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Portraiture: Unveiling Identity
Prints of most of these images are available for purchase. Please inquire.
All photographs are the copyright of the individual artists and may not be reproduced without their permission.
Juror's Statement
From the very beginning of the medium of photography, portraits have been one of its mainstays. Throughout that history, the best portrayals of the human experience have been when a sensitive photographer and a knowing sitter collaborate to arrive at a mutually agreeable moment. The result is an image that tells us about both the sitter and the photographer, as choices of pose, expression, place, light, framing, background and more combine with that agreed-upon moment to tell a story.
There were many, many wonderful stories present in the images submitted for this exhibition and it was a genuine challenge to pare that group down to the most essential expressions of the photographic portrait. In the end, my choice for images to include in both the physical and online galleries came down to the elements mentioned above, along with the addition of one word - connection. The images shown here establish a connection between the photographer, the sitter and you, the viewer.
The best of those images combine those essential elements in interesting and thought-provoking ways. Whether it’s the moody evening background and the perfectly modeled fill light of the Juror’s Choice winner or the combination of odd crouch, wispy smoke and intense gaze of the Director’s Choice winner, the best of these images make me want to learn more about the subject and the mutually agreeable moment that the photographer reached with them.
-Jeff Curto
About the Juror
Photographer Jeff Curto is Professor Emeritus of Photography at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, where he taught from 1984 to 2014. Since 2014, he has been a regular faculty member with the University of Georgia’s Studies Abroad program in Cortona Tuscany.
He was awarded a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1981 and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Bennington College in Vermont in 1983. Additionally, he attended Ansel Adams’ last workshop in Carmel, California in 1983. In 2009, inspired by the learning environment that workshops can foster, Curto began leading his own annual photography workshops in Italy, which continue annually. A former chair of the board of directors for the Society for Photographic Education (SPE), Curto was also named Honored Educator for SPE’s Midwest Chapter in 2013.
An early adopter of podcasting as a form of instruction and communication, Jeff recorded his History of Photography class sessions for online use. His Camera Position podcast is an informal discussion of photography’s creative aspects.
Jeff’s photographic work has been the subject of numerous solo exhibitions and is held in many public and private collections.
Call for Entries
Portraiture is one of photography’s most profound forms of expression, offering us a window into the complex inner lives of individuals. A great portrait doesn’t just capture a likeness—it uncovers the depth, emotion, and history that shape the person in front of the lens.
We invite you to create portraits that transcend the surface, revealing the often-hidden dimensions of identity. We seek work that goes beyond physical appearance to explore the subtleties of emotion, history, and the human experience.
We are honored to have Jeff Curto as juror for Portraiture: Unveiling Identity. He will select up to 35 images for exhibition in our Middlebury, Vermont gallery and another 40 images for our Online Gallery. All 75 images will be reproduced in the exhibition catalog and remain permanently on our website, and be promoted on social media with links to photographer’s URL.
Information about our printing service and matting and framing here.
Banner image: Janette James
Click to enlarge
