Award-winning photographer pays homage to 'local waters'

For more than a decade, longtime Northport resident John Ellsworth has been elevating photography to a fine art by using his knowledge of aesthetics and visual communication to create striking images celebrating Northport and Huntington's nautical sides.

The award-winning photographer—who has exhibited at prestigious venues across Long Island and beyond—took first place in photography at the 39th annual Mary O. Fritchie Fine Art Show in Westhampton Beach last summer. In 2010, it was first place in photography at Montauk's 16th annual Fine Arts Show and second place at the Mary Fritchie Show.

Now through January 27, visitors to the Northport Tasting Room & Wine Cellar will have the unique opportunity to see why Mr. Ellsworth's work has been so highly applauded. His new exhibit, "Local Waters—Boats, Shorelines, and Reflections," displayed under the auspices of the Northport Arts Coalition, runs through March 1. To the delight of his many fans, the show, which includes more than 20 pieces, is a mix of "time-tested" images and some never before exhibited work.

Mr. Ellsworth has long been acclaimed for using reflection to add a fanciful, figurative quality to his images, as in "Moored," an evocative close-up of a salty, wooden sailboat at home in Huntington Harbor.

Most recently, Mr. Ellsworth has been experimenting with creating black and white studies with localized color and the results are stunning.

"Huntington Light" marks the entrance to Huntington and Lloyd Harbors," Mr. Ellsworth said of his photograph of the Huntington Lighthouse, explaining that to create visual drama, he converted the original image to black and white while retaining the amber and red light projecting from this circa 1912 guardian of the sea and accompanying buoy.

In 'Beach Glow,' which shows a group communing around a campfire on a Montauk beach under a moonlit sky, Mr. Ellsworth relies on the same technique to convey intimacy, warmth, and the magic of a summer evening by the sea.

"You can see the constellation Sagittarius above the fire," Mr. Ellsworth added.

In 'Sail Change' and 'Partial Eclipse,' Mr. Ellsworth showcases "the beautiful luminescent pattern" on the sails of worthy vessels naturally backlit by the setting sun. 

In a visually intriguing macro-shot, 'Guidance,' Mr. Ellsworth focused his attention on a beautifully crafted antique compass. The compass is half the image, and the dome is in amber," said Mr. Ellsworth who used the interplay between black-and-white and

localized color to highlight the meticulously wrought details of this vintage nautical accoutrement.

Artist and poet Kate Kelly, who curated the exhibit, has a longstanding perspective on Mr. Ellsworth's work. They both moved to Northport in the late 1980s, and soon connected as friends and artists, Ms. Kelly recalled.

In graduate school, Mr. Ellsworth embraced the study of visual communications, including visual aesthetics, the aesthetics of communication, the history of photography, experimental photography and film as art, and it all comes together in his work, Ms. Kelly noted.

"I have always been very impressed by his photographs. John is very creative and has a good eye," Ms. Kelly said, adding that Mr. Ellsworth's images resonate with "his love of boating and the water."

According to Ms. Kelly, in addition to having a great sense of composition and color, Mr. Ellsworth is among the rare group of people who have mastered the art of communicating "visually and conversationally."

"His images are simple, but strong and pull you in. There's a calmness to his imagery and a silence. You'll feel very 'at one' with his pictures," Ms. Kelly explained, adding that, in some of his most recent work, Mr. Ellsworth uses the techniques of the "digital darkroom" to great advantage.

All are invited to attend the exhibit's opening reception on Sunday, January 22 from 2 to 5 p.m. The Northport Tasting Room & Wine Cellar is located at 70 Main St., Northport Village.

To preview Mr. Ellsworth's work, visit johnellsworthphoto.com. To read his blog which documents his creative process, visit John Ellsworth's Photo Notebook.