Travelogue, the current exhibit at the Utah Arts Festival Gallery in Salt Lake City, moves away from the glitter and glamour of traditional wall-hanger landscape photography and starts to show the images that are passed over for more iconic locations or lighting. Both Steve Midgley and Paul Titus have worked on various, uncommonly captured scenes, although working in two very different processes. Steve Midgley seemed to hold to traditional film-working techniques while Paul Titus' interesting scenes of the landscape show a bit more processing. Randy Laub's photography in the exhibit is highly themed.
While traveling around Germany last fall, photographer Randy Laub took a train trip along the Rhine River. To see the centuries of history pass before his eyes was an amazing event: the castles, the villages, the wide waterway that is the Rhine. Undoubtedly the most recognized lengthy stretch of the Rhine, it’s no wonder that countless numbers of people have been mesmerized by its beauty and atmosphere. Randy's images were all taken from the window of a moving train through this region. He has decided to avoid any post-processing to the originals. All photographs in this exhibition were taken from the window of a moving train. None of the images have been "photoshopped" nor enhanced from the original.
In addition to traditional photographic prints used in Randy Laub's exhibit, he also used mixed media pieces to arrange some of the images from Germany. The mixed media pieces combine photographs of the Rhine River in Germany with the art of paper mosaic. Mosaic has been defined as "a picture or decorative design made by setting small colored pieces on a surface." Paper mosaic is a unique art that uses traditional mosaic-making techniques in a different, beautiful way – creating artwork with a mosaic look using paper instead of conventional mosaic materials. All paper used in these mixed media pieces was acquired in Germany – making Germany the origin for both the photographs and the paper mosaic artwork.
From the Series "From a Moving Train - A Ride Along the Rhein" by Randy LaubPictureline: Tell us about your photography and your focus.
Randy Laub: I've been photographing since I was a kid. You know, the take pictures on vacation type of thing, and a bit more than that as well. On a professional basis, however, it's been about three years. I started because I loved taking pictures - and I was fortunate to have been given a camera as a gift when I was a kid. It was a Kodak Instamatic. As an adult I used a Minolta - a film camera. Then I bought my first digital camera, a Sony CyberShot. I currently use a Canon PowerShot when I travel. My focus has often been architectural and some macro as well. Interesting buildings, city scenes, statues, and the like have been of great interest to me so far. I've also enjoyed photographing flowers/plants in contrast with architecture and buildings.
Pictureline: Are you a full time photographer? What do you do for a living and what are some of your inspirations for photographing?
Randy Laub: I have been a travel agent for many years. I continue to also work as a travel agent. So I am a part-time photographer. I feel I am fortunate in that my two careers complement each other very well. The travel benefits I receive from being a travel agent enable me to travel much more and less expensively than if I weren't a travel agent. Traveling as I have has inspired me to share the places I've been with others. Rather than keeping the images I've taken (and continue to take) to myself, I'd rather share them with as many others as want to view them.
From the Series "From a Moving Train - A Ride Along the Rhein" by Randy LaubPictureline: Are you planning on any near future trips or work?
Randy Laub: Yes! I am going to Italy (again, luckily!) in April. I'm also going to London for the Olympics in July. I'm still working on different possible exhibitions for trips I took last year: an around-the-world trip, a trip to Italy, and a trip to Reno, where I grew up and returned to for the first time in many years.
Pictureline: Sounds fantastic, an around-the-world-trip. Safe travels and good luck with your exhibit! You can visit Randy's website at www.randylaubphoto.com.
Where: Utah Arts Festival Gallery, 230 South 500 West, Suite 120
When: M - F from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Dates: February 17th through March 9th 2012
Website: Utah Arts Festival Gallery - Travelogue
Submissions: The Utah Arts Festival Gallery is currently accepting submissions for its Fall 2012 and Spring 2013 season, which includes most artistic media including photography. The deadline is May 4, 2012.
OTHER PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT ARTICLES
"24 x 24" Exhibit at Alpine Art, Salt lake City, Utah (February 17th - March 31, 2012)
"The Unseen Eye" Exhibit at The George Eastman House, Rochester, New York (October 1st 2011 - February 19th 2012)