Vision & Viewpoint

Annual Open Call Exhibition

Jurors: Amanda Smith and Kevin Tully
Directors of A Smith Gallery

 Image: Witness' © Linda Plaisted

Jurors Statement
Amanda Smith & Kevin Tully

We, as jurors, are fond of “Open” calls for entry. This one did not leave us wanting. Our first views of the images, black and white, color, experimental, emotional, whimsical, of various subject matter, portraiture, telling a story, and on and on, kept us engaged and anticipating the next image.

Photography has grown tremendously over the past sixty-plus years, influenced by and influencing the other arts. The manner of capture ranging from handmade pinhole cameras to 100mp digital cameras. The magic of the darkroom and the camera has drawn artists from other disciplines into photography and has also been a vehicle opening doors for photographers into the other arts.

For us, as gallerists that have seen thousands and thousands of images, we are always looking for something that surprises us, images that display creativity or innovation or a well-made, deeply beautiful image achieved in traditional forms. We want to thank IPHF and all the photographers that entered for allowing us to be surprised and moved.

GRAND PRIZE

Plastic Bottle Recycling
Steve Dinberg
Chamblee, GA

Jurors’ Statement

This image immediately evokes a response -- the vibrant colors, the perspective, and the mystery as to what we are looking at. Is it someone repairing a magical fishing net or preparing fantastic fabric for the wedding of Giants? The play of light on the red and orange amidst the sea of blue is stunning. There is something both of Caravaggio and Eggleston in the image.

Artist’s Statement

The sense of adventure that comes with exploring new places and meeting new people is what keeps me interested in street photography. There are two reasons people travel. “The first is to see something new, the other is to experience something old”. I have long been a passionate photographer. Someone once said, "In photography, vision is the power of observation, it’s how you notice things that are worth capturing." I am always looking for that decisive moment, and constantly in search for that magical light, the texture of skin, interesting faces, and amazing eyes, but most of all, I try to capture that brief moment of interaction. I spend extended time getting to know the natural light, colors, shapes, textures and motion a defined area, that being a street, alleyway or even the face of a person who has grabbed my attention. . These images are all first printed on a clear acetate film then transferred to a Vietnamese Rice paper, (see Image #2).

FIRST PLACE

Memento Mori
Ron Hendricks
Poncha Springs, CO

Jurors’ Statement

We don’t know whether we are looking into the sightless face of a saint or a sinner. If photography had existed during sixteenth century Spain would this have been from the camera of an Inquisitor? The title “Memento Mori” suggests death, but was he waiting for it or being prepared for the tomb?

Artist’s Statement

I have spent a lifetime photographing a large variety of subjects not only around this country but around the world. However, as I enter my 70's I find myself looking more within than ever, wondering, questioning, despairing, hoping.... At the same time, I have also been turning the camera on myself. I'm not really sure why, maybe to help get a better look at what's really inside?

SECOND PLACE

Portrait of Verbena
Audrey Powles
Bingham, NE

Jurors’ Statement

There is no denying a very well-made photograph, especially one with a black calf lounging on an ornate golden ochre French settee.

Artist’s Statement

Young calves lounge on vintage chairs, each portrait a moment of quiet whimsy and unexpected grace. Lit and composed in the style of the old masters, these images borrow the language of classical portraiture—rich shadows, painterly tones, and formal stillness—to elevate the unexpected. The result is a gentle play of reverence and curiosity, where unlikely subjects meet timeless technique, inviting the viewer to pause, smile, and see the magic in simply being.

A striking juxtaposition of rustic charm and regal elegance, this portrait captures a pretty heifer calf named Verbena lounging gracefully on an ornate vintage sofa. The warm lighting and classic composition evoke a timeless, contemplative atmosphere that blends whimsy with sophistication.

THIRD PLACE

Chalice 34
Jamie Hankin
Kinderhook, NY

Juror’s Statement

We kept being drawn back to this group of images. They are familiar. They obliquely reference Dutch Still lives and 17th, 18th, and 19th Century religious Spanish Colonial art. This one in particular because of the judicious use of a strong red and a slight blue. The way the light plays on the metal of the pitchers and vessels and the atmospheric appearance of the image remind of oil paints and the application of layers of glazing. For us, a very evocative image.

Artist’s Statement

Dutch Still Life Painting. Beauty, wealth, pride, piety and entropy, all represented through symbolic objects. A collection of silverplate. An element found in the Dutch painting, sculptural, feminine shapes with Victorian embellishment. Design leading society, or the reverse? Objects mimicking the female form or informing it? Advertising inventing desire and place in society. Silverplate. A thin veneer of beauty and wealth over base metal. Tarnished. Entropy. From the very dear to the most mundane. The Sword and the Chalice. Male and female. The female chalice, the receptacle, the vessel and the grail. The chalice, not the opposite of the sword, not weak versus strong, but equal. Half of the equation of life. As I began to assemble these pieces, I began to see the faces of the women that went with the vessels. The myth, the mother, the warrior and with these faces, I am starting to see a kind of tapestry, a story woven through the intertwining symbolism of the individual parts.

HONORABLE MENTION

Happy Birthday, Princess
Fredonia, NY
Emilia Lineman

Jurors’ Statement

A beautiful, well-made image of humor and pathos. It’s a compositional gem. The choice of Black and White was perfect.

Artist’s Statement

Photography began for me as a way to document moments—to hold on to what felt fleeting. Over time, it has evolved into something far more meaningful: a lens through which I process the world, explore identity, and reflect on change—both external and internal. As I gained confidence, my focus shifted from how to take a picture to why I take it. That shift transformed my work from purely representational to deeply intentional. Each photo now carries a piece of who I am: a question I’m asking, a memory I’m holding onto, or a truth I’m trying to express. This body of work represents not just what I’ve seen, but how I’ve changed. It’s the story of learning to slow down, to listen more, and to see with greater clarity—not just through the lens, but in life.

HONORABLE MENTION

World View
Walter Plotnick
Elkins Park, PA

Jurors’ Statement

This body of work is compelling and fun to look at. The presentation along with the whimsey and irony are spot on.

Artist’s Statement

Surprise Inside Series: My photographic collages serve as a metaphor for anticipation, those moments when the unknown is being revealed. Pivotal moments when life turns a corner into new and exciting phases, a heightening of our awareness that brings us fully into the moment of discovering what's next. The implied act of opening the boxes, releases the energy of the occupants, allowing them to take flight. The people and objects confined within, through the simple act of unfolding, are exposed revealing what was previously hidden. I try to convey excitement, and energy in images that are playful, expressive, and nostalgically bring the viewer back to the joyful moments of anticipation felt in childhood.

HONORABLE MENTION

Ticket to Ride
Kristopher Schoenleber
Monmouth Junction, NJ

Jurors’ Statement

This is another of the images that we kept returning to. It is a very well composed image. The clarity of the pier and larger structure juxtaposed against the blurry motion of the water works wonderfully. It is also a stellar example of why Black and White is sometimes a better choice.

Artist’s Statement

Kristopher is an award-winning photojournalist, with 22 years in television news and 16 years in still photography. He specializes in landscape and nature fine art photography. His work has been featured in numerous art exhibits, locally and internationally, and several publications. Born and raised at the Jersey shore, he loves to travel and explore the world around him, always looking for his next magical capture.

Exhibiting Artists

Jurors: Amanda Smith and Kevin Tully Directors of A Smith Gallery, Johnson City, TX

Amanda Smith and Kevin Tully are the Directors of A Smith Gallery in Johnson City, Texas. Amanda started the gallery in 2010. Kevin came on board two years later. A Smith Gallery was a physical gallery until 2023 and is now a fine art online gallery. The gallery is a champion of the creative potential of the photographic process through exhibitions and workshops.

Amanda has a thirty year background as a photographer and educator. Amanda, through the gallery, has been a champion of the creative potential of the photographic process and has curated hundreds of exhibitions for the gallery. She has juried for numerous exhibitions including All About Photo, High and Dry, Analogue Forever, Dodho Magazine, Lamar University Alumni Art Exhibition, Texas Photographic Society, Slow Exposures and Critical Mass.

Amanda’s personal photographic work began in the darkroom and has now moved into the digital world. She has been selected for numerous juried and group exhibitions including most recently an honorable mention in the 25th Julia Margaret Cameron awards. Her work is included in several collections including the Wittliff Collections, Concordia University Austin and several private collections.

Kevin is a photographer, designer, writer and artist. He has over thirty-five years of experience as a landscape designer, furniture designer, fine art painter and photographer. Kevin has taught workshops on various aspects of art and photography for over twelve years. He has curated and installed hundreds of exhibitions for the gallery and has been a juror for numerous calls for entry for the gallery and local organizations, as well as international exhibitions including All About Photo, High and Dry, Analogue Forever, Dodho Magazine and Lamar University Alumni Art Exhibition.

Vison & Viewpoint
Juror’s Roundtable

A behind-the-scenes conversation with Amanda Smith and Kevin Tully, jurors for Vision & Viewpoint, the IPHF Annual Open Call photography competition.

Special Thanks to Our Jurors Amanda Smith & Kevin Tully and IPHF Director Rob Grimm.