Rhode Island native Stephen Spencer had worked various commercial photography gigs — including staff photographer at the Mystic Aquarium — before switching gears and becoming manager of museum operations the J&W Culinary Arts Museum. Officially out of the photography business, Spencer began taking pictures for himself.
“I like to shoot everyday stuff,” Spencer says. “I try to take the ordinary and make it look interesting.” Spencer uses a digital camera and although he normally eschews using computer generated tricks to enhance the images he takes, he does use Photoshop. “I love digital photography,” Spencer says, “And I am a firm believer that what you get in the camera is what you should show, but I also believe that Photoshop is today’s darkroom tool and it allows you to experiment with images. That’s what the photos in this show are about, experimenting with photography through the art of manipulation.”
“Moments in Color: Photographs by Stephen Spencer” is up through April 3rd.
Now through April 3, BankRI Galleries, 137 Pitman Street