“We started at the Portland Art Museum, where we saw The Portraiture of Vera Prasilova Scott.  While viewing the images, we discussed her use of a shallow depth of field; the lighting on her subjects; the different types of paper used and how they impacted the images; and the various printing methods used (bromoil, gum, and silver gelatin — primarily).  This exhibit runs through June 21st.

Then, we headed to Blue Sky Gallery on NW 8th.  We started off by checking out the 2015 Photographic Viewing Drawers.  What a neat way to see the work of a large number of photographers.

The ‘front room’ exhibit is Cheryle St. Onge’s Natural Findings. These are black-and-white images “of the natural world as one might first experience it as a child.”  These were very solid images.  But, we were even more impressed by Colleen Plumb’s exhibit in the ‘back room.’  Titled Animals are Outside Today, it “focuses on the complex relationship between humans and animals.”

In addition to some compelling images, Plumb’s eight-minute video entitled Thirty Times a Minute features elephants in zoos throughout the United States as they exhibit repetitive behavior directly related to their captivity.  Clearly, Plumb has a passion about how wild animals are treated, and she’s created images that really express that passion.”