitz fits into this genre of edgy portraiture. For a more traditional commerical portrait style I like the work of Gary Bernstein. I also study the work of realist oil artist like Edward Hopper, whose use of light is inspired. Also the work of Scottish artist Jack Vettriano and his use of light and form provides a great study for me as a photographer.
	Are technology and digital retouching reducing the gap between professionals and amateurs? Certainly! But technology will never replace good photographic technique or creative artistry in retouching and editing. Often when people view even my casual photographs and comment on them by saying something like "these are so good - what kind of camera do you use?" I often gently tell them its not just the camera, but it is the photographer.
	What is your team of habitual collaborators like? Generally I work alone with the exception of my photographer wife assisting me as I do her. I do my own website and have for many years.
	With which other photographers do you normally team up with or do sessions with? My wife Carol Lynn is also a photographer. She shoots many of the same subjects I do and has a great "natural" eye for composition. She is not in anyway a technical photographer and understands very little about exposure or other technical details of photography, but nevertheless shoots some fantastic images. She will many times assist on portraits with posing and other details.
	Do you consider yourself more technical or more artistic? I honestly came to photography from a more technical side background. However, in my work as a theaterical lighting designer, I have a strong intuitive visual sense that strongly influences my artistic nature. I am certainly not adverse to using a camera program mode for shots of oppotunity instead of fiddling with the fine details of setting apature, shutter, and ISO for every shot. With modern SLRs, it is very easy to adjust variations in exposure while in the program mode. Each of these features are just tools available on each camera to along me to create a great image.
	What have you learned about the art of framing and composition? I always used to compose my shots within the constraits of standard image, matting and frame sizing. Certainly to some degree I still do, but often I will shoot or crop images to conform to non-standard sizing like squares or circles of others. It is so easy to get caught in the trap that the image most capture everything in the 2:3 image.
	How does one develop the instinct of knowing when to press the shutter release button? In the days of film, I took far more caution shooting knowing that each shutter press cost about 50-cents to a dollar. In the days of digital, I shoot many images with slight difference in exposure and certainly composition. Capturing the magic moment for me is viewing the final image as a printed picture and pressing the shutter. With only a few exceptions, I usually shoot in the one-shot mode. I know many photographers regulraly shoot a multi-shot sequence, but this often just produces in-camera duplicates with really no change in the image. However, it is a matter for each photographer to decide what works best for their process.
	When should one use film, and when should one use digital? Digital has made overwhelming advances that have passed film photography. However, there will always be a place especially in the fine art field for film photography. Much like sailing exists to power boating or sailplanes exist with powered-aircraft, the magic of film selection, the chemical darkroom processing and printing will forever remain a very special niche of photography. For my own work, I will likely will use digital and keep my wonderful film cameras as a piece of nostalgia.
	Does photography have the recognition that it should have in contemporary art museums? Probably not yet as much as it should, but this trend certainly is changing. I am a member of several artist groups where I am one of only a few photographic artists. If you present you work as art, then it generaly is accpeted as art, and not as "just" photography. Repesct among artists using more traditional media (painting, sculpture, etc.) is fostered by a professional presentation and confidence in your own work as fine art.
	Which websites for photographers do you frequently visit? Often I go to photographic equipment vendor sites to see what is available. Also the following sites for objective equipment or techniques: Trek Earth http://www.trekearth.com Trek Nature http://www.treknature.com Trek Lens http://www.treklens.com Digital Camera Resource http://www.dcresource.com/ SLR.COM http://www.slr.com Digtial Camera Review http://www.dpreview.com/ Canon Digital Learning Center http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/ I have numerous photogrpaher sites in genres I visit plus Photoshop tutorial sites.
	Is there any particular technique that you could share? Though most outdoor photographers know this one, a polarizer is the one filter that almost always is on each of my lenses. While it certainly cuts glare, the net result are very saturated color images or striking b&W images. Of course there our times. like when it is overcast, or shooting sun-ward. that it has little if no effect other than reducing the exposure, it is useless to use it. I also do not have a UV filter or skylight filter always on my lenses for "protection." I use the Cokin "P" system and that filter adaapter provides a measure of protection from front glass damage. I only put filters in front of my lenses that will in some way benefit the final image.