Distinctive image: featuring … Fred Greene, FPSA, EPSA - Cover Story

The PSA Journal is proud to present the third photographer in our invitational series "Distinctive Image" and this time we feature one of the Society's finest portrait artists: Fred Greene, FPSA, EPSA, of Halifax, Nova Scotia (following Reginald Wickham, APSA, PPSA and M. Craig Carver, FPSA, PPSA).

A prolific and successful exhibitor, Fred has amassed medals, ribbons, awards as well as many, many "acceptances" in international salons. Journal readers will remember the November 2002 cover that was one of Fred Greene's many Best of Show awards, this one in the 2002 PSA International Exhibition in Class A Color Print section. His outstanding record includes being first in Who's Who of the Society 10 times in Color Slide Division for North America and many Top Ten distinctions in various divisions of Who's Who, including first in the world in Color Prints. His salon record includes top exhibit levels in Color Slide, Photo Travel, Monochrome and Color Prints, Photojournalism, and Nature sections. His judging record is also extensive in PSA-approved salons, as well as many other venues. Fred is successful in many other classes of competition and is well known for his expertise. He joined PSA in 1978 and was named a Fellow of the Society in 2000. His home camera club is the Photo Guild of Nova Scotia. Those in attendance at the annual PSA Conference in San Diego will remember the evening presentation of "Sails in the Wind," a multi-projector show of the Tall Ships event of Nova Scotia in summer 2000. Fred co-presented that show after chairing the impressive photographic record of that event.

Fred Greene has been active in PSA as the chairman of the Exhibition Standards Committee for over five years, plus other activities. Likewise, Fred is active in the Canadian Association for Photographic Art (CAPA) where he is chairman of the Honors Committee and has other responsibilities. He has been elected a Fellow of both PSA and CAPA!

With all of his activities of volunteer service and his outstanding exhibition record, readers will want to know about his photography most of all: he is versatile in his subject matter, but he is most well known for his stunning portraits, a few of which are shown in these pages. Fred Greene's `distinctive images' are his masterful portraits of both men and women. The Journal is pleased to share with readers one facet of the impressive work of another exceptional PSA member!

The Technique

All the portrait images were made in a small basement home studio using transparency film, which was scanned. The images were then corrected and manipulated with my G3 (upgraded to G4) Macintosh computer using Photoshop[R] 7 software. Photoshop Layers was used extensively in order to save the adjustments and manipulations such as "retouching" the eye whites, retina color and contrast, lip color and contrast, catch-light intensity, hair color and contrast, background color and intensity, etc.

As with all photography the following factors are most important to a successful portrait: Subject Impact/Interest, Personal Style (Technique/Creativity), Composition, Lighting, Contrast, Color, Technical Quality and Presentation.

Non-professional "girl next door" models are used and various posing, lighting, diffusions and other techniques are used to create an image that will glamorize, emphasizing her best features and shadow is used to de-emphasize problem areas. The model must relate to the viewer, accepting, welcoming and inviting the viewer's gaze. Her expression must convey a thought, intention, emotion, or project personal warmth to indicate her feelings and character; a simple smile, the look of confidence, a slightly questioning look, a mildly aggressive or vulnerable look, a fresh look, a smoldering look, or the look from across the room!

Note: Readers may wish to order "Portraiture in the Studio" from the PSA Journal's Reprint Series (see back cover of this Journal.)

RELATED ARTICLE: Artist's statement.

I have always had the need to record things that I like and photography has been a wonderful way for one who has neither the time nor the patience to do so by other means. I will never be a painter, for example, but I like to make my mark as a photographic artist. Although I love landscapes, nature, PJ and other photography, I especially enjoy making portraits. To me, being able to produce an image that beautifully represents the individual in front of my lens, that shows the inner self of the person, that makes the portrait come to life--that is the epitome of fine portraiture.

My approach to portraiture is simple, I wish to make the best possible image of the model--one that will glamorize the female model or dramatize the male model--in order to make a strong visual statement of their best features and expression using my imagination and experience.

I continue to experiment and try to improve my portraits in each and every session and I have altered my style many times over the years. I rely on my instincts and experience to tell me whether strong or subtle color is essential, a monochrome image is desirable, or "selective hand coloring" is the best medium to bring out the sensuality of a female portrait or the strengths in a male character. The use of many different types and qualities of light, and their effects on shadow detail, often make my portrait images distinctive from those of others.