Kathryn Reichert says of her work, "Our lives unfold as a series of events in which the decisions we make simultaneously shape our understanding and definition of ourselves. Our personal narratives are crafted from circumstances we find ourselves in. We are constantly confronted with decisions. Sometimes we make the right ones and sometimes we (arguably) don’t. Often, particularly poignant events leave impressions that weigh heavily on our minds. But one of the most fascinating things about the human mind is its ability to reconcile our actions based on the situation.

We learn our lesson, alter our perspective to account for this new information and redesign ourselves. After enough time has passed, memories are tucked away and- like shedding a skin- we leave that iteration of our past self behind, striving to look only forward, to the new and improved version of ourselves. We applaud our growth as a more stable, mature human being.

Of course, this serenity only lasts until a catalyst presents itself and all of those memories come flooding back. We are forced to once again confront the magnitude and consequences of all of these events. One can’t help but wonder if this was the place where your friendship fell apart or your love was born. This association rekindles the fragments of our past selves we grew from, forcing us to recognize and re-examine the person we once were and the person we have thus become.

My series “Places We Have Been” focuses on the evolution of identity materializing from ghosts of our former selves. This is a very personal project; I began it as I was questioning how I had come to be the person I am. Why do I lie so much? Why do I avoid others? Where does all of this worry and guilt come from?

I began to look at the landscapes that have played a significant role in my life and found that at first glance, images of these places were startlingly unfamiliar. I remembered them in a way that was painted in emotion and memory; the landscape had evolved into more a psychological one. To more accurately capture the significance of these places, I digitally painted objects into the landscape reifying the emotions that I attribute to each particular place.

The wear-and-tear evident on these objects are meant to portray the passing of time. Like the objects in each photo, each memory was once blindingly new and raw. The passing of time has taken some of their luster, leaving a whisper of their presence. A ghost, but certainly still present, much like the feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you return to a place you have not been for years."

Kathryn Reichert was born and raised in New Jersey. Her restlessness and love of adventure kept her traveling along the eastern seaboard whenever possible and she found she enjoyed photographing all of the moments along the way. She was stationed in Alaska as a soldier in the US Army and has remained since.

She returned to school in 2015 to pursue bachelor’s degrees in both business and the arts at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Her current projects utilize forced perspective and manipulation as a means of exploring imaginary places and "what-if" scenarios. She mainly shoots digital imagery but enjoys incorporating film and alternative processes into her workflow.
 
Exhibitions 2017

Juried Exhibition- "Singular/Signature." Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO

Invitational Exhibition- Fairbanks Arts Association, Bear Gallery, Fairbanks, AK

Juried Exhibition- "Creatures, Real and Imagined." uBe Art. Berkley, CA

Juried Exhibition- "Le Paysage." Darkroom Gallery, Essex Junction, VT

Invitational Exhibition- "Exposed." Frozen Lenses, UAF Art Gallery, Fairbanks, AK

Group Exhibition- "Northern Portraiture." Bear Gallery, Fairbanks, AK

Juried Exhibition- "Dreams." Darkroom Gallery, Essex Junction, VT

Publications

"Le Paysage." Darkroom Gallery Juried Exhibition Catalog. Feb 2017.

"Dreams." Darkroom Gallery Juried Exhibition Catalog. Jan 2017

www.kathrynreichert.com

Lori Carey says of her work, "Whenever I come across an abandoned homestead or cabin in the desert wilderness, it almost always has an incredibly beautiful view. I often find myself standing in the doorway or looking through a window imagining what it was like to live here, a hard life lived in the beauty of nature. I don’t see these buildings as decay; I see them as symbols of lost hopes and dreams and I feel a sense of longing for what used to be. They all have stories to tell. I want to share their stories before they are gone forever, and I hope to capture their poignant beauty in my images."
 
Lori Carey began her photography career as a staff photographer in the East Coast automotive gray market while working her way through college. After receiving her MBA she pursued a successful career in global finance, which gave her the opportunity to live all over the United States and travel the world. 

Her relocation to California was a life-changing event. While driving to Las Vegas for a business meeting one afternoon she became intrigued with the full moon over the Mojave Desert. She started exploring the desert backcountry and fell in love with it. It wasn’t long before she realized that she was spending too much time staring out the window wishing that she wasn’t sitting in a meeting. She traded in her business suit for hiking boots, grabbed her cameras, bought a Jeep and never looked back.

Carey’s work has been published in numerous books, magazines, and newspapers including the NY Times. Her photography was prominently featured in the film The Emerald Diamond, which won the Critic's Choice Award at the 2006 Baseball Film Festival at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.

Carey specializes in visiting harsh, remote desert locations where few people dare to venture. She works with clients in the off road industry, including brands such as Nitto Tire and Rugged Ridge/OmixADA, and her photographs have been used by National Park Service volunteers in the restoration efforts of historical buildings. She’s been a regular contributor to the digital and print editions of the automotive enthusiast magazine DrivingLine since 2013, where she shares photos and stories about her adventures exploring the California desert backcountry.

Carey has just begun exhibiting her fine art photography. She was recently selected by Juror Jane Fulton Alt for inclusion in “A Sense of Place” at Photoplace Gallery in Middlebury, VT, and her work was selected for the title page of the exhibition catalogue.
Carey lives in San Juan Capistrano, California.

www.loricareyphoto.com

Alan Black says of his series, 'Metamorphosis', "This is an ongoing project that stems from my fascination with abandoned structures or ruins, translated as “Haikyo” in Japanese. Since graduating from the Glasgow School of Art, I have continued my pursuit of the desolated structural remains of Asia.

In 2010, I left Scotland to travel to Japan with the intention of photographing “haikyo”. Research and travel, as well as my Mamiya 7, has provided me with the opportunity to seek out and capture images that reflect a deeper understanding of man’s connection with the planet.

Beneath the peeling paint and rust, and between the tangled vines and layers of dust, these structures develop individual personalities when left to the cruel elements and the crippling grip of nature. Time transforms these soulless skeletal remnants, which often exude sinister connotations. It’s almost like their interiors give us a perspective into the past, whilst the exteriors project a glimpse into a possible future.

This ongoing series of photographs represent my own personal view of the world, where I attempt to evoke a sense of fragility that exists between humankind and the natural environment."

Alan Black is a Scottish photographer from Glasgow. He divides his time between Tokyo and Scotland. He shoots mainly in Medium format film, and covers a variety of subject matter. His work is influenced by themes of nature, humanities relationship with the environment, decay and isolation.

Alan uses the camera as a way to explore hidden and forgotten places. Using 120 Transparency slide film, Alan tries to bring to life the subtle details and colours within abandoned buildings, and landscapes.

He graduated in Visual communication:Photography at Glasgow School of Art, and since then has had work published in print and online.
Current ongoing project:
Metamorphosis
 
www.alanwblack.smugmug.com


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