The everyday spectacular, be it a tree flirting with perception through fog; the last fingers of light from the sun slowly withdrawing behind the horizon or even bright orange pumpkins outside a grocery store, is what Clarkston area resident Steve Bettwy tries to capture with his photography.
‘A lot of the pictures have a mood to them, rather than just taking a picture of a setting, I try to zoom in on one portion of it to try and get that feel,? Bettwy said. ‘When I’m looking at something I will have my own reaction to the scene. It’s striking or it’s calm or it’s really reflective ? When I pick the picture I try and get that same feel so if somebody else is looking at it they get that reaction back.?
A gallery show of Bettwy’s work at The Artful Framer on Sashabaw Road began Nov. 18 and is scheduled to run through Saturday. Bettwy thinks with increased interest the run may be extended.
‘With the stuff that is up on the walls (at the show), we wanted to get as much Clarkston and Clarkston area pictures as we could,? Bettwy said, who also sells pieces online at www.LuminousVisions.com.
Since moving to Clarkston three years ago, Bettwy has found a muse in the natural settings which ease into the resedential areas.
‘I was transferred here from Milwaukee. We settled in Clarkston because of Clarkston, this town, this Main Street right here. We were never much for the Troy or Rochester kind of feel,? Bettwy said, who enjoys the area with his wife, Kate, two children, Matthew, 5 and Carson, 2, and their dog Elvis.
Like a photo negative, Bettwy’s career in photography took time to develop. The initial shutter-click though came in the form of a camera given to him as a graduation present upon finishing college at Villanova.
‘I took some pictures and found I had a bit of a talent for it. I started off with film and shot a lot of pictures, thousands and thousands of pictures, eventually I went digital about two years ago,? Bettwy said.
For the photos which become Luminous Visions? pieces, Bettwy still alternates between film and digital work.
‘You can’t beat the convenience of digital, there’s just no arguing that, but there are times when digital just doesn’t behave. There’s still times when film is going to get you a better picture. In a lot of low light situations, the digital just doesn’t know what to do,? Bettwy said.
Regardless of the format he is working in, one key to his work is never being far from his tools.
‘I have a camera with me almost all the time, so when I come across something and the time is right, I’ll stop and take the pictures. Sometimes you don’t have a second chance to get something so having the camera there is always good,? Bettwy said.
No longer new to the area Bettwy knows the optimal conditions to nab shots. One piece, featuring the black tendrils of a tree on Rattalee Lake Road melting into fog called ‘Oak Against Grey Skies? is a perfect example of this.
‘It was last March when we got about eight inches of snow one day and then it was like 50 degrees the next day and it was just pea soup fog. I took the afternoon off from work and took a bunch of pictures,? Bettwy said. ‘We all see these things driving down the road, I just have to stop and grab that picture.?
But Bettwy does not retrieve images from natural settings exclusively. Traces of humanity can be seen in his work from around the United States and the world in prints of a variety of bridges, barns, lighthouses and other historic structures. Even in Clarkston, what may appear like a mundane, albeit colorful, autumn display to most, has become a photo subject.
‘What would make you stop at Rudy’s and look at a pumpkin? I’m not going to stop and look at a pumpkin, but you get a shot of this and you end up with something people will say ‘hey that’s very cool,?? Bettwy said of his work ‘Miniature Pumpkins.?
When it comes to taking baby pictures though, Bettwy defers to his better half.
‘I don’t do well with people. My wife takes the kids pictures and the people pictures and she does a much better job than I do,? Bettwy said.
While he may be at a loss for words when it comes to setting up a family portrait, Bettwy is quick to offer advice to budding nature photographers.
‘Definitely take lots of pictures and with digital it’s free, the more you take the more you get out of your camera. It’s harder when you have to pay for film and developing and everything else and you have boxes of prints. The more pictures you take and the more you pay attention to what you’ve done and correlate that to the picture that comes out, the better they are going to end up,? Bettwy said.
He also recommends classes in order to attain technical basics.
?(After learning the basics) then you start experimenting. Take lots of pictures of the same thing, different ways and see what happens,? Bettwy said. ‘Don’t be afraid to get very close or very far away or stand on your head. The viewpoint is everything and that’s what makes it interesting. Anybody can take a picture standing up, when you change the viewpoint people get interested.?
Bettwy himself has laid on his back, with his head upside down against the ground to attain the exact perspective he felt was needed for a shot.
‘I tend to have an image in my mind’s eye and say ‘this is what I want to get? and with the digital you can make sure you are headed in that direction, before you get to the computer. But there are still surprises when you find something in a shot you weren’t expecting or you didn’t notice. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad,? Bettwy said.
One area where Bettwy insists on no surprises is in the printing process of his photographs. While the digital revolution of camera equipment has made taking and tweaking photos at professional level from home palpable, quality printing is a step behind.
‘I’m not a fan of home printers yet. You don’t get a lot of the subtle tones that you can with a true photo proccesor, and secondly since it’s a thermal process you don’t get the longevity. The pieces I’m selling to people, I want them to be up there 10 years from now. I don’t want them to look washed out and faded,? Bettwy said, explaining why he sends his final proofs to a print shop in Lansing.
‘It’s consistency too, I’m offering only 50 of each, so they’re all limited editions. If someone sees something here they really like, I don’t want to give them a finished product that looks different,? Bettwy added.
Over the past year, and including the gallery show ongoing at The Artful Framer, Bettwy has entered in several art fairs, something he hopes to do more of in the near future.
‘Next year I’ll be focusing on getting into some more art fairs. I’d like to do another couple gallery shows,? Bettwy said.
Though he has taken many photos which have delighted him on a personal and professional level, Bettwy lens is ever focusing still.
‘I haven’t taken the perfect picture yet, I’m still working on that,? Bettwy said.
For more information on Steve Bettwy and Luminous Visions call 248-922-9677, go online to www.luminousvisions.com or email info@luminousvisions.com.