WHO AND WHAT

Dave Montgomery has been taking photographs since 1955. He has been a vacation photographer while educating himself by observing work of other artists. In 2000 he began to experiment with the digital enhancement and manipulation of images scanned from slides and photos. His purchase of a digital camera in 2002 converted him to pixels.

Since the computer has become a new tool for the artist, to find enhancements of color or detail in a digital photograph should not be surprising; but the particular choice of changes, additions, and combinations is as much an art as the choice of color by an oil painter. As the degree of "enhancement" of a digital photograph increases, at some level there is a new medium, digital composition. In this medium, the creative process is different from the process in straight photography. Digital composition starts with an idea. The idea may be prompted by a photograph, but it is also possible for the stimulus to be an independent observation or thought. At an early stage of the creative process, Dave looks through his portfolio of previously-captured photographic images hoping to find some of the elements necessary to transform the idea into the digital file that can be printed. As often as not, his digital camera must capture necessary additional elements.

As a variation on the theme, he creates "digitally stitched" photographic panoramas. He shoots a series of digital photos to cover everything desired in one scene, then combines the series in the computer to produce a seamless result. In Bethesda'a Gallery B, he displayed nine panoramas 40 inches wide.

On the other hand, there will always be a place for the discipline of straight (single-source) photography. The point is not that either path is superior but that both paths are legitimate. Digital composition increases freedom and opportunity for creativity relative to straight photography, while straight photography presents a different kind of challenge in finding and capturing the right, existing image.

In summary, since 2004, more than 100 juried shows have exhibited Dave's digital composition and straight photography.

Noteworthy venues include Strathmore Hall Arts Center (North Bethesda, MD); The Art League (Alexandria, VA); City Hall, Alexandria, VA; Orchard Gallery (Bethesda, MD); Gallery B (Bethesda, MD); Quiet Waters Park (Annapolis, MD); Sandy Spring Museum (Sandy Spring, MD); and Delaplaine Art Center (Frederick, MD).

In more detail, juried shows that have exhibited Dave's work include:
The Art League (Alexandria, VA)
      Seven members' shows, August 2006 through June 2007.
      Six members' shows, August 2007 through May 2008,
                "honorable mention" in the August show
      Seven members' shows, August 2008 through May 2009
      Six members' shows, August 2009 through June 2010
      Six members' shows, August 2010 through May 2011
      Five members' shows, August 2011 through March 2012,
                "honorable mention" in the March show
      Five members' shows, November 2012 through June 2013
                "honorable mention" in the May show and in the June show
      Five members' shows, July 2013 through June 2014,
               with "honorable mention" in July
      Four members' shows August through November 2014
      Five members' shows August 2015 through March 2016
                with "honorable mention" in March
      Five members' shows October 2016 through June 2017
      Three members' shows November 2017 through June 2018
      Two members' shows August & October 2018
      Two members' shows August 2019 (with "honorable mention")
                & June 2020
      Three members' shows August 2020 through June 2021

Oasis Art Gallery (Westfield Montgomery Mall, Bethesda, MD)
      (One in a group of four) "Openings," May to August, 2019

Delaplaine Art Center (Frederick, MD)
      (solo show) "Inspection," July & August, 2016

Collington Comunity Center (Mitchellville, MD)
      (solo show) "Inspection," redux, September - December, 2016
      (solo show) "Calm Life," September - December, 2017
      (solo show) "More than Reality," photo abstraction,
                September - December, 2018
      (solo show) "Openings" expanded, September - December, 2019
      (solo show) "Distortion," September - December, 2020
      (solo show) "Twofers," September - 2021

Sandy Spring Museum (Sandy Spring, MD)
      (solo show) "Two for One," Combinations from the museum collection,
      September - October, 2015

Takoma Park Community Center (MD)
      (solo show) "You Are Here," November 2014 - January 2015

Quiet Waters Park (Annapolis, MD)
      (solo show) "Complementary Diptychs," February & March, 2014
      (solo show) "Modified Photos," July & August, 2021

Gallery B (Bethesda, MD)
      (One in a group of four.) February 6 - March 2, 2013.
      Nine large digitally-stitched panoramas.
      View a review from The Gazette.
      and one from the Washington City Paper.

Montpelier Arts Center (Laurel, MD)
      Patuxent Art League Show, December 2007
      Patuxent Art League Show, December 2012

City Hall, Alexandria, VA
      "Art in City Hall," April - September, 2007
      "Art in City Hall," October 2010 - April 2011
            Del Ray Artisans Merit Award.
      "Around Town," May 23 - December 16, 2011
            honorable mention

Harmony Hall Regional Center (Fort Washington, MD)
      (solo show) "Wanderings," March & April, 2011

Circle Gallery (Annapolis, MD)
      "Focal Point," May & June, 2011

Middle Street Gallery (Washington, Virginia)
      "Regional Showcase," March 2010

Strathmore Hall Arts Center (North Bethesda, MD)
      Six Artist Membership Annual Exhibitions, 2004 - 10
                "honorable mention" in the 2007 Exhibition,
                "Food for Thought"
      "Art You My Valentine," February 2004, 2005, 2006
      "Beasts and Bugs," July & August 2004
      "Symphony of Art," March 2005
      "Rhythm and Motion," October 2005

The Campagna Center and the Durant Center (Alexandria, VA)
      "Young at Art," six years, July/August 2004- 09

Friendship Heights Village Center (Chevy Chase, MD)
      "Three Cheers for the Red, White & Blue," six years, July 2004-10

Washington Gallery of Photography (Bethesda, MD)
      Two National Juried Gallery Shows,
               October - November 2005 and 2007

Light Street Gallery (Baltimore, MD)
      "American Icons," April - June, 2007
      "Box Show," August - November, 2007
      "Small Works," November, 2007 - February, 2008

Touchstone Gallery (Washington, DC)
      "Photo Focus," August - September, 2007

Strathmore Hall Arts Center, Invitational Gallery (North Bethesda, MD)
      (solo show) "Two Paths: Photography and Digital Composition,"
      August 2009

SlideLuck PotShow (Washington, DC)
      "Reflections" digital slide show with music, February 16, 2008

VisArts (Rockville, MD)
      "Farm to Market," June 2008
      "Points of Departure," February & March 2010

Kentlands Mansion Gallery (Gaithersburg, MD)
      (One in a group of four.) "Scenes from Another City ...
      Somewhere Else," July - September 2008

"FotoWeek DC at The Art League," November 2008
"FotoWeek DC at The Art League," November 2009 (online)

Orchard Gallery (Bethesda, MD)
      (solo show) "The Shutter Clicks More than Once,"
               February & March 2009

Enoch Pratt Free Library (Baltimore, MD)
      "Un(bound): An Altered Books Competition," October 2009

Cooper Carry Art Exhibit (Alexandria, VA)
      "Architectural Treasures," October 2007


The March 2008 cover of Applause, the magazine of the Music Center at Strathmore, featured Dave's composition.
Another work won first place in two Montgomery County photo competitions in 2004. His "single-source" photo won second place in the County's 2007 Public Works competition.
Five works of his were displayed at Café Café (Washington, DC) August & September 2004.
ZigZag (The Plains, VA) displayed some pieces February 2005.
He and Gwen Lewis had a joint show, "Perceptions of Reality," at the Art Gallery Grille (Washington, DC) December 2004 through March 2005.
The Kensington Park Library (Kensington, MD) showed a few works during July 2005.
He had a solo show, "On the Verge," at the Left Bank Bakery Café (Washington, DC) December 2005
March 2006 brought his small show at the Kensington Park Library (Kensington, MD).
He exhibited digital composition and photography in his show, "Alternatives," at the Café Monet Gallery (Kensington, MD) September & October, 2006
His 'mini-show' at RRUUC in Bethesda, MD, May - August, 2007, was "Tall or Wide."
The Silver Spring Library (Silver Spring, MD) displayed a major solo show, Safari in Tanzania, during April 2008 ("single-source" photos).
He returned to the Kensington Park Library (Kensington, MD) with a small exhibit for December 2009.



Please check his work in the "bins" of The Art League (105 North Union Street, Alexandria, VA), where he is an artist member.
He is in the Artists' Registry of the Maryland State Arts Council.

Dave's latest book:
More info on the book, Not Quite Symmetric


Dave Montgomery To e-mail, complete the 'TO' window of your mailer
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Return to the main page. Visit Gwen's Gallery also. In addition, see Dave's book on Problem Solving at www.amazon.com/
dp/B005R41CJW


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