FROM YOUR ARCHIVE- Laurie Freitag > Juror Favorites: Diana H. Bloomfield 'Entrance',Mara Zaslove 'Seeking Hope', Maria T. Faria 'Landing Chair Series', Vicky Stromee 'Abundance' & Kendall Isotalo 'Secrets of Fluidity'
Juror Favorites: Diana H. Bloomfield 'Entrance',Mara Zaslove 'Seeking Hope', Maria T. Faria 'Landing Chair Series', Vicky Stromee 'Abundance' & Kendall Isotalo 'Secrets of Fluidity'
Diana H. Bloomfield/Entrance
JUROR FAVORITE
JUROR FAVORITE
DIANA H. BLOOMFIELD
"Photographs, for me, have always been about the past. Even when I photograph to make a statement about the present, or to comment on the future, the image itself- the one I've just made simply by opening and closing a shutter- is cemented in the past. My work focuses on the intersection of the past and my memory of it.
Memories, which remain fugitive and ever-shifting, are always subject to interpretation. The interpretive nature of both memory and imagery lends itself to a narrative, which is the form most of my work follows.
These particular images are of my now 38-year old daughter, Annalee, and are selections from my Figurative series, a much larger and ongoing body of work which I began in 1999. As extended metaphorical portraits, each has a story to tell, either singly or as a whole. They speak to movement and gesture, meant to suggest the essence of a person, or simply a brief moment in time.
I choose to print in 19th century printing processes, because I love the one-of-a-kind hand-made quality those processes offer. I printed these images in gum dichromate, which involves CMYK separation negatives, and the many multiple layerings of watercolor pigment, gum arabic, and dichromate. This process, in particular, I find the most creative and interpretive, offering infinite possibilities and frequently veering off into whole new magical worlds. The hand-applied (brushed) multiple repeated layerings offer both a richness and a softness, where all the hard, clearly defined edges disappear. The more layers added, the richer the colors become, while the image itself grows softer. The inevitable slight mis-registrations of the negatives suggest movement, ambiguity, and remove all the sharp clarity— much the way we see and remember."
A fine art photographer for over 40 years, Diana specializes in 19th-century photographic printing techniques, including gum bichromate, platinum/palladium, and cyanotype. Her process of choice is gum bichromate, loved for its intuitive, interpretive, and endlessly creative qualities.
Diana is a five-time Photolucida Critical Mass Finalist (top 200) She is also the 2021 Denis Roussel Award recipient, sponsored by Rfotofolio and juried by Christopher James.
Her images and one-of-a-kind handmade artist books are exhibited internationally and included in numerous books and publications.
Her art is also in a number of public and private collections, including the Norton Museum of Art, located in West Palm Beach, Florida; The Fine Art Program and Collection at Montefiore Einstein, in the Bronx, New York; the New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors, located in Santa Fe, New Mexico; and in North Carolina State University’s Gregg Museum of Art & Design in Raleigh, North Carolina.
A native North Carolinian, Diana lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. She teaches workshops throughout the United States, including at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass, Colorado; Penland School of Craft in Penland, North Carolina; Maine Media Workshops in Rockport, Maine; Santa Fe Workshops in Santa Fe, New Mexico; and at Mountain Intaglio in Asheville, North Carolina. Diana is represented by The Cardinal Gallery, located in Toronto, Canada.
www.dhbloomfield.com
www.instagram.com/dhbloomfieldphoto_dinahlee
https://www.facebook.com/dianahbloomfield/
"Photographs, for me, have always been about the past. Even when I photograph to make a statement about the present, or to comment on the future, the image itself- the one I've just made simply by opening and closing a shutter- is cemented in the past. My work focuses on the intersection of the past and my memory of it.
Memories, which remain fugitive and ever-shifting, are always subject to interpretation. The interpretive nature of both memory and imagery lends itself to a narrative, which is the form most of my work follows.
These particular images are of my now 38-year old daughter, Annalee, and are selections from my Figurative series, a much larger and ongoing body of work which I began in 1999. As extended metaphorical portraits, each has a story to tell, either singly or as a whole. They speak to movement and gesture, meant to suggest the essence of a person, or simply a brief moment in time.
I choose to print in 19th century printing processes, because I love the one-of-a-kind hand-made quality those processes offer. I printed these images in gum dichromate, which involves CMYK separation negatives, and the many multiple layerings of watercolor pigment, gum arabic, and dichromate. This process, in particular, I find the most creative and interpretive, offering infinite possibilities and frequently veering off into whole new magical worlds. The hand-applied (brushed) multiple repeated layerings offer both a richness and a softness, where all the hard, clearly defined edges disappear. The more layers added, the richer the colors become, while the image itself grows softer. The inevitable slight mis-registrations of the negatives suggest movement, ambiguity, and remove all the sharp clarity— much the way we see and remember."
A fine art photographer for over 40 years, Diana specializes in 19th-century photographic printing techniques, including gum bichromate, platinum/palladium, and cyanotype. Her process of choice is gum bichromate, loved for its intuitive, interpretive, and endlessly creative qualities.
Diana is a five-time Photolucida Critical Mass Finalist (top 200) She is also the 2021 Denis Roussel Award recipient, sponsored by Rfotofolio and juried by Christopher James.
Her images and one-of-a-kind handmade artist books are exhibited internationally and included in numerous books and publications.
Her art is also in a number of public and private collections, including the Norton Museum of Art, located in West Palm Beach, Florida; The Fine Art Program and Collection at Montefiore Einstein, in the Bronx, New York; the New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors, located in Santa Fe, New Mexico; and in North Carolina State University’s Gregg Museum of Art & Design in Raleigh, North Carolina.
A native North Carolinian, Diana lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. She teaches workshops throughout the United States, including at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass, Colorado; Penland School of Craft in Penland, North Carolina; Maine Media Workshops in Rockport, Maine; Santa Fe Workshops in Santa Fe, New Mexico; and at Mountain Intaglio in Asheville, North Carolina. Diana is represented by The Cardinal Gallery, located in Toronto, Canada.
www.dhbloomfield.com
www.instagram.com/dhbloomfieldphoto_dinahlee
https://www.facebook.com/dianahbloomfield/
Mara Zaslove/Seeking Hope
JUROR FAVORITE
JUROR FAVORITE
MARA ZASLOVE
"My photographs are entries to my soul, connecting the intangible to the tangible through light, time, and memory. Using primarily natural light to capture what I feel in my heart and see with my eyes, taking photographs has become as essential to me as breathing air, and in some ways, has evolved into my sixth sense.
Growing up with a father who was a fine artist, I was surrounded by his work and sensibilities. His influence made a profound imprint on me, and I often find myself mirroring his visual style. I innately respond to form, patterns, shapes, and composition and find that this early exposure permeates my sense of balance and style.
Sifting through my archives, the six images that I am presenting are indicative of my personal style. The motif conveyed is one of beauty. The larger series that each image is drawn from highlights my sense of wonder. Standing alone or within a series, my hope is that the viewer is uplifted by each capture."
Most recently, Mara was selected for the 2025 Photo Lucida Critical Mass ‘TOP 200’.
Her photographs have been exhibited in juried group shows both nationally and internationally in such venues as Los Angeles Center for Photography, Gallery 825 (LAAA), Photo LA, Griffin Museum and the SC Center for Photography. She has had multiple images posted on YourDailyPhotograph.comand has received numerous awards including Honorable Mention and Finalist in several categories of the 11th-26th Annual Julia Margaret Cameron Awards. She has been published in F-Stop Magazine and Shadow and Light Magazine on many occasions.
A grouping of her images taken of the performance ‘Mending’ by Donna Sternberg Dance Company was published in the L.A. Dance Chronicle. Several of her images have been included in the book titled California Love – A Visual Mixtape curated by Michael Rababy. Her interview about her journey as a photographer was published in Voyage LA.
IMAGES FOR SALE-
A Joyful Spirit - 14"H x 11" W
Archival paper
$420 unframed
Limited edition of 12
Signed on back
Elegant Beauty - 14"H x 11" W
Archival paper
$350 unframed
Limited edition of 12
Signed on back
Hand Held - 11"H x 14" W
Archival paper
$380 unframed
Limited edition of 12
Signed on back
Morning Light - 11"H x 14" W
Archival paper
$380 unframed
Limited edition of 12
Signed on back
Natural Abstract - 14"H x 11" W
Archival paper
$350 unframed
Limited edition of 12
Signed on back
Seeking Hope - 14"H x 11" W
Archival paper
$400 unframed
Limited edition of 12
Signed on back
Contact: Mara Zaslove
zaslovemara@gmail.com
www.marazaslove.com
www.instagram.com/marazaslove4
"My photographs are entries to my soul, connecting the intangible to the tangible through light, time, and memory. Using primarily natural light to capture what I feel in my heart and see with my eyes, taking photographs has become as essential to me as breathing air, and in some ways, has evolved into my sixth sense.
Growing up with a father who was a fine artist, I was surrounded by his work and sensibilities. His influence made a profound imprint on me, and I often find myself mirroring his visual style. I innately respond to form, patterns, shapes, and composition and find that this early exposure permeates my sense of balance and style.
Sifting through my archives, the six images that I am presenting are indicative of my personal style. The motif conveyed is one of beauty. The larger series that each image is drawn from highlights my sense of wonder. Standing alone or within a series, my hope is that the viewer is uplifted by each capture."
Most recently, Mara was selected for the 2025 Photo Lucida Critical Mass ‘TOP 200’.
Her photographs have been exhibited in juried group shows both nationally and internationally in such venues as Los Angeles Center for Photography, Gallery 825 (LAAA), Photo LA, Griffin Museum and the SC Center for Photography. She has had multiple images posted on YourDailyPhotograph.comand has received numerous awards including Honorable Mention and Finalist in several categories of the 11th-26th Annual Julia Margaret Cameron Awards. She has been published in F-Stop Magazine and Shadow and Light Magazine on many occasions.
A grouping of her images taken of the performance ‘Mending’ by Donna Sternberg Dance Company was published in the L.A. Dance Chronicle. Several of her images have been included in the book titled California Love – A Visual Mixtape curated by Michael Rababy. Her interview about her journey as a photographer was published in Voyage LA.
IMAGES FOR SALE-
A Joyful Spirit - 14"H x 11" W
Archival paper
$420 unframed
Limited edition of 12
Signed on back
Elegant Beauty - 14"H x 11" W
Archival paper
$350 unframed
Limited edition of 12
Signed on back
Hand Held - 11"H x 14" W
Archival paper
$380 unframed
Limited edition of 12
Signed on back
Morning Light - 11"H x 14" W
Archival paper
$380 unframed
Limited edition of 12
Signed on back
Natural Abstract - 14"H x 11" W
Archival paper
$350 unframed
Limited edition of 12
Signed on back
Seeking Hope - 14"H x 11" W
Archival paper
$400 unframed
Limited edition of 12
Signed on back
Contact: Mara Zaslove
zaslovemara@gmail.com
www.marazaslove.com
www.instagram.com/marazaslove4
Mary T Faria/Landing from the Chair Series
JUROR FAVORITE
JUROR FAVORITE
MARY T. FARIA
"I make photographs that convey the tension between what is seen and what lies beyond, finding vocabulary for things perceived but not grasped.
My visual narratives communicate experience of liminal spaces and transitional zones—elusive glimpses of relationship between body and soul; intimate connections with the natural world in pre-dawn light; and, photo-collages of original material with correspondence from a formative love, collapsing time and integrating past with present.
I strive to create an opening into dualities, a way to be with knowing and not knowing, finding felt meaning on the cusp of language."
Mary T Faria lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her photo-based work communicates a relationship between liminal states and transformation, dwelling at the borders of light and dark, known and unknown. She has a BA in Art/Photography and an MA in Museum Studies from San Francisco State University.
Her work has been shown in group exhibitions in the US and Europe and her book, "Lingering at your window," released by Datz Press, Seoul, was launched at Paris Photo November 2023, exhibited at the Belfast Photo Festival, UK, June 2024, and has been acquired in multiple collections across the US, Europe, and Korea.
www.marytfaria.com
www.instagram.com/marytfaria1223
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"I make photographs that convey the tension between what is seen and what lies beyond, finding vocabulary for things perceived but not grasped.
My visual narratives communicate experience of liminal spaces and transitional zones—elusive glimpses of relationship between body and soul; intimate connections with the natural world in pre-dawn light; and, photo-collages of original material with correspondence from a formative love, collapsing time and integrating past with present.
I strive to create an opening into dualities, a way to be with knowing and not knowing, finding felt meaning on the cusp of language."
Mary T Faria lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her photo-based work communicates a relationship between liminal states and transformation, dwelling at the borders of light and dark, known and unknown. She has a BA in Art/Photography and an MA in Museum Studies from San Francisco State University.
Her work has been shown in group exhibitions in the US and Europe and her book, "Lingering at your window," released by Datz Press, Seoul, was launched at Paris Photo November 2023, exhibited at the Belfast Photo Festival, UK, June 2024, and has been acquired in multiple collections across the US, Europe, and Korea.
www.marytfaria.com
www.instagram.com/marytfaria1223
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Vicky Stromee/Abundance.
JUROR FAVORITE
JUROR FAVORITE
VICKY STROMEE
Vicky Stromee (1950, Chicago, IL) is a fine art photographer based in the Southwest. Her love of the desert allows her to focus on natural subjects that illustrate transformation. Her work hangs in galleries, hospitals, and private and corporate collections throughout the US.
Artist Statement: "What captures my imagination and what I explore in my art
I am interested in edges and intersections of transformation where one thing moves inexorably to become something else. When is the moment when love fades into anger and resentment; when disillusionment erupts into a violent uprising, when order descends into chaos? And when is the moment when war turns towards peace; unbearable grief shifts towards acceptance; or when pain gives way to relief?
In my practice as a crisis counselor, I witnessed the transformation of the human spirit. I am in awe of resilient clients who pick up the pieces of a broken life and find a regenerated purpose. I am fascinated with the process of discovery. In my photography I seek out places where a close-up view of a known object reveals patterns of color, texture and form. I capture these images and layer them together to create objects of meditation on that transformative process."
Artist bio: How I got interested in photography
I was immersed in the arts from an early age. My father was an amateur photographer and my mother a painter and pianist. At 8, I got my first Brownie camera and began shooting everything I saw. Watching an image magically emerge from the developing tray in my dad's darkroom; spending afternoons lying under the baby grand piano with waves of sound resonating around and through me; texture, pattern, fluidity, and change - these were my earliest influences, and they continue to unfold in my work.
Where I live and my work can be seen
I am fortunate to call the Southwest - a place of incredible natural beauty - my home. I have lived in Tucson, AZ since 1975 when I moved here to pursue a master’s degree in Counseling at the University of Arizona. When I retired from a long career in mental health, I turned my attention full time to photography, ultimately finding my niche in photographing natural subjects. More recently I have begun to create photomontages incorporating these natural objects into both abstract images and scenes of imaginary realism.
My work hangs in galleries, hospitals, and private and corporate collections throughout the US. It has been featured at the Griffin Museum of Photography, Boston; Waxlander Gallery, Santa Fe; PhotoPlace Gallery, Vermont; A Smith Gallery, Texas; Fotonostrum, Barcelona; and Afterimage Gallery in Dallas. Selected images have representation through Cynthia Byrnes Contemporary Art in New York."
Professional Awards IncludeAmerican Society of Media Professionals, Best of Award (2015, 2024)
Critical Mass finalist (2023)
International Photography Award, Honorable Mention (15 Consecutive Years)
Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Women Photographers, Series Category Winner (2024, 2023)
Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Women Photographers, Honorable Mention (2024, 2023, 2022, 2021,2020)
Tokyo International Foto Awards, Gold Award (2023), Bronze (2022), Silver (2019)
Communication Arts Award of Excellence, Photography Annual (2022)
International Color Awards, Honorable Mention (2022, 2025)
“Koo and the Long Dark Night” book images (2022):
Photography Annual, Julia Margaret Cameron, Hand Magazine, Center for Photographic Art, Griffin Museum,Tokyo International Foto Awards---------------------------------------------------------
IMAGES FOR SALE
Envisioning Solitude collection
10x10 inch print on 12x12 paper
Archival paper
$250 unframed
Limited edition of 15
Signed on back
Contact: Vicky Stromee vstromee@msn.com
www.vickystromeephotography.com
www.instagram.com/vickystromeephotography
Vicky Stromee (1950, Chicago, IL) is a fine art photographer based in the Southwest. Her love of the desert allows her to focus on natural subjects that illustrate transformation. Her work hangs in galleries, hospitals, and private and corporate collections throughout the US.
Artist Statement: "What captures my imagination and what I explore in my art
I am interested in edges and intersections of transformation where one thing moves inexorably to become something else. When is the moment when love fades into anger and resentment; when disillusionment erupts into a violent uprising, when order descends into chaos? And when is the moment when war turns towards peace; unbearable grief shifts towards acceptance; or when pain gives way to relief?
In my practice as a crisis counselor, I witnessed the transformation of the human spirit. I am in awe of resilient clients who pick up the pieces of a broken life and find a regenerated purpose. I am fascinated with the process of discovery. In my photography I seek out places where a close-up view of a known object reveals patterns of color, texture and form. I capture these images and layer them together to create objects of meditation on that transformative process."
Artist bio: How I got interested in photography
I was immersed in the arts from an early age. My father was an amateur photographer and my mother a painter and pianist. At 8, I got my first Brownie camera and began shooting everything I saw. Watching an image magically emerge from the developing tray in my dad's darkroom; spending afternoons lying under the baby grand piano with waves of sound resonating around and through me; texture, pattern, fluidity, and change - these were my earliest influences, and they continue to unfold in my work.
Where I live and my work can be seen
I am fortunate to call the Southwest - a place of incredible natural beauty - my home. I have lived in Tucson, AZ since 1975 when I moved here to pursue a master’s degree in Counseling at the University of Arizona. When I retired from a long career in mental health, I turned my attention full time to photography, ultimately finding my niche in photographing natural subjects. More recently I have begun to create photomontages incorporating these natural objects into both abstract images and scenes of imaginary realism.
My work hangs in galleries, hospitals, and private and corporate collections throughout the US. It has been featured at the Griffin Museum of Photography, Boston; Waxlander Gallery, Santa Fe; PhotoPlace Gallery, Vermont; A Smith Gallery, Texas; Fotonostrum, Barcelona; and Afterimage Gallery in Dallas. Selected images have representation through Cynthia Byrnes Contemporary Art in New York."
Professional Awards IncludeAmerican Society of Media Professionals, Best of Award (2015, 2024)
Critical Mass finalist (2023)
International Photography Award, Honorable Mention (15 Consecutive Years)
Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Women Photographers, Series Category Winner (2024, 2023)
Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Women Photographers, Honorable Mention (2024, 2023, 2022, 2021,2020)
Tokyo International Foto Awards, Gold Award (2023), Bronze (2022), Silver (2019)
Communication Arts Award of Excellence, Photography Annual (2022)
International Color Awards, Honorable Mention (2022, 2025)
“Koo and the Long Dark Night” book images (2022):
Photography Annual, Julia Margaret Cameron, Hand Magazine, Center for Photographic Art, Griffin Museum,Tokyo International Foto Awards---------------------------------------------------------
IMAGES FOR SALE
Envisioning Solitude collection
10x10 inch print on 12x12 paper
Archival paper
$250 unframed
Limited edition of 15
Signed on back
Contact: Vicky Stromee vstromee@msn.com
www.vickystromeephotography.com
www.instagram.com/vickystromeephotography
Kendall Isotalo/Secrets of Fluidity
JUROR FAVORITE
JUROR FAVORITE
KENDALL ISOTALO
"I reside in the San Francisco Bay Area, Ca. I earned a B.A. from SFSU, Department of Fine Art, with an emphasis on photography. I use my camera to explore memory and perception , while attempting to extract beauty and mystery, within the transience and fragility of life.
The images here, are from my ongoing body of work, 'Spirit Animals'. This is a body of work about honoring the deer, whose land I reside in, whose presence, and by much quiet observation, has left an imprint on my heart and soul. My spiritual connection with and understanding of these majestic animals has been life altering, and began when I entered in to an unexpected, mystical relationship with one doe in particular, and her fawns. By observing the deer closely, I stepped into their fascinating and mysterious world, and it has changed me in profound ways, such as having an even deeper compassion and respect for not only the deer, but, the interconnectedness of all living things. The deer have taught me important lessons of patience, hope and resilience. For me, spending hours every day in nature and in close observation of the deer, is extremely cathartic, in the same manner that creating art is."
IMAGES FOR SALE-
The Far Away World- 11"H x 14"W
Archival Paper
$300 unframed
Signed on Back
Your Luminosity Became Mine- 11"H x 14"W
Archival Paper
$300 unframed
Signed on Back
Secrets of Fluidity- 11"H x 14"W
Archival Paper
$300 unframed
Signed on Back
Messengers in the Meadow- 11"H x 14"W
Archival Paper
$300 unframed
Signed on Back
Jasper- 11"H x 14"W
Archival Paper
$300 unframed
Signed on Back
Gentle Midnight- 11"H x 14"W
Archival Paper
$300 unframed
Singed on Back
Contact: Kendall Isotalo
kendall7iso@gmail.com
www.kendallisotalo.com
www.instagram.com/kendallisotalo
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"I reside in the San Francisco Bay Area, Ca. I earned a B.A. from SFSU, Department of Fine Art, with an emphasis on photography. I use my camera to explore memory and perception , while attempting to extract beauty and mystery, within the transience and fragility of life.
The images here, are from my ongoing body of work, 'Spirit Animals'. This is a body of work about honoring the deer, whose land I reside in, whose presence, and by much quiet observation, has left an imprint on my heart and soul. My spiritual connection with and understanding of these majestic animals has been life altering, and began when I entered in to an unexpected, mystical relationship with one doe in particular, and her fawns. By observing the deer closely, I stepped into their fascinating and mysterious world, and it has changed me in profound ways, such as having an even deeper compassion and respect for not only the deer, but, the interconnectedness of all living things. The deer have taught me important lessons of patience, hope and resilience. For me, spending hours every day in nature and in close observation of the deer, is extremely cathartic, in the same manner that creating art is."
IMAGES FOR SALE-
The Far Away World- 11"H x 14"W
Archival Paper
$300 unframed
Signed on Back
Your Luminosity Became Mine- 11"H x 14"W
Archival Paper
$300 unframed
Signed on Back
Secrets of Fluidity- 11"H x 14"W
Archival Paper
$300 unframed
Signed on Back
Messengers in the Meadow- 11"H x 14"W
Archival Paper
$300 unframed
Signed on Back
Jasper- 11"H x 14"W
Archival Paper
$300 unframed
Signed on Back
Gentle Midnight- 11"H x 14"W
Archival Paper
$300 unframed
Singed on Back
Contact: Kendall Isotalo
kendall7iso@gmail.com
www.kendallisotalo.com
www.instagram.com/kendallisotalo
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FROM YOUR ARCHIVES HOME:
FIRST PLACE:
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
BEST SERIES:
JUROR FAVORITES:
EXHIBITION #1
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