August 3, 2018
Studios associate Renee Besta's work is on display in Urban Exploration: Beauty in Decay at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art. On exhibit in the McMeen Gallery through October 2, the show features images of abandoned refineries, homes, military bases, juvenile offender facilites, rain graveyards and more.
The exhibit is sponsored by the Central Coast Photographic Society. All the artwork in the exhibition were created with the use of HDR (high dynamic range) imaging, a newer digital tool that allows a photographer to capture the full tonal range of a scene, from the deepest shadows to the brightest highlights. Multiple exposures of the same scene are taken in quick succession on a tripod and at a fixed aperture. Only the shutter speed is varied. The images are then combined into one digital file using special software that correctly maps the tonal values, showing great detail throughout the scene. HDR photography has found its rightful place in these types of environmental shots and truly brings out all of the organic tones, textures, and colors inherent in decaying structures.
