Category Archives: floral

October 8 Competition: “Nature” Judge Mary Louise Ravese

For our annual Nature competition, we’re lucky to have Mary Louise Ravese as our judge. Mary Louise is no stranger to SSCC, having been both judge and speaker numerous times. A fine artist in her own right, Mary Louise brings an unusual clarity and articulate perception to her judging. Everyone learns from her critiques.

mary-louise-raveseFounder and owner of Bella Vista Photography in Waterford, VA, Mary Louise specializes in fine art nature and travel photography from locations across the US and in Europe and Japan. Her favorite subject matter includes country landscapes, nature close-ups, architectural details, and wildlife. She draws inspiration from a variety of visual arts to produce photographs often described as “painterly.”

In fact, Mary Louise’s artistic intention is to incorporate the beauty of painting in the clarity of photography. Her images are recognizable for their intriguing juxtaposition of vibrant colors, distinctive shapes, and unique textures. Specifically, she aims to capture the essence of the natural world in color. With a goal of staying true to nature, Mary Louise emphasizes producing the best “in camera” images possible, rather than depending on digital manipulation.

Mary Louise’s fine art photography is in private, university, and corporate collections in over 30 states and is exhibited nationally through art shows, galleries, and shops. Her images have been used in calendars, magazines, books, and websites including various projects with National Geographic maps.

Noted as a popular speaker and competition judge for photography clubs in the Mid Atlantic, Mary Louise excels at explaining complex topics in an easy-to-understand way. She also enjoys teaching on a wide range of topics related to nature, travel, and creative photography. She leads classes and field workshops in the Mid Atlantic region and at a variety of locations in the US and abroad.

Mary Louise studied photography through the University of California, Berkeley and Santa Cruz extension programs, the Washington School of Photography, and with such noted photographers as Barbara Brundege, Mark Citret, and Harold “Doc” Edgerton. She is a member of the North American Nature Photography Association, the American Society of Picture Professionals, the Equine Photographer’s Network, and the Loudoun Arts Council.

You can explore Mary Louise’s images and learn more about her work and her workshops at www.BellaVistaPhotography.com.

Jim Turner featured in the PSA Journal

Congratulations to Jim Turner whose image, “Brookside Water Lily,” appears on the inside back cover of the August issue of the PSA Journal.

Here’s Jim’s description of the shot.

I found this water lily in a small pond at Brookside Gardens. The water drops are rain, it was raining when I took the picture. Nikon D5100 with Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G lens at 165mm, f/11, 1/400 s, ISO 400. This image also won a Merit Award at the Glennies in 2014 and an HM in the 2015 PSA International Exhibition (Nature). It’s my most successful picture – and shot with a kit lens that was included with my camera.

brookside-water-lily-jimturner