Photography by Pete Houston

“I first became interested in photography when my father let me use his Nikon film camera in high school to take photos of athletic events for our yearbook.  It taught me to be aware of what was happening around me and how to be in the right place at the right time to capture subjects in their element.  The cost of film and the time it took to get rolls developed and printed made me want every shot to be perfect, which brought both satisfaction and frustration.

I bought my first digital camera (and a printer for my computer) for the ability to deliver instant gratification and enable me to shoot more of what caught my attention in the moment without inhibition.  I quickly learned, however, that the real power of digital photography is the ability to manipulate images in ways that used to be available only to photographers who had access to darkrooms and were willing to literally get their hands dirty.

For me, the ultimate expression of photography has always been black and white by masters such as Ansel Adams, and I learned over time that I had the means to pursue the same kinds of photos myself.  As I studied great black and white photographs I developed a love for the power and beauty of tonal range – scenes that encapsulate the darkest darks to the whitest whites, juxtaposed in striking ways.  The photos in this exhibit are my attempts to capture scenes of great tonal range that speak to me in some way, and most of all, make me think. “

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