Behind The Curtain - by Steven A. Jones, photographer
Jerry Berry is a photographer whose curious and illusionary Â
work frames a unique interpretation of life.Â
I recently visited Mr. Berry to get a larger view of his work. HeÂ
took me to his studio where I sat surrounded by illustratedÂ
walls and before I knew it, I had stepped through the lookingÂ
glass of his lens. There were trails of rising smoke on black;Â
Geisha's dancing in the dark, a lake of geese turning intoÂ
spirits, riding thermals into their monochrome afterlife. I foundÂ
myself holding a print that appeared to be a JapaneseÂ
abstract of brush strokes. Before long it magically becameÂ
Koi, swimming on white flawless paper. I left his studio withÂ
visions of Renoir, Matisse and the Cheshire Cat.
"Releasing the shutter is only one step of my process whenÂ
creating an image; however, it is not the primary step. This isÂ
generally preceded by pre-visualization, setting the stage andÂ
sometimes a bit of luck. Using a variety of tools and intuition, IÂ
create the final image in which "reality" does not play a leadÂ
role." - Jerry Berry
Mr. Berry's medium is light. He translates his experience to aÂ
language of illusion without dictating a response from theÂ
viewer. The result illustrates the beauty around while ignitingÂ
the imagination within us.