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Blossoms Inspire Her Art To Flower

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By KLINT LOWRY, The Suncoast News

Published: February 19, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - Artistic photographers have a multitude of creative options these days, before and after the shot is snapped.

How judiciously they use those options to get the most from their raw images can be a measure of their artistry.

That's especially true when the subject is one of nature's delicate masterpieces.

Carol Gula has an appreciation for the passionflower in all its intricate variations. That's why she put together The Passion of the Flower, a show of about 20 images on exhibit at Progress Energy Art Gallery downtown.

"It's a series in that I've taken over a period of some time, but as I took them I made a group that I thought would go together," said Gula, who grows the flowers at her Aripeka area home.

Each photograph has its own style. There are entire flowers and tight close-ups.

Shots that look carefully choreographed and others that give a "take me as I am" impression.

And, in what might surprise some people, several pictures are black and white.

"Usually, when one views flora images," her artist statement reads, "the color of the flower takes over from the rest of the image and makes the other aspects less noticeable, such as design, structure and detail.

"I like to explore not only the beautiful colors of nature, but the wonderful designs and forms of this plant family by photographing many of the blossoms in black and white."

One image that typifies this approach is of a batwing passionflower, so named for its unusually shaped leaves, which are the photo's focus.

The leaves are shown in dark, shiny grays that bring out every vein and curve and make it easy to see how this particular flower got its name.

Although it's important to take time setting up a shot, Gula said, much of the work in achieving her goal for a particular photograph occurs after the shutter clicks.

"I do spend a lot of time in Photoshop, which makes it easy to explore how to go further," she said, referring to the widely used photo-editing software.
Gula always shoots in color, even if she's thinking she'll want a black-and-white image in the end.

Manipulating colors can produce dramatic effects once an image is converted to black and white, she said.

When Gula intends for a shot to be in color, she uses Photoshop with more restraint.

"I saturate them a little but I stay true to each individual flower's colors," she said. "Like, I don't put red in for blue."

A visit to www.cgula.com or to www. alternativephotography.com/artists/ carol_gula.html shows that throughout her career, Gula has shown a fondness for various ways to manipulate images.

IF YOU GO

The Passion of the Flower, featuring floral photographs by Carol Gula, will be on display through March 29 at Progress Energy Art Gallery, 6231 Grand Blvd. in downtown New Port Richey, just south of Main Street.

For information, call (727) 848-6500 or visit www.nprgallery.com.

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