Embracing Photography

By MARY RAINWATER
The Palestine Herald

PALESTINE May 31, 2007 11:49 am

— A picture is more than just a thousand words to the four photographic artists who will have their works on display at the Palestine Public Library next month — each photo is a captured memory and each is a work of art.
The exhibit, entitled “The Eye of the Photographer: A Selection of Photographic Images from Anderson, Buhl, Triplett and Triplett” is the Library’s Embrace the Arts exhibit, which opens with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday.
Photographic artists George Anderson, Willi Buhl, Timothy Triplett and his brother Kevin Triplett offer diverse photographic images that range from warm and fuzzy to breath-taking.
And each has a different perspective or experience to offer the viewer.
Anderson, a retired mechanical engineer who moved to Palestine almost a year ago, is fascinated with the technology involved in photography. His interest in photography began in his childhood days and continued throughout high school and college.
“I used my father’s folding Kodak to take pictures of planes at a local airport,” Anderson said. “High school opened the doors of the darkroom. The camera club exposed me to the chemical mysteries of developing film, enlarging negatives and developing the final print to just the right sparkle.
“I was hooked and have remained so ever since.”
The advent of digital photography — the expanded capabilities of cameras and quick reproduction of prints — has reenergized Anderson’s interest in photography.
“The equipment and tools are evolving,” he said. “But the early lessons of composition, light and dark and color remain.”
Anderson’s “look for art where you find it” philosophy of photography is seen in much of his work — taken from business trips, family events and even in his own back yard.
“I am always on the lookout for that pleasing image waiting to be photographed,” he said.
Buhl, a dual citizen of Switzerland and the United States, got his start in photography as a junior apprentice in a graphic arts company in Zurich.
“I was learning to be a camera operator and a lithographer,” he said. “The work entailed cameras and film, so photography seemed to be the thing to do.”
But it wasn’t until he became a world traveler that Buhl really got hooked on photography. While living in Cape Town, South Africa in 1962 he and two friends decided to travel the entire length of the continent — from the Cape of Good Hope to the North Cape.
“The journey took us through peaceful and hostile countries such as South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan Egypt and the Middle East,” Buhl said. “We traveled nine months without interruption and covered 12,000 miles. It was a dream come true.”
Many of the photographs Buhl has included in the upcoming exhibit are of his travels to Africa and Egypt.
“Photography and the camera give me a recorded image of a visual first impression,” he said. “It is the only medium that records our work the way it really is — the only good way to guarantee a reliable recording of history.”
Photography has always been a way of life for siblings Timothy and Kevin Triplett. Growing up, both noted that they felt all families grew up with hall closets full of cameras, photos, slides and movie reels.
“My mom and dad were both good photographers,” Timothy Triplett said. “My older brother, Richard, got involved in photography in high school — spending hours in the dark room.
“When Richard went to work for Kodak, he always sent me free film,” he added. “I have taken boxes and boxes of photos.”
Timothy Triplett, who returned to Palestine just a few years ago, can be see out and about almost daily in his car or on his bicycle with a camera in hand.
“I take pictures everywhere — at Rotary Club meetings, reunions or group interactions I see happening,” he said. “I take them to my mother, who is unable to get out like she used to, and show her what I did that day.”
Timothy Triplett said his favorite part of photography is being able to capture something beautiful on film and later sharing it with others.
“What is so unique about photography is that you are not really creating something,” he said. “You are capturing a moment — you take the time to recognize the beauty that is already there that others might not see.”
Kenneth Triplett, who currently resides in Central Texas, will also be bringing his family’s flair for photography to the library’s exhibit. While his focus is primarily on producing and editing documentaries, Kenneth Triplett has continued working with still photos.
None of the four exhibitors claim to be professional photographers. In fact, June’s exhibit will be the first time any of them have displayed their photography in an artistic setting.
“Library director Carol Herrington and I really had to talk a long time before I could be convinced I was actually an artist,” Timothy Triplett said. “So this is definitely the first time I have thought of myself that way.
“I am so excited to be part of this exhibit,” he said.
Buhl explained that art takes on many forms, including photographs, and that it should be presented to the world right where we are and not from high above it.
“The whole world is full of art,” he said. “Whenever someone wants to be creative — whether in writing, as an interior decorator or in the more obvious way as a painter — that is art.
“Never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something — that you are not an artist,” he added. “If you enjoy doing something, you are good at it.”
The Palestine Public Library, located at 1101 N. Cedar, is just one of the venues for the monthly Embrace the Arts art walk event taking place in Palestine Saturday.
Other locations include: the Museum for East Texas Culture, 400 Micheaux St.; Artemesia Gallery, 1207 N. Link St.; and Charlene & Associates, 1131 West Oak St.
Everyone is invited to tour the exhibits, talk to the artists and enjoy refreshments and fun. Exhibits remain on display all month. Call the Palestine Convention & Visitor Bureau at 903-723-3014 for more information.
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Mary Rainwater may be reached via e-mail at mrainwater@palestineherald.com

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