top of page
Howie Pohl
Black and White and Gray
ABOUT ME
With fellow exhibitors Joan Weiss and Ken Ng at opening reception of Two Roads Diverged in a Wood at the Huntington Arts Council's Main Street Gallery, June 23, 2017
In 1985, I knocked out a closet wall in my Queens New York co-op and built a darkroom in which to develop black-and-white film and, hopefully, create works of fine art. My thought at the time was that I would start with the simpler process of black and white and move on to color film. Digital photography started to ascend in popularity beginning in the mid-1990s but I still found black-and-white analog photography to be infinitely interesting and have continued the process to this day although, to many, it seems archaic and a historical relic. It is anything but.
Some digital photography seems artificial. Amateurs tend to boost the color saturation and sharpness to unrealistic degrees resulting in silly hyper saturated objects that look more like bad paintings. There are great digital photographers but I try to avid the worst tendencies of digital photography by staying true to the negative image.
So I have stuck to the more traditional methods. While the varieties of film, paper, and chemicals have declined in number over the years, there are still high-quality materials available upon which to capture the blacks, whites, and shades of gray that make up the monochromatic palette.
What you see on these pages represents scanned versions of 8"x10" images. The only adjustments to the originals has been to eliminate dust caused by the scanning process. For those of you who may be interested, my films of choice are typically Ilford Delta 100 and 400, although a few others, such as Kodak TMax 100 and 400, and Ilford HP5 and FP4 have infiltrated my collection from time to time. I use Ilford chemicals to develop the film and print the images and my paper of choice is usually Oriental Seagull fiber-based. Sometimes I have switched to Rodinal or one of its similar products for film development. I began my photography with a Nikon FE2 and moved to a Canon EOS Elan7n after several years.
I hope you enjoy looking at these works. I had a great time making them!
Shown at:
-
Long Island Artists Exhibition, Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery, Dix Hills NY April - May 2015
-
Earth, Air and Water: A Celebration of Tri-State Wildlife and Nature, Main Street Gallery, Huntington - February 2016
-
The Long Island Life, Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery, Dix Hills NY - July 2 - 24, 2016
-
Two Roads Diverged in a Wood - Huntington Arts Council - Huntington - June 21 - July 15, 2017 - Joint exhibition with Ken Ng and Joan Weiss
-
The Art of Narrative - Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery, Dix Hills NY - January 13 - February 10, 2018
-
Members' Showcase - Main Street Gallery, Huntington - June 1 - 23, 2018
-
Discovering Long Island - Main Street Gallery, Huntington - December 7, 2018 - January 5, 2019.
-
Open & Members Photography Show - Salmagundi Club of New York - January 7 -January 24, 2019
-
Objects Found - Huntington Arts Council - Huntington - February 15 - March 23, 2019
-
Trees: Life in the Slow Lane - PhotoPlace Gallery - Middlebury VT - May 16 - June 15, 2019
-
Portals - Small Works National Juried Exhibition 2019 - Alex Ferrone Gallery, Cutchogue NY - November 30, 2019 - February 2, 2020
-
This Land Is Our Land – Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery – Art League of Long Island – Dix Hills - January 11 – February 7, 2020
-
Black and White 2019 – PhotoPlace Gallery – Online Gallery – Middlebury VT – January 30 – February 22, 2020
-
Animal Attraction - Salmagundi Club of New York - February 3 - 21, 2020
-
Captivating Architecture - Long Island Photo Gallery - Islip - May 27 - July 7, 2020
-
Member Showcase - Huntington Arts Council - June 5 - June 27, 2020
-
Light Sensitive - Art Intersection - Gilbert AZ - June 27 -August 8, 2020
-
National Parks - Online Exhibit - Long Island Photo Gallery - Islip - August 2020
-
Open Wide 11 - Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Collective (BWAC) - August 15 - September 13, 2020
-
Hispanic Flare - Gallery 40 - Poughkeepsie
-
Black & White 2020 - Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (BWAC) - September 26 - October 24, 2020
-
Another Moment in Time - Old Town Arts and Crafts Guild - Cutchogue - October 16 - November 12, 2020
-
2020 Long Island Biennial - Heckscher Museum of Art - Huntington - October 25, 2020 - January 10, 2021
-
40th Annual Juried Photography Show - Long Island Arts Council at Freeport - Freeport Memorial Library - November 2 - 30, 2020 - Honorable Mention
-
A Show of Hands - Don't Take Pictures website - November 25, 2020 - February 23, 2021
-
2021 International Juried Exhibition - The Center for Contemporary Art - Bedminster NJ - January 21 - February 27, 2021
-
Paradoxical Paradigms - Huntington Arts Council - February 5 - March 13, 2021
-
Furtography: Another Show for the Dogs - Cleveland Photofest - Bostwick Design Center - May 1 - June 30, 2021
-
Fun House: Art of the Surreal, Fantastic, & Bizarre - Barrett Art Center - Poughkeepsie - May 8 - June 19, 2021
-
2021 Open Photography Annual Exhibition - Salmagundi Club of New York - July 26 - August 6, 2021
-
Portals - Long Island Photo Gallery, displayed at Huntington Art Center - August 25 - October 1, 2021
-
Once Upon A Time - Evocations of Childhood - Queen City 15 Fine Art Gallery - Poughkeepsie - November 5 - December 19, 2021
-
41st Annual Juried Photography Show - Long Island Arts Council at Freeport - Freeport Memorial Library - November 2 - 28, 2021 - Recipient Fabian (Larry) Adler Memorial Award
-
The Birds - MPLS Photo Center - Minneapolis - November 12, 2021 - January 5, 2022
-
A Time For Reflection - Huntington Arts Council - November 19 - December 18, 2021
-
The Snowball Effect - Firefly Artists Gallery - Northport - January 4 - 30, 2022
-
Annual Juried Photography Show, Any Shape or Form - Upstream Gallery, Hastings-On-Hudson NY - February 3 - 27, 2022
-
The Winter Palette - Fine Line Creative Arts Center, Kavanagh Gallery - February 17 - March 25, 2022 - Honorable Mention
-
The Art of the City - Long Island Photo Gallery at Southampton Cultural Center - March 6 - April 7, 2022
-
Member's Exhibition - Art League of Long Island - Dix Hills - March 19 - April 8, 2022
-
Rustbelt: REDUX - Vestige Concept Gallery - Pittsburgh - March 26 - April 24, 2022
-
On Cloud 9 - Firefly Artists Gallery - Northport - April 1 - 27, 2022
-
Captured: Long Island Center of Photography Members' Exhibition - Art League of Long Island, Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery - Dix Hills NY - April 29 - May 14, 2022
-
The Elements - Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (BWAC) - April 30 - June 5, 2022
-
Members Showcase - Huntington Arts Council - June 10 - July 9, 2022
-
2022 Annual Photography Exhibition - Salmagundi Club - July 18 - August 5, 2022
-
Black, White and Gray Solo Exhibition - Freeport Memorial Library - Freeport NY - August 3 - 29, 2022
-
Beauty In Decay online exhibit - Chateau Gallery - Louisville KY - October 1 - November 1, 2022
-
Blackout 2022 - Art on 30th - San Diego CA - October 29 - December 2, 2022
-
42nd Annual Juried Photography Show - Long Island Arts Council - Freeport Memorial Library - November 2 - 28, 2022
-
Member's Exhibition - Art League of Long Island - Dix Hills NY - November 5 - 29, 2022
-
Little By Little - Art Intersection - Gilbert AZ - November 5 - December 30, 2022
-
smallWORKS: This World We Share - Garrison Art Center - Garrison NY - December 10, 2022 - January 15, 2023
-
Scapes: Land City, Hell online exhibit - Chateau Gallery - Louisville KY - January 1 - February 1, 2023
-
Enigma - Upstream Gallery - Hastings on Hudson NY - February 2 - 26, 2023
-
Flora and Fauna: Allegories of Nature - Huntington Arts Council - February 10 - March 11, 2023
-
61st Long Island Artists Exhibition - Art League of Long Island - Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery - March 4 - April 7, 2023
-
Spring 2023 online exhibit - Chateau Gallery - Louisville KY - March 1 - April 1, 2023
-
Celebrate the Artist Open Juried Exhibition - Montgomery County Guild of Professional Artists - Upper Merion Community Center - King of Prussia PA - March 17 - May 17, 2023
-
Abandoned - online exhibit - Chateau Gallery - Louisville KY - June 1 - July 1, 2023
-
Member's Showcase - Huntington Arts Council - June 9 - July 14, 2023
-
Words Matter: Found, Created or Imagined - Rhode Island Center for Photography - Providence RI - June 15 - July 14, 2023
-
Our Bodies, Ourselves...50 Years On - Upstream Gallery - Hastings-on-Hudson NY - July 27 - August 20, 2023
-
Lost and Found - online exhibit - Chateau Gallery - Louisville KY - September 1 - October 1, 2023
-
From Ordinary to Extraordinary 2023 - October 6 - November 5, 2023 - Wickford Art Association - North Kingstown, RI
-
Lens Scapes - Long Island Center of Photography Member Show- Shelter Rock Gallery - Unitarian Universalist Congregation - Manhasset NY - September 9 - October 10, 2023
-
From Ordinary to Extraordinary - Wickford Art Association - North Kingstown RI - October 6 - November 5.2023
-
Primal III: The Sacred Triangle - Vestige Concept Gallery - Pittsburgh PA - October 7 - November 12, 2023
-
Small Works Juried Exhibition - Five Points Arts Gallery - Torrington CT - October 13 - November 25, 2023
-
Interlines, Lifelines, Redlines: Social Markers of Race, Class & Economics - Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts- Providence RI - October 19 - November 10, 2023
-
The Abstract Image - online exhibit - The Chateau Gallery - Louisville KY - January 1 - February 1, 2024
-
Celebration of the Arts Photo Contest - Mistlin Gallery, Stanislaus Arts Council - Modesto CA - January 30 - March 1, 2024
-
Members" Exhibition - Art League of Long Island - Dix Hills NY - February 6 - March 9, 2024
-
Face to Face - Huntington Arts Council - Huntington NY - February 13 - March 17, 2024
-
Weathered Whispers: Rural Charms of Long Island and Beyond - Southampton Cultural Center - Southampton NY - Presented by Long Island Photo Gallery and Photo Art Pavilion - March 11 - 30, 2024
-
Beauty in Decay - Online exhibit sponsored by Chateau Gallery - Louisville KY - March 1 - April 1, 2024
-
Phillips' Mill Photographic Exhibition - Phillips' Mill Community Association - New Hope PA -March 31 - April 19, 2024
-
The Surreal - Online exhibit sponsored by Chateau Gallery - Lexington KY - April 1 - May 1. 2024
-
Surrounded by Water - Mill's Pond Gallery - St. James NY - April 20 - May 18, 2024 - Second Place Award
-
Earth First - The Floyd Center for the Arts - Floyd VA - April 20 - June 1, 2024
-
Stars and Stripes: Artistic Dialogues on the American Flag - Hickman Gallery, Adrian College - Adrian MI - May 9 - July 26, 2024
-
All Who Wander - Studio 7 Gallery - Fort Tilden, Gateway National Recreation Area - May 18 - August 17, 2024
-
2024 Open Juried Photography Exhibition - Montgomery County Guild of Professional Artists - 431 Gallery - Upper Merion Community Center - Upper Merion PA - May 19 - July 12, 2024
-
43rd Annual Open Photography Exhibition - Salmagundi Club - New York NY - June 3 - 28, 2024
-
Members Showcase 2024 - Huntington Arts Council - June 11 - July 14, 2024
-
Shadow and Light - Online exhibit sponsored by Chateau Gallery - Louisville KY - July 1 - August 1, 2024
-
Small Works - Long Island Center of Photography - B.J. Spoke Gallery - Huntington NY - July 3 - 28, 2024
-
What"s So Funny - Rocky Neck Art Colony - Gloucester MA - July 11 - August 25, 2024
-
Environmental Challenges & Paradises - Decagon Gallery - Published online July 15, 2024
-
Series and Repetition - Site: Brooklyn online exhibition - August 7 - September 7, 2024
-
Minimalism - Online exhibit sponsored by the Chateau Gallery - Louisville KY - September 1 - October 1, 2024
-
Black and White - Online exhibit sponsored by the Hummingbird and Dragonfly Art Gallery - Los Angeles - October 1 -31, 2024
-
Momento Mori - Online exhibit sponsored by the Chateau Gallery - Louisville KY - October 1 - November 1, 2024
-
Connections - The Art Guild - Port Washington NY -October 2 - 26, 2024
-
Monochrome - Wickford Art Association - North Kingstown RI - October 11 - November 3, 2024
-
Mystery, Magic and the Macabre - Deines Cultural Center - Russell KS - October 13 - November 16, 2024 - HONORABLE MENTION
-
44th Annual Juried Photography Show - Long Island Arts Council - Freeport Memorial Library - November 1 - 30, 2024
-
Letters, Numbers and Symbols - Online exhibit sponsored by the Chateau Gallery - Louisville KY - November 1 - December 1, 2024 - HONORABLE MENTION
-
smallWORKS - Garrison Art Center - Garrison NY - November 2 - 24, 2024
-
Spectrum of Exposure - Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition - November 2 - 24, 2024
-
Light Sensitive - Art Intersection - Gilbert AZ - November 16 , 2024 - January 11, 2025
-
Long Live Long Island: A Landscape Exhibit at St. Francis Hospital - Juried by the Art Guild of Port Washington - Roslyn NY - December 2024 - May 2025
Publications:
-
Black and White Magazine, B&W Single Image: Architecture/Interiors, 2015
-
Trees, Life in the Slow Lane: An Exhibition at PhotoPlace Gallery, August 25, 2019.
-
black & white 2019: An Exhibition at PhotoPlace Gallery, January 30, 2020
-
Pandemic 2020, Long Island Center of Photography, Member Publication, August 2020
-
Blackout - Ashton Gallery - San Diego CA - 2022
-
Words Matter: A juried look at words & their transformative power - RI Center for Photographic Arts -2023
-
Interlines, Lifelines, Redlines: Social Markers of Race. Class & Economics - RI Center for Photographic Arts - 2023
-
Novum Artes Magazine, Issue no. 004 - August 2024
Howie Pohl
bottom of page