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Straube Center
in the News Tuesday, November
25, 2008 As a competitive runner and cyclist, Brad Browne used to whiz by sights, never looking at the scenery he was passing. But then an accident sidelined his sporting passions and instead he found himself slowing down to smell — and observe — the roses. For many years, he had also enjoyed photography but the love of speed and movement had put that hobby on the back burner. When Mr. Browne shifted his priorities, he discovered he was capable of a completely different mindset. By really slowing down and looking at things, he began to see what great lensmen like Ansel Adams and Edward Weston saw — magnificent details. ”When I go out to shoot, I know in my mind what I’m looking for,” Mr. Browne says. “I pre-visualize what I want the scene to look like on a print. That means I might go back numerous times, look at an area and look for the possibilities. Often I see something but it’s not the right time, the wrong weather or light. Then there are other times when I’m out and I see the right thing at the right time.” A scene that was at first supposed to be just a landscape turned into one of those “happy captures.” Mr. Browne had set up his medium-format camera on a tripod and was thinking “nature photography,” when one by one, young Amish women, dressed almost identically, came to sit on a hill and have lunch together. ”I tried to be as quiet as possible, and I managed to get set up and get the shot without them ever knowing,” Mr. Browne says. “It was one of those times when things really fell into place.” The Palmerton, Pa., resident is just one of six artists participating in the Straube Center Fall Fine Art Show, running through Dec. 28 at the newly refurbished Straube Center in Pennington. In addition to Mr. Browne, the show includes works by J. Stacy Rogers, Chris Carter, Joy Kreves, Richard Gerstner and John Stinger, an American impressionist landscape painter who is curating the show. Mr. Browne was delighted to be invited in the exhibit, sensing that the center tends to show works by painters more so than photographers. ”I responded to a call for artists and asked if they would like photography,” he says. “John Stinger said he liked my work and offered me a place in the show. It’s a different situation for me, working together with a group.” He has 30 black-and-white photographs in the show, ranging from sweeping views of land touching water off Acadia National Park in Maine, to close-up shots of the curious flaws and filigree that adorn a group of statues. Adamantly old-school, Mr. Browne still loves to work with film, and admires the craft of printing. ”Because I use a medium format camera, which is slower and requires more set-up, what I find is what exactly is in the composition,” he says. “I’m looking at what’s in the corners, what’s in the edges and whatnot. I don’t crop and I don’t remove things. What you see is what was there. I’m not being negative about digital (work) and certainly both digital and film have their clear places in photography. They are very different, though.” So, you won’t find digital enhancement or embellishment on Mr. Browne’s photographs, although he might employ a bit of old-fashioned darkroom magic. ”There are ways of conveying a mood or feeling through printing and processing and that goes back to what I said about having an idea in my mind of what I want the print to look like,” he says. “When I shoot, I try to compose that picture I’m trying to achieve. Then in the dark room, I can achieve the feeling I want by printing it down or playing with the contrast. ”Sometimes what I see in front of me isn’t how the print will look when I get done with it — and I do most of my own printing, but I also have a person who customizes in black-and-white printing,” Mr. Browne adds. “He works one-on-one with me (which is helpful), especially now that I’m using a medium format, plus with my other obligations. I prefer to spend more time making pictures, building a portfolio. If I was spending all that time in the darkroom, it would feel like a sacrifice.” Born in Reading, Pa., Mr. Browne is largely self-taught as a photographer. However, in the last five years he has embraced more formal studies and most recently took a course with master photographers Michael Smith and Paula Chamlee in Ottsville, Pa. ”I got to know Paula and Michael well, having taken a workshop with them just in September,” he says. “I think they are two of the best photographers in the world and they’re living and working in Bucks County.” Incidentally, Ms. Chamlee is poised to exhibit a number of her photographs from a long-term project in Iceland at the James A. Michener Museum in Doylestown, Pa., part of the three-person show Shifting Ground, which opens Dec. 14. ”In the workshop, they let us browse through their portfolios and she’s got some fascinating stuff from Iceland,” Mr. Browne says. “It’s (notable) when you can take a workshop in Iceland or some other place abroad, but financially it can be challenging. That’s why it was a great opportunity to study with Michael and Paula, so nearby. It was truly inspiring.” Additionally, he has immersed himself in the study of images by master photographers such as Mr. Adams, Mr. Weston, Brett Weston, Harry Callahan, Wynn Bullock, Paul Strand, Walker Evans and Aaron Siskind, to name a few. ”I try to study diverse styles, different artists, and I’m always adding new influences to the list,” Mr. Browne says. “There are a lot of good working photographers right now. George Tice is one of my favorites and he’s done some of his best work in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, especially of the Amish in Lancaster County.” Mr. Browne has exhibited at galleries in Lancaster, Berks and Carbon counties, as well as at juried shows at Phillips Mill in New Hope, Pa. Numerous private collectors own his photography and more recently, Mr. Browne has begun to market his work to the corporate world. Employed in banking and finance, Mr. Browne graduated from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown with a bachelor’s degree in business economics. When he’s not working or photographing, Mr. Browne enjoys listening to jazz and classical music, feeling a strong relationship between sound and vision. He lives with his wife, Xiao Fei, and their Maine Coon cat, Winston. Although he loves to travel, Mr. Browne prides himself on finding captivating images locally and regionally. His deliberate nature has lent itself well to looking for and discovering subtleties close to home. ”I look at the possibilities in my area and work on those,” he says. “Sometimes travel photography can be hit or miss depending on the light and conditions. Two years ago, though, I was lucky enough to spend eight days in Maine and was able to get two or three solid days when (taking pictures) worked out really well. I came home with more images than I expected. It’s almost impossible to take a bad picture in Maine.” Brad Browne’s photography and artwork by five other artists is on view in the Straube Center Fine Art Show, Buildings 100 and I-108, second floor, the Straube Center, 1 Straube Center Blvd., West Franklin Avenue and Route 31, Pennington, through Dec. 28. Closing reception Bldg. I-108 second floor, Dec. 28, noon-4 p.m. Free. Viewing hours: Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sat.-Sun., noon-4 p.m.; (609) 737-3322; www.straubecenter.com |
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