Pete Hellmann
434-982-4715 fax
434-996-2508 voice
http://HellmannPhoto.com
6980 Green Creek Road
Schuyler, Virginia 22969
Artist's Statement
The photography bug bit me at a young age when my father allowed
me to use his Leica 35 mm rangefinder camera in grade school. My first
photographs were not always in focus, but this began my interest in
capturing images. Later in life I found that hiking and exploring nature
was a welcome stress reliever and started spending a great deal of time
outdoors. It was during this period of my life that I started photographing
nature.
I have always thought a photograph should represent what is perceived by
the human eye rather than what is simply reproduced by the camera. The
technical accuracy captured in the viewfinder and produced by film is
the first step to creating a good photograph. Taking this information a
step further and creating what an individual remembers, and how they
interpret what they see, is what separates fine art photography from
photojournalism.
While nature has always held my interest I have come to realize
that it is the interaction of colors and light that truly make a
beautiful photograph. Whether a photograph captures the surreal colors of the
American southwest, or the stark realities of the Alaskan wilderness,
the blending and bending of light in nature never ceases to be visually stunning.
Color and composition allow the imagination to take flight which can lead
to new viewpoints and opinions.
Personal History
Although I am known as a photographer, I am also well known in the
field of computer systems design. I have created computer systems that have helped researchers
crack the human genome as well as created medical computing solutions for researchers
and pharmaceutical companies.
After years of designing computer systems, using the technical side of my brain, I am
now using computers to exercise the artistic side of my brain. I continue to be amazed
by the accuracy and fine control made possible with the digital darkroom process.
Member Affiliations
The Center for Fine Art Photography
The Lynchburg Academy of Fine Arts
The Blacksburg Regional Council for the Arts
The James River Arts Council
National Association of Photoshop Professionals
Exhibitions and Shows
Exhibitions and Shows - 2007
New River Art 2007 at the Perspective Gallery in Blacksburg,
Virginia, Oct 30th - Dec 7th. Awarded Best Photography by juror Susan Bloom,
Professor of Art and Chair of the Department of Art and Art History at McDaniel
College in Maryland.
Snap to Grid, a non-juried group show at the Los Angeles
Center for Digital Art in Los Angeles, California, Sept. 13th to Oct 4th.
Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine, August 2007, third place winner of the
BRO photography contest co-sponsored by Richmond Camera, Virginia Tourism Corporation
and Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine
Stolen Moments III sponsored by the Scottsville Council
for the Arts in Scottsville, Virginia from July 27th - August 25th.
Awarded Best in Show and 1st Place Landscape by jurors Jim Carpenter,
Ben Greenberg and Jack Cacciatore.
"Scotopic Vision" Solo Show at the Academy of Fine Arts in
Lynchburg, Virginia from July 13th - August 24th
Art of Digital Imagery presented by the Center for Fine
Art Photography in Fort Collins, Colorado from June 15th - July 14th.
Juried by George DeWolf, senior editor of Camera Arts magazine.
Local Virginia Photographers group exhibition presented
by the Scottsville Council for the Arts in Scottsville, Virginia from
April 20th - May 13th.
Exhibitions and Shows - 2006
The Art of Digital Photography Show Group Slide Show from
Oct 6th - Nov. 19th at the Lyceum Theater Gallery in San Diego, California.
The juror was Hugh Davis, Directory of the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego.
Annual Juried Photography Show sponsored by the Academy
of Fine Art in Lynchburg, Virginia from Sept. 1 - Sept 29. Juried
by Pam Fox, Adjunct Professor of Photography, Hampton Sydney College.