Richard Burke :
Richard is a self-taught photography enthusiast who originated from Western New York but has traveled extensively throughout the United States , Central , and South America . For ten years he settled on The Big Island of Hawaii during which time he became a scuba dive master where his time spent under the blue depths of the Pacific awakened an affinity for photography .
Richard returned to New York in 2001 , where his photography passion continued to develop . While he has gained experience with many different photographic formats and styles , he most enjoys black & white , stating, " I find that the many levels of control that I have with black & white photography lend to my artistic expression . I'm always learning something new ; whether I am considering the composition of the shot , printing in the darkroom , toning and hand-coloring the shot, or matting and framing the final print , photography offers me a creative outlet and provides me an avenue to share my perceptions with others ."
Throughout his 20 years of fine-tuning his skill and exhibiting his work , Richard has received numerous awards for black & white , underwater color , and more recently for his infrared photographs .
Recent awards include :
. 2nd place , Black & White Infrared Photograph , 2005 , Art in the Park and The Taste of Olean , JCC campus ,Olean, New Yor
. 3rd place , Black & White Infrared Photograph , 2005 Juried Photography Exhibit , Cattaraugus County Arts Council , Olean, New York .
. 1st place , Black & White Infrared Photograph , 2005 Juried Exhibit , Wellsville Art Association Annual Members Exhibit , David Howe Library , Wellsville NY
. 1st place , Black & White Category, 2004 Juried Regional Photography Exhibit , Gmeiner Art & Cultural Center , Wellsboro PA
. Best of Show 2003 Wellsville Arts Association Annual Photography Exhibit , David Howe Library , Wellsville NY
Richard's devotion to his craft continues to grow and diversify . He is currently experimenting with printing his photographic images on a variety of textiles and miscellaneous surfaces , as well as experimenting with double exposure techniques . He is an active member of the Wellsville Arts Association and the Cattaraugus County Arts Council . When not taking pictures , developing in the darkroom , or framing and matting his work , Richard helps care for stray and abandoned cats .