The entry fee funds Fotoseptiembre Choice Awards.
By Pam Paz
ppaz2@student.alamo.edu
Fotoseptiembre, an international photography festival founded in San Antonio, is in full swing. The festival is in its 20th year.
The festival will feature 30 art exhibits ranging from cityscapes to churches.
Local photographer Michael Mehl is the founder and director of the festival. He has funded the festival himself without the help of any public grants.
Mehl said in a phone interview Tuesday, “Fotoseptiembre provides an international platform for local photographers to participate and showcase their work.”
Employees of this college show work in two exhibits on display in this year’s festival.
“Out in the Wild: a Texas Portfolio,” by Mark Magavern, lab technician in the photography program of the media communications department opened Sept. 4 on the fourth floor of Moody. This exhibit will be displayed in Moody for the rest of the semester.
“Natural Visions” will open 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday at Sinkin Eco Centro, 1802 N. Main Ave. This exhibit features the work of seven employees of this college.
Magavern along with Tricia Buchhorn, lab assistant and journalism adjunct, art Professor Rebecca Dietz, interpreter services manager Jo Hilton, photography Professor Edmund Lo, information systems specialists Elia Zepeda and media services photographer Leonard Ziegler are showcased in this exhibit.
The Fotoseptiembre website reads, “The work of these seven photographers from San Antonio College reflects their reverence for the natural world and meditations on nature’s prospects.”
One of Lo’s entries portrays a heron flying away from the Riverwalk. Lo said he saw the bird and as he got closer, it flew away. He captured the action of the bird flying in his shot.
A statement about the artwork specified he used a wide-angle lens to show the natural habitat of his subjects.
Lo said most of his work is of people. He said he doesn’t usually participate in exhibits, but an invitation from Buchhorn made him to decide to join.
Participation in Fotoseptiembre depends on a completed registration form and a $100 entry. The mandatory $100 fee was established in 2013.
Prior to 2013’s festival, there was a $200 entry fee and free entry option. Mehl said this changed last year because many of the free entries were informal and unprofessional. He said since the fee was lowered to $100 and the free entry was removed, he has seen more entries taking the registration process seriously.
The $100 entry fee goes toward the Fotoseptiembre Choice Awards. Last year, three exhibits were selected for the awards and each received $500.
“Natural Visions” will be on display at Eco Centro 7:30 a.m.- 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m.-noon Saturday through the end of September.
For the Fotoseptiembre schedule, visit www.fotoseptiembreusa.com.
In addition to the exhibits, the schedule notes opening receptions. The exhibits and receptions are free and open to the public.