October, 2006 Exhibit Featured
Scott Youmans Photography

      Exhibits in our Visitor Center art gallery lean toward a terrestrial point of view: interpretations of botany, flowers and nature most often expressed through painting and photography. Our October, 2006, guest artist was Phoenix resident Scott Youmans, who embarked on photography 40 years ago as a boy growing up in Phoenix - and with a child's fascination for aircraft and the vast Arizona sky.

      "As a child I loved airplanes and spent hours drawing them and building models. I spent entire days at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix with my Kodak Instamatic in hand. When I was in High School my father bought a 35mm camera -- which I assumed ownership of in short order. This early interest in photographing airplanes gave me a good deal of technical experience, and it wasn't long before I began to expand my subject matter to include nature."

      "One of my primary goals in photography is to really see what is in front of me and to identify the essence of what makes a particular scene or object interesting or beautiful. Artful images surround us; certain elements, once you recognize them, draw you into a scene that might otherwise be overlooked. Photography enables you to stop the clock so that others can appreciate the beauty of a scene outside of the context in which it originated. Photography is a means of sharing a fleeting gem of a moment. Images in my exhibit were taken in Arizona and recurring themes reflect what inspires me the most: the sky and clouds; objects of simple beauty and, of course, airplanes!"

      Youmans explains how one particular image reveals much about himself: "
'Windmill'   combines dramatic sky with an aerodynamic device, and the peaceful setting is contrasted with a dramatic storm brewing in the background. The photo was taken near Sonoita when I traveled to visit friends near Douglas. As I drove south from Tucson I could see an eerie green glow beneath a huge thunderhead directly in my path. Passing through the storm I was surrounded by incredibly heavy rain, wind, and numerous close lightning strikes. When I emerged the sun broke out of the clouds, casting a brilliant light on the foreground. I pulled off the road and set up my tripod and camera, making only a few exposures before the light receded. This was a perfect example of the combination of being blessed by circumstances, recognizing them, and being prepared for them all at the same time." Youmans captured the indelible image seen at right with a Nikon F100, Nikon 24-120 lens on Fuji Reala print film. The negative was scanned on a Nikon Super Coolscan 9000 scanner. "I find the greatest rewards result from recognizing those magical moments when the subject and the light come together to create a classic image. The opportunities are often subtle and elusive. It is all too easy to be overwhelmed by the breadth of a view while completely missing a gem contained in one tiny part of the scene."

      "I am often asked whether I use film or digital. Currently I use both, but I am happiest with the results from my digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) compared to 35mm film. Medium format film (120/220) is a different matter. There is nothing quite like looking at a large sharp transparency on the light table. An event that led me to take photography more seriously was the purchase of an old Kodak Duaflex II at an antique store in Upstate New York. I completely rebuilt and put it to use. It used 620 medium format film and had the same square format as a Hasselblad. The clarity of the images amazed me -- at the time being far better than what I was getting with my 35mm. The quest for better image quality had begun!"

      Works on exhibit ranged in price from $175 to $475; for other details visit the website www.scyphoto.com or phone the artist at 602. 625. 7429

      "Another turning point was my purchase of a film scanner about ten years ago. This enabled me to digitize both 35mm and medium format film which could then be printed at home from my personal computer. It also freed me from the often frustrating experience of having my photographs printed at a lab. In many ways this was a more significant step toward the digital era than the later introduction of digital cameras themselves. Although I still shoot some medium format film using a Mamiya 7 and Fuji GW 690, nearly all of my photographs are now taken with a Canon digital SLR and Canon lenses. My professional life has included aircraft design, technical illustration and technical publications management." Youmans' photography was featured in the Fall, 2004 issue of Arizona Lifestyles magazine. He belongs to the International Society for Aviation Photography (ISAP), and just completed a year-long project for the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson. Some 300 photographs of the museum collection and facilities will accompany histories of each aircraft written by the Assistant Curator James Stemm; their book is expected to reach stores in early 2007.

      Boyce Thompson Arboretum is at highway 60 milepost #223 near the historic copper mining town of Superior, a drive of about 45 minutes due East of Mesa or 45 minutes West of Globe-Miami. During Fall and Winter months admission is taken from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. so our final admitted visitors have an hour to enjoy the trails before the Arboretum closes promptly at 5:00 p.m. New exhibits begin each month in the gallery and may be seen daily during business hours; the Arboretum is an Arizona State Park and daily admission must be paid to enter the Visitor Center where the gallery is found. Admission is $7.50 for adults and $3 for ages 5-12. Annual memberships at the Arboretum begin at $45, and include a year's access, guest passes for your friends and family, along with many other benefits. A membership may be purchased in the gift shop on the day of your visit. To review other recent gallery shows from...

September, 2006 CLICK HERE
July-August, 2006 CLICK HERE
June-July, 2006 CLICK HERE
April-May, 2006 CLICK HERE
March, 2006 CLICK HERE
February, 2006 CLICK HERE
January, 2006 CLICK HERE
December CLICK HERE
November CLICK HERE
October CLICK HERE
September CLICK HERE
July/August CLICK HERE
June/July CLICK HERE
May CLICK HERE
April CLICK HERE
March CLICK HERE
February CLICK HERE
January CLICK HERE
December CLICK HERE