Rosewood Gallery Accepts “Steel Sunrise”

This year has been very successful for juried photo competitions. In Spring I was notified that “Steel Sunrise” had been accepted by the Rosewood Gallery for their 2008 Dayton, Ohio Show.

“Steel Sunrise” Photos Copyright Stuart Pearl 2008 (Click Picture to Enlarge)

The above photo is my black and white interpretation of the Arcelor Mital Steel Mill located in Cleveland’s Flats. I felt this image was best respresented with a complete absence of color. The cubes of scrap iron, battered rail cars and smoking stacks impart a sense of grittiness that are best conveyed in shades of gray.

Between wedding and Bar Mitzvah work I love to explore Cleveland’s urban landscape. Wandering this area is very relaxing. The range of exposures provide an opportunity to hone my digital skills. This industrial zone has proven to be a fertile area for many satisfying images. Some of these have been submitted to local shows.

Morning and evening, as well as sunny or overcast woll result in totally different representations of the same landscape. I will often scout an area for weeks, experimenting with various exposures and angles before settling upon the desired image.

The above photo of Mital was shot several days prior to the black and white phot, during heavy overcast. The sunlight was spotty and my timing was all wrong for the type of shot I was seeking.

Lacking the desired impact, this print was not submitted to Rosewood. It has a pleasant painterly aspect to it, but lacks the contrast and drama of the image that ended up being accepted. I feel the success of black and white photo owes much to the sunlight which had just broken through the clouds.

Taken within minutes of that first sunlit shot is a similar view in color. It focuses on Mittal’s scrap loading rail yard.

Had it not been for my sister Sharlene Green , I never would have found out about the Rosewood competition. She is a very talented painter in her own right, has had gallery shows of her paintings, and has been accepted to various competitions over the years. She is also a college professor at Tri-C.

Sharlene had two oil paintings accepted by Rosewood this year. Her work “Foliage And Falls at Brandywine “ is one of those and can be seen below. It had previously been displayed at her Tri-C East Show in 2006.

“Foliage And Falls at Brandywine “ by Sharlene Green

Something Different - A New Gallery

"McCauley Pond Woods - Adirondacks"

"Photograph something different. I'm tired of looking at pictures of the Cleveland Flats." My wife can be quite helpful with her suggestions.

I'd been hearing these comments for months. So I finally decided to do something about it. With this blog entry I am launching my new Urban & Landscape Gallery.

"By Wade Lagoon"

While the Flats body of work concentrates on industry and architecture near the Cuyahoga River and lakefront, my new gallery will contain a more random mix of images. They may include vacation shots, rural landscapes, as well as the skylines of other cities.

You can access the new gallery by clicking HERE. Once you get to the main page you can click on the photos individually to enalrge them, or click SLIDESHOW for automatic viewing. I hope you enjoy these new pictures. Drop a line and let me know what you think.

"The Hermitage - Nashville"

All photographs copyright Stuart Pearl Photography 2008.

Photos Selected for JCC Show & Holiday Card Sale

“Sunrise at State Fish” by Stuart Pearl

Since going digital I have been making a greater effort to submit work to competitions and exhibitions. This year has started off well. “Sunrise at State Fish” was accepted for exhibition at the Mandel JCC Annual Photography Show .

The JCC show is one of the largest and most prestigious open photo shows in Northeastern Ohio. The 2008 Show Opens with a reception on May 5, 7:30pm at The Mandel JCC. It is free and open to the public through June 8 during building hours.

More than 110 photographers submitted over 540 images to the competition. Approximately 65 photographs are being exhibited. "Sunrise at State Fish" was taken about 7:30 A.M. this past January as the sun was just starting to touch the silos behind the building. I’m told that part of the older structure dates to the Civil War era

“Winter Arches” by Stuart Pearl

Each year the Cleveland Sight Center holds a competition for area artists. Paintings, photographs and illustrations are submitted for possible consideration as holiday greeting cards.

My photograph “Winter Arches” was recently selected as one of the images that will be used in the Center’s 2008 holiday card sale. This is one of their fund raisers and a variety of different cards featuring area artists will be available for purchase. The cards go on sale this fall from the Sight Center.

The partial view of the Cleveland skyline was taken from the Oxbow bend on the west bank of the Cuyahoga. It is actually shot in the opposite direction of the picture showing State Fish.

Sunrise is just starting to glow in the pastel white arches of the Detroit-Superior (Hope Memorial) Bridge. The Settler’s Landing Cabin can be seen in the shadows of the opposite bank. The river is partially frozen and hundreds of noisy gulls feast upon fish trapped in the ice.

It’s hard to believe that Northeast Ohio was blasted by winter snows just last month. At one point it was difficult to even reach our driveway.


But with the recent warm weather many of our blossoming trees and shrubs have already reached their peak. These are some of the apple blossoms framing the Wade Lagoon at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Above is a sunrise view of the Museum grounds, looking directly north to the main building with it’s classic columns. The square structure just to the right of the building is part of the new museum expansion. It is scheduled to be completed in 2011 at an approximate cost of $258,000.000.

Washington Week Comes to Cleveland

"Cleveland rocks and so does this political campaign. We're here to find out why, here in northeast Ohio tonight on "Washington Week."

This was how Gwen Ifill opened the special Cleveland Edition of Washington Week on April 4. I had an opportunity to meet her and see firsthand how the show is set up and televised. WVIZ/ Ideastream had asked me to photograph the broadcast as well as an evening cocktail party where Ms. Ifill met local executives, station supporters, and donors.

Gwen Ifill became moderator of Washington Week in 1999 which is PBS's longest running public affairs program. She also works as senior correspondent for "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer."

This week’s show was broadcast from Waetjen Auditorium on the campus of Cleveland State University. It was then followed by a special edition which was tailored to the local audience.

The staff of Washington Week and WVIZ converted CSU's music hall into a temporary television studio for this special event. The broadcast audience was composed of students and Cleveland residents.

Ms. Ifill was accompanied by a round table of some of the nations top business and political reporters.

On stage were Alexis Simendinger, National Correspondent with the National Journal, John Dickerson, Chief Political Correspondent for Slate.com, Jeanne Cummings from the Wall Street Journal, and Michael Duffy, Assistant Managing Editor at Time Magazine.

Also in the audience was Sam Fullwood, Plain Dealer reporter and longtime friend of Ms. Ifill. He was introduced during the Cleveland edition broadcast of Washington Edition which gave the audience opportunity to pose questions to the panel. The sub prime mortgage meltdown, foreclosures, unemployment and the presidential race were some of the areas covered.

The evening before the broadcast Gwen visited Ideastream and met with community leaders and station benefactors. She spoke to the guests about her years in journalism and fielded questions from the floor about working in Washington, politics and the upcoming election.

Also attending the Thursday evening reception was Dick Feagler, Plain Dealer columnist and host of the weekly interview program Feagler & Friends on WVIZ/PBS.

The complete April 4th, 2008 Washington Week broadcast can be seen in the archive at the WVIZ/Ideastream site.

All photographs copyright Stuart Pearl Photography 2008. Please visit my website at http://www.pearlphoto.com/ and also my online galleries: http://www.pbase.com/sapearl

An Alternative View from the 21st Century

Herbert Ascherman

Digital is a relative newcomer to the world of photography. People love it because the results are immediate. It’s fun to see your pictures right away.

But this instant gratification belies the fact that early photographs required hours if not days of hard and dangerous work, before the final picture could be viewed. For more than 150 years, other techniques evolved at the hands of photographers, chemists, and scientists, crafting the processes that would become today’s modern images.

A dedicated group of very creative people work hard to insure that the old techniques don't die. And under Herb Ascherman's guidance they were brought together for a unique visual effort.

(L to R: Richard Wolf, Charles Caito, Greg Martin, Bruce Gates, Jeannette Palsa, Herb Ascherman, Ryan Durdella, Roy Woda)

These individuals comprise The Cleveland Society of Alternative Photographers . An exhibit of their work is currently on display at The Plain Dealer Gallery, 1801 Superior Avenue. I am not a member of this talented group of Clevelanders but had been invited to photograph the show’s opening.

These are not digital images captured in a matter of seconds. Thousands of hours of meticulous hand crafted work and wet processing technique went into the production of these fine art prints.

Jeannette Palsa

According to the group’s website: “The Society seeks to encourage, enhance and preserve the 19th Century photographic techniques known as The Alternative Processes.

Ryan Durdella

These processes include, but are not limited to: Daguerreotypy, Platinum, Albumen, Collodian, Cyanotype, and Gum Bichromate printing methods among others.”

Greg Martin

Herbert Ascherman is Co-Founder of The Cleveland Society of Alternative Photographers and was responsible for organizing the show. Jeannette Palsa is Co-Founder and Secretary of the organization .

Bruce Gates

I have no qualifications as an art critic and would never attempt to judge this show. But it is enjoyable because of it’s uniqueness. One does not often see works of this nature separately, let alone in a single collection utilizing common technologies from a bygone era.

Charles Caito

Because of the way they were processed, some of the prints take the viewer on a private journey into past eras of stone columns, elegant archways and stately mansions. And even when the subjects are contemporary, the viewer is often presented with delicate and soft images reminiscent of past centuries.

Richard Wolf

The exhibitors include Herb Ascherman, Jeannette Palsa, Charles Caito, Ryan Durdella, Bruce Gates, Roy Woda, Greg Martin and Richard Wolf.

Roy Woda

Herbert Ascherman introduces the show's exhibitors.

Approximately 75 - 100 guests viewed the show which is displayed on two levels of the Plain Dealer atrium. The exhibit continues through February 29, 2008.

Herb with Bill Jean, widely acclaimed artist and one of the PD Gallery's exhibit schedulers.

Herbert Ascherman, Shirley Stineman Director of Community Affairs for the Plain Dealer and Mindy Tousley, gallery scheduler.

A gallery of photographs taken at the show can be viewed by clicking HERE.

Cleveland: City Mood - November Winds

There's the old Cleveland joke about our climate. If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes...... it'll change. What may have started as a pleasant sunrise reflecting off the Hope Memorial bridge at 9 A.M. could end up as a rush hour thunderstorm by day's end.

Visitors to our city don't really don't appreciate this statement until they've spent some time here. But Living on the Northcoast, Clevelanders enjoy Lake effect snow and rain, blistering summers, ice storms, high winds, and temperatures that can vary over 110 degrees in a single year.

Many of us feel this area offers great compensation for the winter slush and cold. You get beautiful spring blossoms followed by spectacular fall foliage. Short as the summer may seem, it is ideal for boating, hiking, picnicking and visiting area attractions.

As an east sider we often see heavy dark storm clouds coming in out of the West. One minute we may be enjoying a beautiful sunset over the West Side Market or a pastel backdrop framing an ore freighter moored on the Cuyahoga.

And within less than an hour, a twilight overcast can roll right over the downtown skyline. Building tops will disappear in fog. Short ragged waves will dance along the Cuyahoga. High winds and stinging rain will lash across the bridges and roadways.

But most of the really nasty weather comes out of the Northwest. Before the heavy snows arrive we get the Alberta Clippers blasting in over Lake Erie right out of Canada.

Lake Erie's waters remain relatively warm into the fall. In late November the cooler western and Canadian air begins washing over it. The warm lake air rises and collides with this cold front. First we get sleet on the roads along with pea sized hail. As the temperature continues to drop, we get our famous lake effect snow.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame sits right on the edge of the Inner Harbor. Built in 1995, it's glass and steel frame is designed to withstand 150 MPH winds. Fortunately we rarely get lakefront gusts above 60MPH. Either way you don't want be at water's edge when the lake takes on a stormy aspect.

Photography Under Surveillance

"I-90 Bridge Over the Flats"

“I can see him walking down the West steps. Yes, he’s the guy with the beard and camera. He’s taking pictures of the railroad tracks right now…..”

I could overhear the young security guard as he spoke into his walkie talkie. He was obviously reporting my step by step movements to somebody in the building’s command center. Was that a laser dot I imagined on the back of my neck? Or was I just being paranoid?

"West of the Federal Courthouse"

Fortunately I’d made the guard’s friendly acquaintance a few minutes earlier. I had even given him a business card. “My specialty is weddings,” I cheerily said “If you know anybody getting married I’d be glad to provide a free quote. I also do other social events.”

"On the Detroit Superior Bridge"

This was a recent encounter I had on my way to work. I’d stopped at a downtown street corner with camera in hand to take advantage of the Fall morning light as it spread across downtown Cleveland.

The sun is quickly getting lower in the sky. The shadows are growing longer. This creates an intriguing pastel interplay over the bridges and tracks that crisscross the Flats. It’s a photographer’s dream and my favorite shooting venue. Unfortunately I was capturing these scenes from the plaza of the Federal Courthouse. My actions attracted a security guard who seemed to appear from nowhere.

"Ore Freighter Alcoway on the Cuyahoga"

Our “introduction” went well since I made it a point to be pleasant and cooperative in response to his questions. I even referred him to my website where he could view my work. I have no doubt that he and a variety of cameras kept a close watch on me. But I made sure to direct my camera and attention away from the Federal building. They don't like people taking closeup photos of the building.

"A Rainy View from the Superior Viaduct"

I respect law enforcement. Police, the Feds and security guards have a tougher job today since 911. Anything perceived as suspicious behavior becomes suspect. Mundane activities can really be hidden threats. In partial defense of the Establishment I can understand this attitude.

"Guardian of Transportation - Hope Memorial Bridge"

The urban photographer can easily fall into the category of suspicion as he walks around the city, loitering with camera in hand, studying the shadows and detail, looking for the next “great shot”. Will photographing a bridge attract unwanted attention? Does aiming a camera at a freighter look suspicious? If you seem too interested in a Federal building does that imply an ulterior motive?

I know what I am doing when I photograph a cityscape. But how does that appear to law enforcement? Extra effort must be made to act responsibly and with common sense these days. Now more than ever you have to be aware of your surroundings.

"Near the Oxbow Area"

On the way back to my car I cut through a parking lot. The attendant spotted me and quickly approached. "What are you doing here with that camera?" Again, I explained my photographic interest in the Flats and gave him a business card. We chatted a little. Eventually he seemed convinced that I was harmless.

"The reason I stopped you is because last week there was another guy going through the lot with a camera. He was taking pictures of all the cars. We think maybe he was a car thief making up some inventory photos for interested buyers." Now that's something I never would have thought of myself.

Click on photo to see full panoramic image