As promised, a new feature of my blog, “Sincerely, Dr. Dan,” will be a monthly presentation of images from members of the Boynton Beach Camera Club, a club where I have been privileged to be a member for the past six years. I have already explained in a previous post that before becoming a member, I used to think that I was a good photographer. My patients used to enjoy seeing my images that I captured while traveling which I would post on the walls of my office. When I retired and had more time to devote to my hobby, I realized that I still had a long way to go to become a better photographer. By observing the high quality of many of the other members’ work along with their encouragement, my photographic skills have improved.
In appreciation of the high level of talent in our club, I will be interviewing one member at a time. I have requested that they choose their favorite images from their vast collections. They will explain why the five images that I have chosen demonstrate their special skills as a photographer.
My first featured Guest Photographer is Helen Pine, half of the “Chuck and Helen” team which has contributed so much to the success of the Boynton Beach Camera Club. Their pre-Pandemic soirées at their home were legendary and were often the inspiration for many new members to pursue a deeper interest in photography.
Helen’s interest in photography dates back to her childhood in the 1950s when she received her first gift of a Brownie camera. In the 1990s, she became more involved when she joined a camera club in New York City and was inspired by other members’ encouraging comments.
Helen is an expert in post-processing techniques using Photoshop, Topaz Studio and Nik software, to name just a few of the programs she uses on a regular basis with her images.
Since Helen and Chuck have traveled extensively, she has thousands of images to which she enjoys returning to discover another one which possesses her award-winning potential.
“The photograph is just the beginning,” Helen explains modestly. She can take an otherwise busy, crowded image and transform it into a masterpiece.
I would describe Helen’s style as “minimalist” since she is able to distill the unnecessary extraneous details from the original image in order to produce her unique version with that desired “Wow! factor.
In Palm Beach County, we are blessed to have several outstanding locations where herons, egrets, spoonbills, wood storks and many other species congregate in man-made, but naturally appearing sites.
Helen’s expertise in blending the color of the sky with the silhouettes of the people passing through the arch is seen in this image. The detail of the stone arch is brought out nicely.
Many of our club members are skilled at capturing bird images at Green Cay or Wakodahatchee Wetlands. The combination of the bird and its catch is what makes this a special image.
Helen captured this image by placing the camera on the ground at exactly the right angle to position the central flowers against the blue sky with the distant flowers serving as a frame on either side.
My favorite image of Helen’s is called “Rainy Day on Daytona Beach.” This location is one of Helen and Chuck’s favorite places to capture images of people and birds with the background of the Atlantic Ocean. I especially love the position of the child’s back foot and leg as she walks across the sandy beach. Helen uses the blank “white space” on the right side of the image to her advantage as a minimalist technique, forcing the viewer to focus on the child.
Helen and Chuck have taught many photographers to concentrate on subtlety. As Chuck often says, “Less is more.” Enhancing the small details in an image without being obvious or heavy-handed is the skill seen in all of Helen’s work. Each of the above images demonstrates the “Wow! factor” that all of us photographers are seeking in our own images.
Thanks to Helen Pine for allowing me to feature her work.
SINCERELY, DR. DAN 