“Ajar” and Art Show

Along Highway P in Richmond Township, Wisconsin

January 3, 2024

When I look at this photograph, I recall what my late friend Bruce Thompson said when I interviewed him in 2005 for an article in a Geneva Lake Association booklet. "When I'm in the throes of creating images, I'm not as aware of the subject as I am the patterns of light," he said. "To me, photographs are compositions of light, not arrangements of subjects."

I made this photograph September 13, 1996, along Highway P in Richmond Township, Wisconsin, in the central part of Walworth County. A short distance to the west of the barn is Turtle Lake.

This is one of my favorite photographs. I like its simplicity and the geometric patterns. Most of all, I like the image because of the light, emphasizing what Bruce stated, and I remember how it shifted that day within a short time.

The barn faces west, and I did the photograph in mid or late afternoon, so the sun nicely illuminated the side of the barn. I was fortunate to be driving in the area just then – right place, right time. I cannot recall where I was going or why, but seeing a scene such as this called to me, and I had to pull over and capture it.

Oddly, at that time of day the light was not necessarily as special as it is early in the morning or around sunset. But, what made the light – and this scene, in particular – so appealing was the sky.

The cloud cover behind the barn was dark, possibly due to a storm that was approaching or had passed through the area. I did not use a filter on my camera lens to make the scene “pop” as much as it does. I give thanks to Mother Nature for being my photographic assistant that day and provide the superb lighting.

I did have to work quickly because the sky constantly changed, as often obviously occurs. Without the dark sky, the photograph is quite different – still a wonderful composition, partly due to the crooked window, but not as dramatic.

That day was one photographic moment I relish, imprinted on my mind as a marvelous experience.

Art Show in Fontana, Wisconsin, on February 3-4

Without doubt, the best way to view a photograph is as a physical print.

I will have several of my photos available for viewing – and purchasing – during an art show on Saturday and Sunday, February 3-4 at The Abbey Resort in Fontana, Wisconsin. I have been invited to participate with 15 other artists.

The show is being presented as part of a yearlong celebration in the village. A committee and several other people in Fontana are producing various events in the village to celebrate its latest 100 years.

The centennial technically is observing the last 100 years since the village government was formed as a municipal corporation. Geographically speaking, the village dates back to the early 1800s when the first white people arrived and back to the late 1600s when Native Americans began inhabiting the area.

If you wish to learn more about the centennial, go to the Facebook page titled "Centennial Celebration Fontana WI" and/or acquire the book titled Finding Fontana: Celebrating A Century of Community. The centennial committee members are Jim Feeney, William Hunt, Catherine Kelly, Patrick Kenny, Bonnie Liptak, Margaret Reuland, James Reynolds, Susan Elbert Steele, and Tom Whowell.

I am honored to be chosen as a participating artist in the show, which is being billed as the first annual. Hopefully, other shows will follow, since Fontana does not have an art show or fair, unlike Williams Bay and Lake Geneva that annual fairs each summer. That time of the year would be best for a Fontana event.

The show this year is helping to start the celebration year. Another highlight of the February weekend is the Ice Party beginning at 11 a.m., Saturday. The event is supposed to take place on the ice along Lake Street.

But, the likelihood of the party actually being on the ice grows less each day because the weather is far from conducive enough for Fontana Bay to freeze. Why, none of the other parts of the lake are frozen, and the Fontana end is usually the last to freeze because of its depth.

I anticipate having 3-4 racks of photos. Most of them will relate to Fontana and Geneva Lake. I will be showing some prints for the first time, and that is exciting.

I regard this as a fine opportunity to have people see my work. The show also allows me to put together all the details of operating a booth for my anticipated participation in other area shows, markets, and fairs as the year unfolds.

If you can attend the show, that would be marvelous. I would like you to see my photographs and talk to you about them. Same for the works of the other artists at the event.

Show hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday and 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Sunday.

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If you wish to comment or ask a question about this post, contact me at frednoer@att.net.