Ventura photographer’s art has painterly quality in new gallery show

J.D. Wolff, a Ventura photographer who caught the shutter bug in the early 1970s, exhibited recent images and a few favorites from his files in a February 26 to March 23, 2013 solo show at the Buenaventura Art Association’s downtown Ventura gallery called “Day Dreams in Color.”

"Beach Town USA" Photo by JD Wolff

Landscapes are a focus for Wolff, who often adjusts color and contrast on computer to create the large-scale images he frames. Though his portfolio includes images from all over the United States, Canada and Western Europe, he said this show features primarily landscapes shot in and around Ventura County.

“I prefer printing my photography on canvas, as I often manipulate my images to make them look somewhat like paintings,” he said. “Printing on canvas gives it that extra texture and effect, which I feel most always improves the final product.”   

An uncle introduced him to photography when he was 10 or 11 years old. “He shot hundreds and hundreds of pictures and would display them around his house. He definitely triggered my early interest in photography,” said Wolff, who added he had “several excellent instructors during my high school and college years.” He graduated from CSU Northridge.

“I’m always concerned with having proper composition and good symmetry in my images,” Wolff said, because be believes “it can be the difference between the art in photography versus just taking a photograph of something.”

He won a first place Judges’ Award in photography last year at the Santa Paula Society of the Arts’ 75^th annual art and photography show. Examples of his work can be viewed online at jdwolffphotography.com or jdwolff.net.

The Buenaventura Gallery, at 700 E. Santa Clara St., is open noon-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, visit www.buenaventuragallery.org.