Steve Petrides
Guild Member Salon Show
Steve Petrides ABOUT: I first became interested in photography at age nine when my dad gave me a Kodak Instamatic 100 for my birthday. Little did I know during that time that this little camera with drop-in film cartridges and pop-in flash bulbs would foster a passion that would remain my entire life. I seek out clean lines, form, and balance with each image conveying not what I was photographing but why I was photographing. On occasion, I enjoy pushing the envelope to eliminate all visual clues as to what the subject is and invite the viewer not just to see the image but journey through it. Other times, I find it simply awe-inspiring to be at a world-class location with dramatic light. Photographs come easily in these instances. A veteran of art shows and exhibitions throughout west Michigan, I retired in July of 2018, following 37 years mostly in the public health field. I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with my lovely wife Candice and our two cats, Boo Boo and Skyler. THIS YEAR: 2020 was a year flipped on its end for all of us. The most memorable event was a solid week camping at Copper Harbor, Michigan, at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula (the furthest north one can be in mainland Michigan or 1990 miles from Miami, Florida). I spent the week photographing craggy Lake Superior shoreline, mountaintop vistas, and many waterfalls in between. I also discovered a few remnants of the rich copper mining history in the area. GALLERIES : Art In The Loft, Alpena, MI; Crooked Tree Art Center, Petoksey, MI; 2020 Grand Valley Artists Winter (Competition Book, in lieu of gallery showing) CONTACT: Website. 4588 Gordonshire Dr., NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49534. Studio visits available by appointment.
“Great Sand Bay,” Photography, 2020, 16 x 24 in, gallery mounted on metallic paper with a pebble finish, $300. This image was taken during the fall of 2020 at Great Sand Bay, a mile-long cove off Lake Superior in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan. Almost any location along Lake Superior at the Keweenaw is awe- inspiring, but I was drawn to this scene by the fall colors, the blue of the water, the wispy dune grass, and the snow fence that leads you into the scene. The image was softened slightly in post-processing to create a “painterly” effect.
“Two-Track” Photography, 2019, 12 x 18 in, canvas mount, dry-mounted on beveled pressboard, $250. While hiking near Munising, Michigan, I came upon this old two-track road. The overcast light and mist in the air created an airy effect. The pathway, its tracks outlined with fallen leaves, leads you into the frame to where it bends to the right, taking the viewer on a journey deep into Hiawatha National Forest. In post-production, the photo lab employed a “brush stroke” feature onto the final canvas print.
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