SARANAC LAKE — “Infrared Adirondacks,” a collection of photographs by Phil Gallos, will be the featured show at the Adirondack Artists Guild for the month of February.
It will open on Friday, Feb. 2 with a reception from 5-7 p.m., right across the street from the Harrietstown Town Hall, where the coronation of the King and Queen of this year’s Winter Carnival will take place at 7:30 p.m. The exhibit will run through Sunday, March 3.
On Sunday, Feb. 4 at 3 p.m., Gallos will speak at the gallery about his developing interest in infrared photography, explain some of the technicalities and challenges of the medium, and describe how infrared fits his personal aesthetic. He will then give some background information on some of the images and will answer audience questions.
Born in Manhattan in 1948, Gallos received his first camera when he was 6 years old — a gift from his father — and has been photographing ever since. He learned basic darkroom technique from Bill McLaughlin, Sr., at the Adirondack Daily Enterprise in Saranac Lake, and worked for the Enterprise as a reporter/photographer/darkroom technician from 1971 to 1976. He studied photography under Helmmo Kinderman at the Lake Placid School of Art for four semesters, 1975-77. Phil made the transition from film to digital media in 2003.
In addition to the Enterprise, his photographs have appeared in a variety of publications over the last 45 years, including Adirondack Life magazine and the Adirondack Life Calendar. His work has been displayed in many juried and invitational shows as well as several solo exhibitions. His oeuvre includes architectural studies, landscapes, nature photography, night photography, nudes, portraits, and street photography. Gallos became interested in infrared photography while experimenting with infrared film in 1974. He began making infrared photographs digitally in 2008.
Fresh Pavement, Norman Ridge
(Photo taken by Phil Gallos)
Here is what he has to say about the upcoming exhibition at the Adirondack Artists Guild gallery.
“For some 15 years, I have been developing a body of photographic work featuring black and white infrared images of the Adirondacks. I call the project ‘Infrared Adirondacks.’ The photos are essentially landscapes but usually include evidence of human presence on the land. They are made with digital cameras, tripod mounted, using long exposures.
“These long exposures create an interesting and sometimes compelling tension between objects that are moving and objects that are stationary, where moving objects are blurred and stationary ones are sharp,” he added. “In a sense, this provides the images with an enhanced dimensionality. Furthermore, because deciduous foliage and herbaceous plants reflect 80% or more of the infrared spectrum while water and open sky absorb it, the result is an unexpected and rather extreme contrast between vegetation and sky/water that gives many of the images a dreamlike quality. The conversion of infrared to grayscale further accentuates this effect.
“Since 2020, I have been engaged in a new aspect of the project in which I have been creating wide-angle images. These are often darker and more softly focused at the periphery, tending to draw the observer toward the center while still being aware of the edges and lending yet another layer of dimensionality. The images have been digitally tinted, much as I used to tint prints in the chemical darkroom using selenium or gold toners.”
Gallos lives and works in Saranac Lake.
The Adirondack Artists Guild is a cooperative retail art gallery representing a diverse group of artists residing and working in the Tri-Lakes region of the Adirondack Park. The gallery is located at 52 Main St., Saranac Lake, 518 891-2615. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, visit www.adirondackartistsguild.com.
