DAVE MONTGOMERY

About the Artist

Dave Montgomery has been interested in photography since he recorded his trip to Europe in 1955. He has been a vacation photographer while educating himself by observing work of other artists. In 2000 he began to experiment with the digital enhancement and manipulation of images scanned from slides and photos. His purchase of a digital camera in 2002 converted him to pixels. Since 2004, his work has been in more than 100 juried shows, winning awards at Strathmore Hall, The Art League, and Alexandria City Hall. He exhibited at Strathmore Hall Arts Center (North Bethesda, MD); The Art League (Alexandria, VA); Friendship Heights Village Center (Chevy Chase, MD); Campagna and Durant Centers (Alexandria, VA); Washington Gallery of Photography (Bethesda, MD); Light Street Gallery (Baltimore, MD); Touchstone Gallery (Washington, DC); City Hall, Alexandria, VA; Cooper Carry architectural firm (Alexandria, VA); Montpelier Arts Center (Laurel, MD); Middle Street Gallery ("Little Washington," VA), Orchard Gallery (Bethesda, MD), Harmony Hall (Ft. Washington, MD), Circle Gallery (Annapolis, MD), Gallery B (Bethesda, MD), Quiet Waters Park (Annapolis, MD), the Sandy Spring Museum (MD), the Delaplaine Art Center (Frederick, MD), the Collington Gallery (Mitchellville, MD). In addition, he has exhibited in small galleries, cafes, libraries, and churches in the DC area. He won two County competitions.

Artist's Statement

As the degree of "enhancement" of a digital photograph increases, at some level there is a new medium, digital composition. In this medium, the creative process is different from the process in straight photography. Digital composition starts with an idea. The idea may be prompted by a photograph, but it is also possible for the stimulus to be an independent observation or thought. At an early stage of the creative process, Dave looks through his portfolio of previously-captured photographic images hoping to find some of the elements necessary to transform the idea into the digital file that can be printed. As often as not, his digital camera must capture necessary additional elements. As a variation on the theme, he creates "digitally stitched" photographic panoramas. He shoots a series of digital photos to cover everything desired in one scene, then combines the series in the computer to produce a seamless result. In another variation, he creates diptychs in the computer. Still, there will always be a place for the discipline of straight (single-source) photography. The point is not that either path is superior but that both paths are legitimate. Digital composition increases freedom and opportunity for creativity relative to straight photography, while straight photography presents a different kind of challenge in finding and capturing the right, existing image.