Docent’s Corner | Interview with Photographer, Jon Kral in the Transformation Exhibit

I asked my friend, neighbor, and professional photographer, Jon Kral to give me his impressions of the Transformations photography exhibit at BRAHM. Jon shared with me his expertise of the artist’s techniques of lighting, exposure, and creative expression he found in this extraordinary and contemporary body of work.

Reflection was a photo that immediately caught his attention. He said he felt drawn to the image from a distance and that drawing nearer satisfied the abstract-reality of the seated female form. He explained to me that Mona Kuhn, artist from Brazil, used effectively the depth of field to create the out of focus image because the foreground had been the spot used for the focus, leaving a “somewhat silhouetted” figure as a blur, which made for a more interesting image…like a reflection in a mirror. Jon referred to this out of focus technique as “bokeh” and that it is an aesthetic quality of the blur which is produced. Although Jon mainly works as a black and white photographer, he further pointed out that the colors in this work added to the overall mood and expression.

Image credit: Mona Kuhn (Brazilian, b. 1969). Reflecting, 2006. Collection of Drs. Carlos Garcia-Velez and W. Kent Davis, Chapel Hill, NC.

Jon added that even traditional dark room trained photographers use digital photography and laser printers to achieve the high quality images as with much of the work in the show, which of course expresses through a range of subjects, cultural diversity, and technical directions. He described that some of the negative printed images such as in the large print from Brooklyn view, NYC, was created with a solarize process or solarization. Other work that he enjoyed, as a fellow “street photographer,” was Madonna by Amy Orbus, who used a “fill flash” straight on and also used the 35mm film and a negative carrier that was filed down to show the sprocket holes for border, which Jon has used in his own work. 

Having Jon guide me and explain much of the process, as well as the aesthetic choices made by the photographers, helped my understanding and added to my appreciation of the work. His expertise is obvious in his understanding of photography technique, history, and messages. 

Jon Kral has worked as a professional photographer for more than 49 years. He has worked as a photojournalist for most of his life, chronicling events in the United States and many other countries, earning him a Pulitzer Finalist rating. During his 18 years with the Miami Herald, Kral earned a reputation as an outstanding news photographer. After an early retirement from newspaper work, Jon has focused on book projects and his work has been published in most major publications. Lately, Jon has focused much of his time on shooting street photography, teaching photography workshops and shows some of his work at the Catch Light gallery in West Jefferson.

This Docent’s Corner is brought to you by Cathy Futral