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Tim Bellhouse Seeing in Black and White

Kawartha Art Gallery
190 Kent St W, 2nd Floor
Lindsay
705 324.1780
art@kawarthagallery.com
www.kawarthagallery.com
instagram.com/kawarthagallery
facebook.com/kawarthaartgallery

Hours
Tuesday through Saturday: 10 am to 4 pm
Sunday, Monday: Closed

Artist Talk and Reception
Saturday, April 6
2 pm to 4 pm

Tim Bellhouse
Bethany
705 878.7395
tbellhouse99@gmail.com
www.timbellhouse.ca

Seeing in Black and White

I feel that there are three fundamental aspects associated with photography – light, the ability to see, and previsualizing the image to be created.

The fact that we need light to be able to see and to make some sort of photographic exposure is obvious. But more than that, it is because of the light that we have bright areas and dark areas, quite simply, areas of light and shadow. These areas of light and shadow create areas of contrast. Light allows us to see the shape of things, while shadows help to give them form – light gives us visual structure.

We are constantly looking at what is around us, but do we always see? Seeing, truly seeing, is about being able to perceive something more within a particular scene, something that specifically draws our attention. Why did I stop to take a closer look? What impact is it having on me? Is there something, a mood or a feeling, that has drawn my attention - does it speak to me?

Previsualization is like a roadmap, taking the photographer from an initial scene to a perceived final destination with all the steps along the way, the destination being the photograph. Having figured out what it is that has caught my attention, an idea starts to develop, and in my ‘mind’s eye’ an image begins to take shape. Then the analysis begins on how to create that image. How do I separate that which interests me, from what does not contribute to my vision, to the story that I want to tell. Finally, it is about seeing or imagining how the final photograph is to appear.

These fundamental aspects apply to both colour, and black and white photography. However, colour can, at times, be a distraction when trying to tell a story or convey a mood or a feeling. Sometimes, converting an image to black and white can simplify a scene, focus the viewers’ attention, and thereby make the message more readily apparent.

We see the world in colour. The challenge, therefore, is to be able to see, or at least imagine, how an image will look in black and white and whether-or-not the story is best told in colour, or in black and white. While any colour photograph can be converted to black and white, not every colour image should be converted to black and white. Some colour images simply do not translate well into black and white. Therefore, it is best to be able to plan ahead, to previsualize the image in black and white, rather than take a photograph in colour on the hope that it will work in black and white.

Ultimately, a photograph is about expression, expression of not only what was seen, but also about what was felt, it is about the photographer’s vision – it is about the photographer! So, these photographs are an expression of how I view the world.

Tim Bellhouse

I graduated high school in Lindsay in 1971 and during the following summer travelled to the west coast of Canada with camera in hand. This trip was my first experience in travel and really sparked my interest in photography. I am a self-taught photographer and have been making photographs ever since that trip.

After graduating high school, I went on to university, achieving degrees in zoology and biology. I worked across the province as a biologist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources for 35 years, retiring in 2012.

Through my photographs I hope to raise the viewer’s awareness of the world that surrounds them, and in so doing, to inspire in them a greater appreciation for the natural world and all that they see and experience. After all, we are simply stewards of the world in which we live, and future generations will inherit whatever we pass on to them.

For me, printing my photographs is the final stage of the creative process. Without printing, my images are simply memories found in a slide deck or on a hard drive. Printing is much easier now than when I began photography 50 years ago. In 2007 I joined the Kawartha Photographers Guild, a group of photographers whose goal is the presentation of the printed photograph. This has allowed me to develop skills without which I might not have been able to present these photographs to you.

To learn more about the Kawartha Photographers Guild, visit our website at www.kawarthaphotographersguild.com. and our 2024 SPARK Photo Festival Exhibit.