Exhibition Review: Photography | Brian Rope
Birds
and Nature - A Photographer’s Perspective| Binh Le Thanh
Kyeema
Gallery at Capital Wines, Gladstone Street, Hall | 7 March - 7 April 2024
This is Binh Le Thanh’s first exhibition. It essentially falls into two parts – one is all about birds in nature. The other set of images are astrophotography – also known as astronomical imaging – which is the photography or imaging of astronomical objects, celestial events, or areas of the night sky.
The artist’s website reveals that he grew up surrounded by books about the famous photographers Art Wolfe and Frans Lanting, which he says brought him closer to nature. Nowadays he likes nothing better than spending hours “in the woods” watching birds and listening to the sound of the wind in the trees while taking in all the beauty of the wilderness.
When I asked how he got started in photography, Le Thanh told me his parents introduced him to it and encouraged him. Indeed, we learned that we had very similar experiences of picking up and using cameras from the days of our early childhoods.
Le Thanh, says that, for him, photography is about capturing the unique moments and feelings he has experienced with wildlife, the smell in the air, the intense mood within the silence and serenity of nature. In other words, it’s a way of preserving his memories enabling him to revisit those precious moments. His Instagram presence describes him as a nature shooter who happens to love the night sky.
This is a substantial exhibition of good quality framed prints. However, I feel there are too many in the show. Most are hung very close together in the small gallery space, whilst some are hung in various available smaller areas of walls in the wine tasting part of the venue. I suggest the artist would have benefitted from having an experienced curator plan the placement of his works – and to cull them down so that individual works might be better viewed and explored. I would also recommend having speakers at exhibition openings who have a good understanding of photography. That would enable visitors attending to hear some good commentary about the works and the purpose behind them.
Some other excellent photographers active in both fields - birds and astrophotography – have complimented this artist on these artworks. One has said the prints are breathtaking, the colours good and realistic, and the combination of subjects and backgrounds clever and harmonious. Getting the colours right is important to portray birds accurately. All good nature photographers will quickly draw attention to colours that are too saturated or simply not right. I am no expert, but the colours in this artist’s works appear to be spot on to me.
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| Golden Headed © Bien Le Thanh |
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| Brown Thornbill © Bien Le Thanh |
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| Red Capped Mum © Bien Le Thanh |
The astro images are composed very well and reveal the artist’s technical skills. I was told by another gallery visitor who also is into astro photography that one of the locations photographed requires a walk (at night) over uneven ground from a carpark for a good hour. It also has to be the right time of year when specific features will be present in the night sky. Of course, the photographer must also carry all the right gear with which to get the desired image.
Le Thanh has chosen some excellent locations for his astro shots, including a number that feature country dwellings and churches.
Westerman © Bien Le Thanh
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| St Thomas © Binh Le Thanh |
Other astro shots show beautiful landscapes.
Canola near Harden © Binh Le Thanh
So,
whether your interests are specifically birds or nature or astro, or photographic
art generally, this is an exhibition you can enjoy, whilst also checking out
some good quality wines.
This review is also available on the author's blog here.
