Huronia Business Times – August 2008

I am excited to be featured in this month’s edition of the Huronia Business Times, in their technology and internet feature section. The article was written by the fabulously talented Michele Lawson from Quill Communications. 

Here is the article if you didn’t see it in print:

 

Eye for Detail: Jennifer Klementti says there’s much more to photography than just point and shoot

by Michele Lawson

Deceptive simplicity.

Point-and-shoot digital cameras make the art of photography seem easy to achieve, but there’s a mile-wide chasm between a strong snapshot and a professional product, says acclaimed photographer Jennifer Klementti.

“The thing people need to remember is that it takes more than professional equipment to produce an image with strong visual impact,” says Klementti, who, as a graduating student form Victoria’s Western Academy of Photography, was named Canada’s 2003 Emerging Artist by Photolife Magazine. More recently, she was chosen as Barrie’s Favourite Photographer in the 2007 Barrie Advance Reader’s Choice Awards.

“A trained and experienced professional photographer will have the necessary technical knowledge, as well as a solid visual style and artistic approach. Not only do you need the ability to capture the best exposure in camera, but you also need to be an imaging specialist, providing high-end post-production services in order to deliver the best possible end product.” Specializing in documentary, lifestyle and portrait photography, Klementti stays on top of her game by continually seeking out new innovations and technical advances.

“I don’t think there’s a day that goes by where I’m not learning something new.”

Happily for the uninitiated, consumer cameras do most of the processing work inside the camera. Some manual settings can override automatic features and photo software will allow input after the fact, but the equipment is designed to lend a helping hand in the process.

While there is a place and time for snapshots, Klementti says, they don’t take the place of a professionally-crafted image.

In her state-of-the-art Barrie studio, Klementti uses a series of cameras to capture a “raw” file, which is really only half the job. Post-production requires attention be paid to the whit balance, exposure fine-tuning and density of the file, for example.

“You have to have a perfect or near-perfect capture to start with,” says Klementti, who is the only certified member of the Canadian Association of Photographers and Illustrators north of Toronto.

 

Photo courtesy of my wonderful husband Casey George.

Toronto Camera Club Lecture – March 27th, 2008

I was happy to be invited to speak at the Toronto Camera Club for their 2007/2008 Lecture Series. My lecture was entitled “Using the Camera as a Tool of Expression”, and focused mainly on my documentary street photography as well as principles of element and design. Here are some of my notes from the lecture to share with you…

Documentary Street Photography:

. Fine Art – Documentary

 -This next series of images from my “Mobile Home” Collection – 2003 art exhibition & ongoing personal work

-Mobile Home: “A study of the Modern Urban Experience”

 Artist Statement: This exhibition took place in 2003 in Barrie, and is also an ongoing personal project of mine. The collection consists of a series of images of the urban environment. The title, named after one of my favourite images “Mobile Home” has deep meaning to me, as for much of my twenties I lived a very mobile existence.  Wandering, exploring, living and experiencing through the lens of my 35 mm camera.  These images are a tribute to the beauty that can be found in the urban environment that we live in.  Many times we go about our daily business, and ignore or are imperceptive to the inspiration that can be found in our surroundings.  The people, the architecture, the graininess of the road we travel, the small details that go unnoticed, the spirit and essence of all the energy that came together to create our modern urban centres.   The cities become alive with a vitality and spirit that perhaps we can attribute to the human energy that went into building them and to keeping them alive.  In smaller communities these so-called city centres, or downtown cores, are quickly becoming vacant, often dilapidated, and some may even say ‘seedy’ reminders of a once vibrant communal gathering place.  This is a global phenomenon.  The downtown streets are becoming ever lonelier, as it’s citizens flock to the malls, and to the massive box stores where one can consume in an organized and timely fashion.  The massive corporate advertising engine has succeeded in covertly convincing society that the goods available in mass quantity are essential to the enrichment of our lives.  Of course we begin to wonder whose lives are being en’riched’

 We wander through the streets in search of life, art identity, a common ground, and a sense of community that give meaning to our existence.

 Notes from the slideshow…

-pretty much what really inspired me to pursue photography as a lifestyle and career, and has completely transformed my entire being, and has brought such balance, inspiration, creativity, passion and love to my life.  Photography is very experiential, a way of life, it’s about seeing the subtleties of our existence.  As a photographer, I often submerge myself into my surroundings, keeping and open mind and being aware of the spontaneity and interaction of life around me.  Photography is art, intuition and poetic expression. Before becoming a professional photographer, I attained a degree in French and Spanish literature, which truly opened my eyes to a culturally rich and diverse world of art, language, history and culture.  It was through living abroad and traveling that I became enamoured with the camera as a tool of expression.  The language of photography is not confined to words and sentences. It’s a language that crosses borders, and communicates directly with the soul. For me it is very easy to understand the journey of how I became a photographer….it’s all about communication.

 I find inspiration from various different artists and their different mediums of expression. Some of the photographers that have inspired me are Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Mexican photographer, 1902-2002, whose work was firmly rooted in his love and compassionate understanding of his own country, its people, their problems and their needs.  Bravo was well respected amongst his peers. Another of my favourite photographers is Henri Cartier-Bresson, 1908-2004. Of course a famous quote from Cartier-Bresson “To photograph is to hold one’s breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality.  It’s at that precise moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy. Cartier-Bresson coined the term “the decisive moment” which many documentary photographers strive to accomplish in their own work.

 I believe that in any expressive art form, is always great to nurture your creativity, and develop your own unique style. I also find inspiration in my everyday life that fuels my creativity and expression in photography. I think that you need to keep learning and connecting with people and really experiencing life to the fullest to truly be able to bring depth to your art.

Throughout the slideshow presentation, I also showed some of my images made from alternative photographic processes, such as Projections, Emulsion Lifts and Polaroid Transfers….oh, how sad it is that Polaroid has stopped it’s production of film!!! Here are some short explanations on each of these processes.

Projections:

-projecting a transparency with a slide projector of an image onto a model in the studio, your main exposure is metered from the projection…in my examples, my main exposure was one second

-exposing for the light of the image projected on the model, and then setting lighting to produce a white background…which was 2 stops above the main exposure

Polaroid Transfers – when you use a slide projector such as the Vivitar Slide Printer, the one that I use, you are taking a picture of your slide onto a Polaroid, and after exposing the image on the Polaroid, you don’t allow it to fully develop. By interrupting the development time, you can transfer the “negative” onto another material. Most often I will use watercolour paper. The dyes in the film are transferred by the use of heat and pressure. I usually use a small rolling pin

 Emulsion Lifts – begin with your slide printer, and load with Polaroid 669 film,  allow the image to fully develop and dry on the Polaroid. Then fill a tray with hot tap water and a second with warm tap water. Immerse the Polaroid face up in the hot water for about 2 – 4 minutes, when you see the bubbles on the print, you can then transfer it to the warm water bath and gently push the emulsion layer from the edges of the print and peel it away from the backing.  Carefully remove the emulsion using some paper, or whatever you are using to transfer on to. It is very delicate at this point, but once it is on your intended transfer material, you can begin to manipulate the image however you like.

Principles of Element and Design that I touched on…

Golden Mean – artistically appealing proportion. The Golden mean was a mathematical formula established by the Ancient Greeks, which is defined as the point that divided a line into tow parts in such a manner that the smaller part was in proportion to the larger part as the larger part was to the entire line. The formula is .618034 or roughly 5/8^th.  A golden rectangle can then be formed and repeated…when you put this all together you can produce a golden spiral where the most dominant point of the image is at the 5/8ths…. The Golden Mean is an expressive harmony of ideal proportions

Rule of Thirds – a compositional guide

-if you place the centre of interest at the intersection of any of the vertical or horizontal lines to produce harmony in the image with the theory being that your photo will become more balanced…a safe approach to composition but should never be the only approach

-These are both great theories in practice, but it is also important to break rules as well and to experiment

Bio:

 Jennifer Klementti is a documentary, lifestyle and portrait photographer based out of Barrie, Ontario. She is a graduate of the Western Academy of Photography in Victoria, BC. Her lifestyle and editorial photography has been published in various international magazines such as Air New Zealand In-flight Magazine, N.Z. Life & Leisure and N.Z. Better Homes and Gardens. Her fine art work has been published in Boulevard and Photolife magazines. In 2003, Photolife Magazine recognized Jennifer as one of Canada’s emerging talents.

Her group exhibitions include:

Urban Visions 07, MacLaren Art Centre, 2007

Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts, Collingwood, ON – 2003

Light Sensitive Group Exhibition, The Community Arts Council of Greater Victoria- 2003

 Journeys Group Exhibition, Barrie, ON – 2002.

 

Voted Barrie’s Favourite Photographer Reader’s Choice 2007

As published in the Barrie Advance:

Jennifer Klementti Photography – Favourite Photographer

The creative vision of Jennifer Klementti Photography, has earned Jennifer the honour of being this year’s Readers’ Choice for Favourite Photographer.  With a creative eye for detail, Jennifer’s portraiture demonstrates photographic art at it’s best.  Her capacity to capture a moment in time, or a specific emotion as it unfolds, brings enormous satisfaction and affords fond reminiscence for her clients.  Specializing in Black and White portraiture, she is also highly skilled in lifestyle, editorial, and documentary photography. “The camera is a great tool of expression.  It’s a way of using a language that crosses borders.  It’s a visual medium that can express so much honesty, emotion and beauty.”  Perhaps it is through her natural talent as well as her “Celebrate the Art of Life” philosophy and approach to business ethics, that she is this year’s favourite.  While her main focus is on people and lifestyle photography, Jennifer’s versatility leaves her in high demand for commercial and industrail advertising, in addition to stunning aerial work.  A long-standing relationship with photographic art and her roots well planted in photographic artistry exhibitions, Jennifer’s work has been published in numerous national and international magazines.  Focused on customer service excellence, as well as her visionary artistic flair, ensures that every client receives her best possible work, in the form of high quality portraits, exceptional wedding photography, stunning lifestyle work for editorial and commercial clients.  

 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of my clients as well as the people of the City of Barrie for voting me as this year’s favourite photographer! Thank you very much for your continued support!

Cheers,

Jennifer

 

 

Good Life Magazine – Urban Visions 07 – June/July 2007

Urban Visions 07: Shore/lines

Good Life Magazine published an article featuring the MacLaren Art Centre’s Urban Visions 07. Here is an excerpt of the article, written by Lucy Purdy…

“A stroll through the back alleys of downtown Barrie and the city’s public spaces has never been so colourful, inspiring and entertaining.  With art popping up in some of the most unexpected locations, the town is abuzz with the beautification that is Urban Visions 07.  A collaboration of the MacLaren Art Centre, the City of Barrie, Downtown Barrie Business Associations, and a number of talented artists, installations have begun to enhance the environment with a variety of eclectic and original works.  Sarah Beveridge, exhibit curator welcomes the public to come by the gallery, pick up a passport and enjoy a walk through the city and along the Kempenfelt Bay shorelines to witness its transformation.  ”People are really excited about it in terms of activation of these spaces and how they are coming to life,? Beveridge said, adding that there’s a playful energy which has been injected into sites such as the city hall fountain.  Submissions to take part took place in January for the outdoor exhibitions which is the MacLarne Art Centre’s third installment of the ongoing biennial series Shore/lines.  Regional artists as well as those from Montreal, Toronto, Mississauga, and Colburn vied for a position on Barrie’s tabula Rosa….” 

I was very thrilled to have taken part in Urban Visions 07, not only as an artist, but also as a business sponsor. My work was hosted by Ego Menswear, located at 25 Dunlop Street East, and I hosted an installation by Jesse Coughlin, stone mason by trade, in front of my studio located at 96 Mary Street in the downtown core. 

“This is the third installment of a biennial series of site specific art projects that respond directly to the environment and place.” 

My collection of photographs for this art project was entitled “Content of Character”…and here’s my artist statement as printed in the passport…

As a local photographer, Klementti draws her inspiration from the streets of her everyday life.  Her work portrays the vignettes of life in an urban environment with each photo telling a story.  In this project she has allowed it it develop organically through her sojourn in the streets, absorbing the spontaneity, interaction and energy of the life around her.  Jennifer Klementti is a documentary, lifestyle and portrait photographer based out of Barrie, Ontario.  

Here’s my personal artist statement as well…

“As a photographer, I often immerse myself in my surroundings, keeping an open mind and being aware of the interaction of life around me. It was through stepping inside the various restaurants, boutiques and shops and connecting with the business owners that I really began to feel the essence and the soul of the downtown core. These beautiful people and the unique environments that they create fuel the spirit with their individuality, vitality and character. The entire project was photographed with existing natural light, and the Giclées are printed on archival Photo Rag papers.” – Jennifer Klementti

This was truly a great experience to be involved with this art exhibition! 

Here are also a few extra images that weren’t exhibited…following…

 

Boulevard Magazine – May/June 2003

Boulevard magazine published an article featuring the work of four graduating students from the Western Academy of photography, as well as information about the first-ever graduating class exhibit that was organized by the students. The seven-day event ran from May 22-28, 2003 hosted by the Community Arts Council of Greater Victoria. 

Excerpt from the article…

“….Student Jennifer Klementti is also interested in our responses to modern society and the contrasting influences of urban and natural landscapes. A former high school French and Spanish teacher, she has travelled extensively in Asia and Europe, taking many pictures en route.  Klementti has gleaned a great deal of technical information from her courses.  She has been encouraged by peers and teachers to take her work in a fine art direction.  ”To be surrounded my so many other creative people is truly inspiring,” she says.  For her “volume” assignment, Klementti manipulated a photo of a cala lily leaf to create a subtle and powerful erotic image called Isis.

The image published in the magazine is entitled “Spirit of Detroit”, shot in 2002 in downtown Detroit. 

 

 

I am also posting “Isis” as well, because the image was mentioned in the article…This image was shot in 2003 on Vancouver Island. This image was actually a mistake in the darkroom…the print was not given enough time, and the contrast setting was much to high which gave this image looking more like a pencil drawing rather than a photograph. This was my starting point, where I then continued working on the print with creative dodging and burning to produce this end result.

 

 

PhotoLife Magazine – Tomorrow’s Talent Revealed, September 2003

Every year, Photolife Magazine publishes a Student Special revealing the emerging talent graduating from the photography schools across North America. I was honoured to have been selected amongst many of my peers from the Western Academy of Photography as well as other emerging talent from across Canada and the United States. The image that was published was entitled “Mobile Home”. This image was shot on 35 mm film, Kodak TriX, handheld and deliberate motion which was completely spontaneous, but gives this image an ethereal sense of isolation. This image was made in the lower east side of Vancouver in 2003. This image later became the main image in a solo exhibition “Mobile Home” – A study of the modern urban experience. This exhibition took place at the Cafe of Life  from January 10th – March 31st, 2004. The exhibition consisted mainly of  documentary black and white street photography.