Selected Photographs 2009-2011 

by

Ed Hahn 

Please join us to view New works by Ed Hahn. Ed's photographs range from peaceful landscapes to Macro Investigations of nature.  The opening Reception is August 13th, 6-8pm, food and refreshments will be served. The show runs through September 9th.  

Artist Notes:

I try to capture the art present in the everyday world around us that sometimes goes unnoticed. In urban settings, the art can be hidden in the architecture, sometimes as a planned element of the overall building design, but also as an unintentional assemblage of buildings, building elements or even everyday objects on the scene. While a more traditional subject, landscapes are also inherently similar in that the scenery is a juxtaposition of elements into a scenic whole. I'm also attracted to where the man-made and the natural world interact, especially as man's works age and become part of the landscape.

My approach to digital photography is to minimize manipulation or retouching of the subject, and to focus on techniques that are equivalent to what a film photographer might perform in a darkroom with negatives and prints: adjusting contrast, enhancing or deemphasizing color saturation, and adjusting highlight and shadow areas. In creating black-and-white images from a digital source, I tweak the image by hand to mimic the tonal balance and contrast achieved by different black-and-white films, camera and enlarger lens filters, and photographic paper and processing techniques. While some of the images are semi-abstract in nature, all of them are single exposures captured without altering the scene as it was found.

In making prints, I take care to use only archival quality materials and processes and Fine Art papers. However, as with all photographic media, display choices can accelerate or cause damage or can enhance the lifespan of the print. If displaying in a frame, please use a frame that allows for proper matting behind the glass. This air gap is crucial to prevent mold or undesired chemical interaction between the print surface and the glass. Please use acid-free archival materials, including the matte and the backing board and mounting material.

If storing the print, please avoid touching the image surface, as the pigments used in printmaking are fragile. Store prints in acid-free sleeves, in a moderate humidity environment, away from direct sunlight and extremes of heat and cold.

Artist Biography

Edward Hahn began taking photographs in his early teens. An engineer with Bachelors and Masters Degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he benefited from having a dedicated photography darkroom in his living group throughout his college years. Since starting to experiment with digital photography in 1997, Ed has taken full advantage of the benefits that digital technology brings to the learning process. Ed has recently transitioned toward making photography a full-time career.

While great photographers such as Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, and Brad Cole are an inspiration, other sparks for Ed are painters of the 20th century, including artists such as Georgia O'Keefe, Edward Hopper, Paul Klee, and Mark Rothko.

Ed has previously exhibited at ArtSpace Herndon as part of the multi-artist "Iron Road Show" in December 2008. His series "Architectural Elements" was shown as part of the MITRE Corporation's Arts Program from July through September, 2005, including a mention in Washingtonian magazine.