CSD honors photographic achievement - Photographic Society of America Color Slide Division's Permanent Slide Collection - Brief Article

PSA Journal, Feb, 1998 by Wade W. Clutton

The Color Slide Division's Permanent Slide Collection dates back to the World's Fair of 1939 and now consists of approximately 600 slides. When exhibitor is awarded his or her 5th Star and/or 1st Diamond Galaxy, the Color Slide Division recognizes these very significant photographic milestones by inviting the honoree to donate a slide to the collection.

The Permanent Slide Collection is shown at PSA regional and international conferences and other major photographic events. Viewing the collection is a little like thumbing through a photo history book: One will see a lot of change in photographic styles, changes in the way we live and the globalization of our hobby.

The 1997 honorees who sent slides were Marc Anagnostidis, APSA (France)--"Saut Frontal No. 3"; Jean-Claude Bacle (France)--"Red Yellow Flight"; Martin M. Bruce, FPSA (Boca Raton, FL)--"The Violinist"; Eugene E. Brucker, APSA (St. Louis, MO)--"Evening Chore"; Norman G. Buhn, FPSA (Lubbock, TX)--"Biting the Dust"; Waranun Chutchawantipakorn (Thailand)--"Wat Suthrd"; Anne Comfort (Jackson, MS)--"Out of the Mist"; Mike Cowdrey (England)-"Red Sails"; Fran Clemence Crawford, FPSA, EPSA (Newfouridland, PA)--"Gunfighters at Knotts"; Joachim W. Dettmer, APSA (Germany)--"Upstairs"; Carlo Diana (Belgium)--"Under the Tree"; Karl-Heinz Eckhardt (Germany)--"Elbe-Landschaft"; Leo J. Fiedler (Jackson Heights, NY)--"Frost Pattern No. 2"; Rudolf Hagenauer (Austria)-"Tree Island"; Claude Hennart (Belgium)--"Increasing Danger"; John A. Hill (Durham, NC)--"Number 29"; Prof. B. H. Kapadia, PPSA (India)--"Hard Paths."

Also, Thomas O. Keane (Monroeville, PA)--"Tri-Colored Heron"; Joyce Kilmer, FPSA (Sacramento, CA)--"Leopard on a Limb"; Jane H. Kriete, FPSA (Downers Grove, IL)--"Bodie in Brick"; Russel A. Kriete, FPSA (Downers Grove, IL)--"Ballet in Black"; Thomas Lang, APSA (Houston, TX)--"Terrace Field"; Ueli Leuenberger (Switzerland)--"Study of Speed Skating Nr. 1"; Luc Pappens (Belgium)--"2800 M"; Ng Chee Kong (Malaysia)--"Monks"; William Rankin, FPSA, PPSA (Hawthorne, NJ)--"Portland Head Lighthouse"; Guy B. Samoyault, APSA (France)--"Cabane A Serveto 5"; Christian Stubbe (Belgium)--"De Laatste Tarwe"; Tan Lip Seng, APSA (Singapore)--"High Flier"; Robert J. Ulberg, M.D. (Roslyn, NY)--"Persian Cat Staring"; Gerardus Van Mol (Netherlands)--"The King of the Birchen"; Danny Verhasselt (Belgium)--"A Dog's Life."

After analyzing the data sheets each of the photographers submitted with his slide, there are several conclusions one can reach about this year's Permanent Slide Collection additions: (1) the slides were made on a variety of cameras ranging from simple SLR low-price manual focus/manual meter models to today's top-of-the-line, fully electronic marvels; (2) the slides were shot with a variety of lenses ranging from 28mm wide-angles to 300mm telephotos; (3) the slides were shot on virtually every kind and speed of film available from the primary manufacturers; (4) some photographers used a filter and some did not; (5) several slides were manipulated in some way, but the majority were straight presentations, and (6) flash was used by some. The subjects ranged from A to Z including action, landscapes, nature, pets, photo travel images, portraits, seascapes, still lifes, etc. The commonality of this year's donations was in areas such as pictorialism, strong use of color, light, and lines, mood/emotion, ease of reading the slide to find subject, etc. In other words, the photographic qualities incorporated by these outstanding exhibitors are what differentiates their work: Their choices of equipment, lens, film, filters, flash and such may work especially well for them, but the lack of commonality tells us this is not the area which makes or breaks the successful photographer.

Congratulations to the thirty-two photographers from 11 countries and 10 states on their outstanding photographic achievements!