In case you’re wondering why you’ve never heard of me, it’s really pretty simple. I’m not famous! Most people have never heard of me. In fact, it’s common for people who see my work in a show or come into my gallery to ask me “Where is the Oscar River?”. And, of course, my answer is “Right here!”.

I guess I’ve had a significant interest in photography most of my life. Even to the point of having my own color darkroom in the basement and doing my own developing and printing. But, I must admit that I never really enjoyed the darkroom part. Chemistry never was my thing, and maintaining constant temperatures and conditions was always difficult at best. On top of that, I never did get very good at most of the “darkroom technique”. I guess you could say I was no Ansel Adams. Heck, I wasn’t even Ansel’s long lost fourth cousin by marriage removed.

Then digital printing came along. And even though the earliest photo printers couldn’t begin to compare to today’s wide format pigment ink “giclee” printers, to be able to scan a slide or negative, look at the image on a computer screen, make the “darkroom” adjustments, and then even print it in a well lit room that wasn’t in a basement... WOW! Now THAT was fun, and I was hooked. When I look back at some of those early digital prints, I know they weren’t the best. In fact, if one is completely honest, one might even say they were terrible. But, it was a fun and exciting process. And for me, that made it easy to practice and improve. Since then, I’ve come a long way and so has technology. Printing equipment is better and lower priced, papers are better and there are many more surface options, computers are more powerful and lower priced, and photo editing software is incredible. For me, digital printing was my photography crossroad.

Having said all that about digital printing, I admit to being a big fan of the digital camera as well. Being able to view your image immediately on the back of the camera is nothing short of amazing. That little screen has taught me a lot about exposure and composition. It has made me a better photographer. I also must say I appreciate the convenience of digital. For me, just like digital printing, the digital camera has made photography more fun.

A limited selection of my work is on display in several galleries in the greater Cincinnati area. I also have a gallery/studio in my home. If you would like to see my work up close and personal, contact me by e-mail or phone at 513-675-9204. I would enjoy meeting you.

For additional information, e-mail: oscar@theriverpage.com