ARGENTINA Foto Club Buenos Aires 2nd Virtual Imaging Int'l. Exhibition - 2000

PSA Journal, Jan, 2001 by Amleto F. Brocci, Nicolas Berlingieri

The Photography Exhibition of the Future, through the 2nd Foto Club Buenos Aires Virtual Imaging International Exhibition 2000, was presented during the final three weeks of October. The primary difference from traditional salons was the way in which the images were to be sent and judged. Computer-modified images (digital works) and modified (or not) pictorial images were to be sent in an electronic way (no photographic paper or slides were permitted). Of the 320 images that were received by attached e-mail and the 218 that arrived by traditional mail, 112 were saved on 3.5 floppy disk, 82 on CD-Rom and 24 on Zip disk.

This 2nd Virtual Salon was held with FAF (Federacion Argentina de Fotografia) and FIAP (Federation Internationale de l'Art Photographique) patronage and with the very first PSA Electronic Imaging Division. FCBA has a qualified Virtual Imaging Group, with its own school, internal competitions, with qualified instructors. Recognition for a salon of this kind made possible the surprising increase of the images received. There were 139 authors from 23 different countries who sent the 538 images.

It was during the previous year that the first FCBA Virtual Imaging Salon became a reality. The FCBA then began the process to obtain PSA and FIAP recognition for the second salon.

Amleto Bocci introduced Nicolas Berlingieri to Milan Sedio, FPSA, EID Gallery of Nations, and left them to set the rules and to prepare adequate entry forms. Two highly qualified PSA people were also involved: Fred Greene, FPSA, and PSA President, Dr. Albert L. Sieg, FPSA, EPSA, gave the final approval.

Judging was done with a multimedia projector, connected to a PC-LAN (Personal Computer - Local Area Network) and with three 17" PC monitors. A special program, which was created for the First Virtual Salon was again used for the second. It was very fast and easy to use. As a judge in both exhibitions, Amleto Bocci has seen an amazing progress in cybernetics as applied to photography in just one year. The judges were Nicolas Berlingieri, Amleto Bocci, Alfredo Brachetti, Daniel Britos, and Feliciano Jeanmart.

With PSA and FIAP support and recognition, the entry of 538 photographs from 23 countries was with no doubt a total success! 57 authors with 110 images were selected for exhibition and the scores of the accepted images were published on the Foto Club Buenos Aires website, with the 18 awarded images shown on the Internet Gallery. Notification scores were sent to practically all the authors by e-mail and by snail mail to those who didn't sent their e-mail addresses. The same multimedia projector was used to make the exhibition shows. All of the awarded images were perfectly enlarged with a special fractal program and printed on ink jet paper by Daniel Britos. Those images were framed under glass and exhibited on the Foto Club Buenos Aires' two main galleries. The same multimedia presentation used for the exhibition shows, made with Microsoft Power Point by the Chairman, was sent to all authors recorded on a CD-rom together with the catalog.

Like the first exhibition, photos were judged by computer with software that was written by Nicolas Berlingieri, Salon Chairman. Pictures that were entered to be judged and exhibited were projected with an Epson's special projector that allows the photos to be viewed on a screen. In the first exhibition, there were certain contrast jumps, but this year they were practically non-existent. The exhibition program, which was outstanding, can be credited to Nicolas, the right man who was in the right place.

Everything was done with the use of the computer. For those people having internet access, the entry forms and entry data records were also obtainable on the web, as were the exhibition results and award winning images immediately after judgment. Prizes can still be seen at http://www.fotoclubba.com.ar/ galerial.htm.

"It is the photography exhibition of the future ... an historic event." Thank you for all, known or unknown, who made this success possible.

Submitted by Amleto E Bocci, EPSA PSA - CR Argentina and by Nicolas Berlingieri, AFIAP PSA ***CSD FCBA Chairman

Amy McMillan, APSA, Editor 2349 Delle Drive, Yuba City, CA 95993-8515 macnamy@syix.com