Watermark Art Center will hold an open house for photographer, William Petersen on October 4 from 5 to 7pm. His digital photography exhibit "iPhone Artistry" will be on display from October 4 through December 28, 2024. On October 24 (times to be determined), he will give a talk on his methods of working with phone cameras.

Petersen's first camera was a Kodak Duaflex box camera given to him by his parents when he was eleven. The film was 620 roll film in black-and-white only. From that very beginning, he knew the camera was able to capture more than “reality”, and it allowed him to share his "reality" of imagery.

After a few photography classes in college, his photography took a necessary back seat to his medical career until 1999 when he returned to his love affair with photography in a serious way. This period was also the advent of electronic cameras and digital "dark rooms". Initially he rejected much of that, but soon realized that the masters of black and white photography perfected their skills with decades of experimentation in a traditional darkroom. He soon decided to embrace photographic computer tools that he could learn in a fraction of the time necessary and still achieve amazing results.

He is grateful to have seen all the changes to photography methods that have occurred throughout his lifetime. Technology has allowed him to continue to share his view of "image reality" with others.

There is no charge to attend the open house. For more information regarding events, classes and exhibits visit watermarkartcenter.org or call 218-444-7570. Watermark galleries are accessible and open to the public Monday - Saturday from 10 to 5pm. Watermark is located at 505 Bemidji Avenue N. in Bemidji, Minnesota.

This exhibit is made possible, in part, by Paul Bunyan Communications.