Photographers face unique photographic challenges: many situations do not allow us to rearrange the world simply to serve our art. Traditionally, photographic composition has been taught in terms of "rules". In this novel and inspiring talk, Joe will work from examples of that tradition, how those "rules" are valuable, but also sometimes limiting, particularly for the advanced photographer. More importantly, Joe will discuss how photographers and other artists, can move beyond compositional rules while continuing along a path of improving one's compositional skills and understanding.

Joe is a professional nature photographer living in California, with a current passion for polar regions, such as Greenland, Svalbard and Iceland. Joe has also worked extensively across the grand landscapes of the American West. Joe’s award-winning work has been featured in exhibitions from the Smithsonian to the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art. His work has been recognized with a number of artist residencies granted through organizations such as Hurtigruten and the United States National Park Service.

Joe is also the author of "The Tuesday Composition", a 75-page eBook devoted to issues of photographic composition, available from Flatbooks Publishing. In addition to his private workshops, Joe has a commitment to teaching and building the amateur photographic community. His primary avenue of support is PhotoCentral, a community-based photographic organization located in Hayward, California.

For more information on Joe, visit his website at http://www.joedecker.net, and follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JoeDeckerPhotography?.

Artist's statement - "The use of vivid color and a range of textures are hallmarks of my paintings. Some landscape scenes are full of energy and drama. Here I tell my story with heightened contrasts and color shifts, using both brush and palette knife to bring texture and depth to the painting. Where scenes are quieter, such as the open space of California foothills on a misty morning, I use softer-edged brushwork and gentler color shifts to tell a story of serenity and calm. I aim to make every brushstroke count.

Some painting scenes I return to many times, each time expressing the day's unique light and energy. I'm drawn to the farms, ranches and acres of land in the Central Valley and Gold Country and continue to paint a series depicting these views. I often complete my floral paintings in the garden, dramatizing the color contrast between blossoms, leaves and the background.

Whether for a landscape or floral scene, I typically start my paintings with a thin, transparent wash of alizarin crimson and transparent red oxide. Next I paint a value study in the same colors on the canvas. These initial layers will go on to infuse the final painting with warmth. Later, when painting brushstrokes of greens, golds and blues over this value study, I intentionally allow tiny pops of the deep, transparent red to peek through, adding sparkle and liveliness to the final picture."

Karen displays her work at Studio Gallery in San Francisco and Viewpoints Gallery in Los Altos, CA. Her website is www.karenwhiteart.com