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Lensculture Posts BSG’s Niagara from Thousands of Worldwide Images
Niagara, Barry Steven Greff
is one of the largest destinations for curated, contemporary photography from around the world. Will Coldwell, writing in The Independent in 2013, described LensCulture as one of the ten best photography websites, calling it a “definitive resource for anyone who wants to keep up with the latest trends and debates in contemporary photography.”[4] Critic Sean O’Hagan, writing in The Guardian in 2012, listed it among the eight best photography websites or online publications, calling it “one of the most authoritative and wide-ranging sites.”[5]
Barry Steven Greff’s Niagara has been selected by Lenscultures’ editors to be featured in their Black & White Photography Awards 2019 Competition Gallery, visible to everyone who visits the website. “The Competition Gallery is a highly curated group of images selected by our editors to showcase only the best photos from entrants who are creating very strong work among our global community of photographers. This is an impressive accomplishment considering we get thousands of submissions from 160 countries.”
Usually a Straight Shooter, Sometimes, my Imagination Runs Wild.
Fantasy Island, Many Locations, Over Many Years
I am primarily a straight shooter, I try to capture what I see. There is often some type of post-production required, but again, with my subjects being natural, I try to keep them that way.
Every once in a while, I have been known to create something that I saw, but only in my mind’s eye. Case in point, Fantasy Island. A composite image of various portions of many different images I have created that come together in an M.C. Escher..esque type fantasy. Taken over many years in places from Niagara Falls to Carlsbad, California, an Oregon lake to a waterfall in Boulder, Colorado and many more. Following the image around, water flows down then up again, there is a full moon, yet lightning strikes in the distance. Horseback riders on a Washington State beach, mystic lake boaters and even a Roseate Spoonbill from the Florida Everglades flying across the scene.
Taken together, this an example of how the overly creative side of my mind works. The black and white helps produce the seamless nature of the composition, the rest of it, I can’t really explain…it just happens.
New Bern and the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Pre-Hurricane
Lightning, OBX, North Carolina, 2005
Thinking about all those in the path of Hurricane Florence, the Outer Banks (known locally as OBX), New Bern and much of the rest of the states of North and South Carolina.
While staying in the historic city of New Bern, a two and a half hour road trip north to the Outer Banks resulted in the image above. Having forgotten my tripod in New Bern, I rested my camera on a towel on the railing of the hotel room’s terrace during a lightning storm and timed the opening of the shutter just right to capture the largest strike I have ever seen. It shook the building and the composition of the bolt and the lifeguard stand in the flowing sea oats made the image.
These are images of the Tryon Palace and New Bern Grand Marina, North Carolina, created in 2005. These are images from beautiful New Bern which is now already under water because it is located at the confluence of the Neuse and the Trent rivers. It is a historic city much of which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Many of the buildings, residences, stores and churches date back to the early eighteenth century.
The Governor’s Palace, New Bern (also known as Tryon Palace, above), served as the capital of North Carolina from 1770 until the state government relocated to Raleigh in 1792. George Washington actually slept in New Bern. Visiting the room in which he stayed, was an eerie and historically moving experience.
Here’s hoping that both survive the Hurricane and can re-build as soon as possible.
Granite Flow on a Rainy Day
Another black and white image of water flowing downward over and around hard granite rock in the beautiful state of Colorado. Although I usually stay away from even the slightest political
Granite Flow, Boulder, Colorado 2008
reference in my photography, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to achieve considering the way things are going, which certainly wouldn’t be described as smooth.
Notwithstanding, in my work I always try to concentrate on the natural beauty that has (so far) survived all that has occurred around it. This image was created on a rainy day, just outside the classic Colorado city of Boulder. The muted sky allows for the tripod mounted camera’s shutter to remain open long enough to slow down the motion of the water and the rain emphasizes the sharp detail of the granite rock.
Here’s to hoping things around us flow more smoothly going forward… although as I hear myself write it, I recognize just how hard it will be to achieve.
Flowing Downward / Rocky Mountains
A classic black and white image of a mighty river flowing downward in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.
Downward Flow, Colorado 2010
After a particularly snowy winter, the melting runoff created a powerful flow down river. Captured using a tripod from a bridge over the river, the slow shutter speed caught the motion of the rushing water as it made its way around boulders and fallen trees.
BSG’s “Niagara” Recognized in Photo +, PDN’s 2016 EXPOSURE Awards
This week I am honored to have my image “Niagara” chosen as the winner in the “Natural Forces” category in Photo+, Photo District News’ (PDN’s) sixth annual EXPOSURE Photograhy Awards. Billed as a “global celebration of photography,” it truly was as winners of other categories hailed from: INDIA, LONDON, BANGLADESH, SAMOA, SOUTH KOREA, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, BRAZIL,
Niagara, 2006
JAPAN, ITALY, BAVARIA, HUNGARY, NORWAY, FRANCE, PUERTO RICO, RUSSIA and PORTUGAL.
To see the other honored images visit: EXPOSURE Awards
As always, I greatly appreciate the recognition.
Diary of a Fine Art Print / Amongst other things, it’s all in the Details
Niagara, 2006
(Cropped portion of people and bird from- Niagara, 2006)
The discussion as to what makes a Fine Art photograph is one for the ages. I have long respected the genre and have worked diligently to hone my craft. Although there are various definitions of what makes a photograph fine art, I subscribe to a more tradional theory that such an image is created with an aesthetic intention, that the value lies primarily in its beauty, rather than for journalistic, editorial or commercial purposes. I also believe that the image should tell a story, be unique, iconic, powerful…or all of the above. As beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, so goes a fine art photograph which usually entails vetting by those respected in the field. Knowing this, I fearlessly spent my early years placing my work in front of some of the most well respected photographers, gallerists, curators and collectors in the business. With the help of their support, the work was widely published in fine art magazines, exhibited in galleries across the U.S. and over time, a significant resume was built.
I believe that one of my signature images, Niagara, clearly exemplifies these equalities (shot from atop a hotel two miles away to capture this angle)… It has countinously been singled out by many of those alluded to above, in that the composition juxtaposing the grandeur of the falls with the minutia of the toursists indicates just how small we humans are in comparison to the forces of Mother Nature.
After getting past the composition (and then lighting, both of which cannot be adequately discussed in a blog post, if at all), I personally take significant pride in capturing the exacting details of a scene, whether it be the people in this image or the fine feathers in one of my close-up animal portraits.
Then, finally, and consistent with the teachings of the great Ansel Adams himself, capturing the image is only one half of the process. The printing (again, not something that can be covered here), is crucial to the creation of a fine art photographic print. Being true to the process, I hand print each of my images (up to 17″ x 22″) on a professional Epson 3800 printer using Hahnemuhle Fine Art Pearl paper and I personally oversee the larger prints to make sure they are color correct (again, another significant concern for another day) and that they print without a single unexpected blemish.
Finally, I pride myself on the key details of my images being “tack” sharp, as exemplified by the enlarged cropped portion of the image above. Although some of the older images can go only so far, as a perfectionist, I have gone through an entire roll of paper (athough thankfully not often) in order to ultimately create a single large print for a collector, and to my exacting standards. When a gallerist who regularly sells the work of masters such as Ansel Adams and Edward Weston calls my prints “magic,” I know that I am doing something right.
Hence, there are many sources by which one can obtain a Fine Art print. I simply offer one that is created in my mind’s eye…and always from my heart. It is universally accepted that the first rule of collecting fine art photographyy is to actually enjoy the work. Hence, I strive to create images that make the viewer not only think…but feel, and I have been honored to have satisfied a wide array of selective collectors, and look forward to doing so for many others in the future.
And Now for Something Completely Different / Time for a Change
Fantasy Island, Ode to M.C. Escher, 2006-2010
Albert Einstein is attributed with the clever quote: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.” Although it has come into question as to whether or not he actually said it, it is still both catchy and thought-provoking.
After an absolutely awful year of health, which is still challenging me through the new year, it leads me to think it would be insane not to try something new going forward. That being said, my work has always been known for its rendition of Mother Earth’s natural beauty with very little, if any, help from post production “magic.” Notwithstanding, over the years, I have (secretly) dabbled in the creation of scenes which have been born in my mind’s eye and then generated from several composite images I have captured over time.
Hence, for the first time seen beyond my eyes, one of my more complicated compilations, Fantasy Island. Created from over a dozen images taken over several years, this is truly one that the viewer can see new things at every different turn. Produced in the mystical style of M.C. Escher, following the composition around, brings you back to the beginning…or does it? It’s enough to drive you insane.
Seen Again, but Through Different Eyes / Falling Water
Multnomah Falls, OR 2009
In my humble opinion, the Pacific Northwest in one of the most beautiful places our country has to offer. From spectacular granite cliffs, to sand dunes to majestic waterfalls cascading through dense, green foliage. Back in another lifetime, I went there when I could, to re-charge my batteries through the peaceful energy Mother Nature provided in her most spectacular locales.
The 620 foot Multnomah Falls is the most well-known of a series of 77 waterfalls that dot the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge. There are only three higher falls in the nation and Multnomah is arguably the most beautiful of those. A trail from the famous Multnomah Falls Lodge (built in 1925) climbs up the side towards the Simon Benson Bridge and then winds further towards the top. Due to 25 years of spine issues, although I have been known (on a good day) to head down a relatively level trail, this uphill battle was not one that I took on.
Instead, I tried unsuccessfully to capture the entire falls, including the zig zagging upper part, in my frame. The bright light at the top of the image is from the setting sun which also prevented me from properly exposing the entire falls. Finally, using a wide angle lens and a tripod, I cropped out the majestic lower falls and slowed down how the eyes see the water movement, which I could only do after the sun had slipped almost entirely behind the mountain. The smooth cascade and deep green surroundings transforms this visual capture of an iconic place from the usual scenic shot into a Fine Art image.
As my analogies have gone for some time, for those of you who actually read what I say, this also exemplifies the downward fall I have been experiencing with my health. After a very long battle, hopefully my future posts will begin to elicit some hope in that department. We shall see. …Either way, I have captured some serious magic in my time, in my images and in my mind.
Trying Saatchi Art / Approaching Storm
Approaching Storm, Florida Everglades, FL 2012
The slanted rain of an approaching storm signals Mother Nature’s nearing onslaught. Storms move very quickly in the Florida Everglades and can be seen from great distances due to the lay of the land. I, for one, have been caught in more than my share of downpours when I waited too long to get the best image, and she punished me for it.
Recently I have tried showing some of my select Fine Art Prints for sale on the Saatchi Art Collection at http://www.saatol.us/1K9YK3d
Hopefully, there will be an approaching storm…of new collectors.
Falling Water / Collector’s Edition
Scenic Waterfall, Boone, NC 2005
Earlier this year, a couple who are not only two of my oldest and dearest friends, but earliest and continuous supporters, added some new pieces of my work to their collection. In addition to the custom Cityscape in their luxury Manhattan apartment, they added two country scenics to their new vacation home.
This image, Scenic Waterfall, created in 2005, had never been printed or even shown before. After some post production love, the piece was enlarged to accommodate an approximate five foot high space and hung in their new country home.
Here’s hoping the piece watches over many wonderful family memories in their new escape and as always…I thank them for their friendship and support.
BSG shows 3 Images at “Forgotten” Exhibition at A Smith Gallery, Texas
Road to Old House, Ohio 2013
River of Fallen Trees, Yellowstone N.P. 2010
Old Pilings, Naples, FL 2013
Esteemed juror, Blue Mitchell http://bluemitchell.com/ has chosen three images from three different series of my work to be shown at the “Forgotten” Exhibition at the A Smith Gallery http://asmithgallery.com/.
Established in May, 2010, A Smith Gallery is located in Johnson City, Texas in the Nugent Avenue Arts District. The gallery exhibits the work of both amateur and professional photographers through juried and invitational exhibitions. Amanda Smith is the Gallery Director assisted by Kevin Tully serving as Assistant Gallery Director.
Blue Mitchell is an independent publisher, curator, educator, and photographer. Based in Portland, Oregon, he has been involved with many facets of the photographic arts. Mitchell received his BFA from Oregon College of Art & Craft where he teaches studio school classes and workshops. Mitchell is the Founding Editor of Diffusion: Unconventional Photography, an independent, reader and contributor supported annual that highlights and celebrates unconventional photographic processes and photo related artwork. In addition to organizing and curating physical exhibitions around the country, Mitchell curates Plates to Pixels, an online photographic gallery that bridges the gap between antiquated photographic processes and new digital media.
Exhibition dates | September 19 to November 2, 2014
Reception | September 27 & October 25, 2014 both 4 to 7pm
My gratitude to Blue and Amanda for their support of my work.
Up the Creek Without a Paddle
Mountain Stream, Boone, NC 2005
I captured this old favorite of mine while we were staying in a cabin outside of Boone, North Carolina close to the Blue Ridge Highway. Breathtaking during autumn, this area is also quite beautiful throughout the year. This particular tributary was located right across the roadway from our cabin. When I first found it, the lighting was too bright to slow down the water to show motion.
It is always a good idea to re-visit locations if you can during different lighting situations. I returned to the scene when the sky was overcast and there had recently been a light rain. This type of lighting is best for these situations and allowed me to set up my tripod just inside the flow and capture the water as it made its way towards me. The blue and yellow butterflies that were fluttering around me didn’t make the picture, but still remain in my mind’s eye.
Birds Eye View
Bird in Sawgrass, Florida Everglades, 2012
Having been out of sorts for a long while, seemingly with the weight of the world upon you, tends to manifest the feeling of isolation. This image captures that feeling wherein the weight of a common South Florida black bird known as a Grackle is supported by a thin reed of Sawgrass in the Florida Everglades.
Although isolated at that very moment, shortly thereafter he flew away, joining other members of his flock and then finding strength in numbers. Until then…
Marsh Forward / Southern Comfort / Striking a Pose
Egrets in White Marsh, Tybee Island, GA 2008
For this image I caught the magic late afternoon light over Whitemarsh Island, just west of Tybee Island near Savannah on the Georgia coast. Look closely to see the white Egrets standing in the shallow water. Enlarging the image shows the birds in greater detail which helps to make this image something special. Not apparent where the swarming tiny crabs running around my feet as I set up and composed this shot.
Of course, “when in Rome” you need to eat like a Roman. So, when you are are on the Georgia Coast, you need to eat seafood. One of the best casual seafood restaurants I have ever eaten at was The Crab Shack on Tybee Island. http://www.thecrabshack.com/
First, you cross the walking bridge over the live baby alligators into the dining room that is situated on the water. Then, while sitting at the wood tables under the peach basket chandeliers, you must dive into one of their giant, overflowing buckets of seafood and go at it. To me, this is… Southern Comfort.
Closer up, the majestic Great Egret preens itself into a classic pose.
Great Egret, 2013
Earth Day 2014
Mother Earth
In 2011, I decided to create a 3 minute montage of some of my images to commemorate Earth Day (April 22nd each year). My goal was to celebrate the planet’s natural beauty and put forth the message of conservation and preservation.
Initially, I planned on making a new video each year, but life got in the way. So, until such time as I can create a new one, I re-post the original around Earth Day each year.
I added natural sound to the finished piece and the haunting musical soundtrack is Willow and the Light by Kevin MacLeod. (A good pair of stereo headphones can enhance the experience).
If you haven’t seen it before, I hope you enjoy it and when it comes to Mother Earth…choose wisely.
BSG Exhibits Niagara at the PhotoPlace Gallery in Vermont
Niagara, 2006
One of my signature images, Niagara, 2006 is included in the Black and White Exhibition at the PhotoPlace Gallery in Middlebury, Vermont. http://www.vtphotoworkplace.com/index.html. PhotoPlace Gallery’s mission is to support contemporary fine art photography as a means of creative expression and cultural insight.
The Exhibition runs from March 28 through April 25th. The Exhibition Catalog is available at: http://bit.ly/1ls8XP5
Black and White was juried by Karen E. Haas, Lane Curator of Photographs, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. https://www.mfa.org/
Niagara has also been juried into exhibitions around the U.S. by legendary collector and curator, W.M. Hunt http://www.wmhunt.com/ as well as iconic Fine Art Photographer Joyce Tenneson http://www.tenneson.com
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Best of 2013 / 10 Favorites from the Past Year
Waterfall, Milton, OH 2013
Lower Falls, Hocking Hills, OH 2013
Ebb and Flow, Deerfield Beach FL 2013
Thunder Road, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 2013
Gray Cat, Green Eyes, 2013
Caracara, 2013
Flamingo Fire, 2013
July 4th Fireworks, 2013
Moon and Stars, 2013
Never Forget, 911 Memorial, 2013
Before it gets too much further into the new year, here are some of my favorites from 2013.
Looking forward to creating more in 2014.
If a Tree Falls in the Forest…Tales of the Extraordinary
If a Tree Falls in the Forest, Ash Cave, Hocking Hills State Park, Logan, OH 2013
When you travel around natural wilderness enough, you are bound to see astonishing things every once in a while. When a baby Black Bear crossed in front of our car one night on a deserted North Carolina road it happened too quickly to photograph. Likewise with the thousand pound Moose I ran into at dusk in the woods of Colorado. That time I wasn’t even thinking about taking a picture, just how to get around him and get out of there in one piece.
So on those occasions that something wonderous occurs in nature and you do actually capture it photographically, that is something special. It’s not just a “Fisherman’s Tale,” there exists documented proof. Such was the case while shooting at Ash Cave in Hocking Hills State Park in Logan, Ohio. I was photographing the beautiful forest that surrounds the cave, alternating from Black and White to Color, in camera. Suddenly I heard a thunderous sound, as if a bolt of lightning had cracked to the ground right near me. First I ducked, a natural reaction, then, I lifted my camera in the direction of the sound and there, as it was happening, a huge tree, easily hundreds of years old, came crashing down…naturally. Now, it is unusual to be close enough to hear such a rare occurrence, let alone to see it. But to capture it as it happens, that is most likely a once in a lifetime event. I got off four shots as the tree came crashing down, the three consecutive images above were perfect, while the fourth, as it fell to the ground went out of focus. I created this Triptych to memorialize the wonderous moment.
Momentary Blizzard, Southeastern OH, 2013
Usually, I’m lucky if one memorable thing happens per shoot. During the same week in Ohio as the tree falling, we were driving down a rural road on a relatively clear, but cold winter day. Within minutes, the sky became dark and from nowhere came a Blizzard of snow so fierce that it caused a “whiteout” forcing me to pull over. We rolled down the window just enough to get off a few shots, and then, within less than a minute, it was over. The snow was gone and shortly thereafter the sky was clear again. That was the first time I had ever experienced a Momentary Blizzard.
The bottom line when it comes to Mother Nature, there is only one thing that is certain …she is absolutely unpredictable.
A good tip results in an unexpected…Paradise Found
Cascade through Old Man’s Cave, Hocking Hills State Park, OH 2013
When photographing in the Midwest you expect rural farmland, old barns, snow in winter, fall colors in autumn. What you don’t expect are rushing waterfalls cascading down granite cliffs, especially one after the other after the other. Thanks to a tip from a great friend of mine who grew up in Ohio, I took a chance and drove a couple of hours south of Columbus and west of Dayton. Well…alter your expectations. Having traveled to Hawaii, the Caribbean and the Pacific Northwest, who knew there was a combination of all of them in the Midwestern United States.
Hocking Hills State Park http://bit.ly/15mtjP4 in Logan, Ohio is 2,356 acres of towering cliffs, waterfalls and deep hemlock-shaded gorges. After stopping at the park’s Visitor’s Center for a map and some very helpful information, you drive down the road to the large, open parking lot. It isn’t until you descend down the trail at either end of the lot when the magic starts…immediately. I happened to be there in winter on a cold and rainy day and after melted snow had created a significant flow through Old Man’s Creek. The weather made it a bit challenging with a large camera bag and tripod, but ideal for shooting waterfalls, of which there were so many. Carefully protecting the camera from rain and mist and making sure the lens glass remained dry, it was a labor of love (including a rain poncho, plastic bags and an umbrella). Descending through the gorge trail I followed the cascading water over one cliff after the next. I literally felt as if I was in a movie, like Jurassic Park… without the Dinosaurs.
Devil’s Bathtub, Hocking Hills State Park, OH 2013
Halfway through the gorge trail is the Devil’s Bathtub. A whirlpool created from the rushing water of Old Man’s Creek seems to flow in all directions as it makes its way down the gorge.
Fog Around the Bend, Hocking Hills State Park, OH 2013
Road to Ash Cave, Hocking Hills State Park, OH 2013
Ash Cave, Hocking Hills State Park, OH 2013
At the southern end of the park is the horseshoe-shaped Ash Cave named after the huge pile of ashes found under the shelter by early settlers which was believed to have been left from Indian campfires built up over hundreds of years or used by them for smelting silver or lead from the rocks. Measuring 700 feet from end to end, 100 feet deep from the rear cave wall to its front edge with the rim rising 90 feet high, it is the largest, most impressive recess cave in the state of Ohio.
While in the area there are several great places to stay and eat including rustic lodges, cottages and cabins. Check out the Hocking Hills Resort http://www.hockinghillsresort.net/ and the Inn at Cedar Falls http://innatcedarfalls.com/, both of which had romantic accommodations and dining.
All in all, this tip from a friend became a very welcome and totally unexpected…Paradise Found.
BSG Solo Exhibition at 25CPW Gallery on Central Park West in NYC
After participating in a group show at 25CPW Gallery in December, I am having a Solo Exhibition at the gallery. This coming Thursday, January 10, 2013 will be the Artist Reception from 6-9 pm. The Gallery is located on Central Park West at 62nd Street, one block north of Columbus Circle. Anyone that is in New York at the time is very welcome to come by. Additionally, there will be gallery hours from 12pm to 8pm that weekend. www.25cpw.org
A portion of the proceeds will go to Evan’s Team, a foundation created in memory of Evan Lieberman, an amazing young man we lost in a tragic car accident. www.evansteamny.com
Closing Out 2012 in Grand Style – BSG Exhibiting @ 25CPW Gallery/NYC

Cab Ride in the Rain, Radio City Music Hall, NYC 2009
Closing out 2012 in grand style. I will be exhibiting work at 25CPW, the great New York City gallery located at Central Park West and West 62nd Street. http://www.25cpw.org/ Bess Greenberg, Founder/Curatorial Director and Abby Verbosky, Manager of Exhibitions run the gallery which has recently held a 100 year celebration of Editta Sherman’s celebrity portraits that was covered by ABC News and the New York Times. They have also mounted exhibits with the Magnum Foundation, the New York Camera Club and continue to show the work of established and emerging artists.
The Artist’s Market group exhibition will run from Thursday night through Sunday night. Gallery hours are 12 pm to 8 pm, with an Artist’s Reception Saturday night with live music from 6pm to 9pm (gallery will close at 10:00 pm).
I hope that all my NYC friends and anyone else that might like to see some interesting work, will stop by. Thank You.