Image Credit: Sillas Verdes © 2023 Pete Fredlake
Arizona Photography Alliance’s first Juried Theme Gallery online exhibition was a huge success. Part of the prize was the opportunity for the winning photographers to share their thoughts about the work they submitted in relation to the theme “Show Us Your Muse.” Here is Honorable Mention 2 winner, Pete Fredlake.
AZPA: How did you get started in photography?
PF: I taught high school English in Arizona for 30 years, but not until I worked as a museum educator in Washington, DC, did I begin to learn photography. In preparation for an assignment in Rwanda in 2010, our photography staff gave me a Canon Mark V and told me to shoot, shoot and shoot some more. Since I’d never used a digital camera, much less a machine like the Mark V, I had to learn on the fly and learn by doing. Upon returning, two of my images were selected for the front and back covers of the museum’s annual report and my colleagues continued to mentor me along my photographic journey.
AZPA: What are your thoughts on the Juried Theme Gallery for AZPA?
PF: Since I’m new to the organization, this gave me the opportunity to get to know the work of fellow photographers in AZPA and to get my work in front of people who might not otherwise see it. This theme in particular forced me to look at my work and ask,
“What moves me to make a photo?” I’d suggest displaying all the photos in the annual AZPA members’ show.
AZPA: What was your process in selecting your image(s) for “Show Us Your Muse”?
PF: I dug through my files to find my most successful photos. From there, I clustered them into groups while humming “one of these things is not like the other” from Sesame Street, and I ended up with several clumps of photos and asked, “Why?” for each. Thus, I ended up with photos where I was surprised to discover color where I least expected it.
AZPA: What are your thoughts on being a winner for the first Juried Theme Gallery online exhibition?
PF: I keep in mind something my colleague Arnold Kramer — who studied and worked under Minor White — said to me: “Every time we press the shutter button, we redefine beauty.” I’ve always loved this image, and I’m glad someone else recognizes its beauty.