Picture perfect perspective comes into focus at Photofest

Joel Dawson, who placed third at this year’s Photofest, displays a lifetime of travel and teachings in her photography. Photofest is on exhibit at the Artport Gallery through Jan. 22.

Capturing joy

With travel comes endless possibilities, especially if you are a photographer. No matter what camera the photographer may be sporting, a Nikon with a long lens, a Sony 100, 200, or 300, or even an iPhone, a trip to Tanzania can produce iconic shots.

The key is not to search out the perfect shot but to be open to opportunities and allow the photo to present itself. It is about being at the right place and at the right time.

Photographer Joel Dawson has spent much of her adult life experiencing the world through photography. Dawson’s travels have led her across oceans and over mountain ranges to experience magnificent views, unique species of fauna and flora, and the dream-filled eyes of children worldwide. Each subject brings a different perspective. “I especially like to shoot close-ups,” says Dawson.

“I have been lucky to travel extensively, so I have been able to capture lots of unusual photos. I think my success is mostly related to how I go about taking photos rather than the camera I use.” The photographs Dawson takes are profound. She can capture the subject as if in an intimate moment. Her minimalistic style aims to eliminate distractions and provide contemplation by capturing a moment of joy.

Framing the findings

In 1972, Joel Dawson took the trek to Tallahassee to marry George Dawson and has called it home ever since. Like many others who arrived in Tallahassee, Dawson took advantage of the college town to attend Florida State University and earned her doctorate in science education.

For 26 years, she served her community as part of the Leon County School system. “I was the first principal of SAIL (School of Arts and Innovative Learning), principal of Sabal Palm, involved as a teacher trainer in a desegregation project, and science coordinator for the district.”

Her life in Tallahassee solidified as her family grew beyond her husband and stepchildren to grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Dawson also found community through her photography and has remained active in her volunteering.

Still, the world beckoned, and with it, the desire to learn wherever she traveled. Accompanied by her husband, the adventuring couple gained knowledge everywhere they went.

Dawson fondly recalls a Nikon photo course at Arches National Park, where they were taken to majestic spots to learn about perspective. Through discussion and evaluation with photography experts at in-person conferences and online classes, she has picked up various techniques supporting her increasingly unique photographic aesthetic.

Dawson comedically recalls the best advice a renowned photographer gave: “I was proud of an image I took of a llama. I did not notice the feet of another llama just behind the subject,” Dawson laughs. “The lesson learned was to carefully note what was in the frame.”

Trial and error have proved the best learning method for Dawson, as she continues to look for the unexpected perspective in the perfect shot.

Dawson places at Photofest 2023

The years of travel and perspective offered by experiencing new and different cultures have shaped Dawson’s photography and her Tallahassee audiences. Over the past 20 years, her work has been featured more than 10 times in Tallahassee’s Photofest, a juried fine art photography exhibition at the Tallahassee International Airport’s Artport Gallery.

This annual event showcases the artwork of 50 or so local artists as part of the Art in Public Places program sponsored by the City of Tallahassee and presented by the Council on Culture & Arts.

In 2014, Dawson won 3rd place for her piece Apple Store Steps.

This year, Dawson is back with three photographs and another bronze medal for the unusual nature and multitude of colors in The Kleman Plaza Cupola. Dawson expresses her awe and delight when witnessing the overflow of fantastic art at Photofest 2023.

“I am always impressed with the creativity of many of the photos and the ability of photographers to capture animals in action with great sharpness.” Dawson invites audiences to experience the exhibit, encouraging them to see the world through different perspectives and to share her joy for these artists and their imaginative images.

If you go

What: Photofest 2023

When: 8 a.m.-11:30 p.m. through Jan. 22

Where: TLH Airport Art Gallery | Online at tallahasseearts.org/2023-photofest/

Cost: Free; the first 30 minutes of parking at the Tallahassee International Airport is free

Dr. Christy Rodriguez de Conte is the feature writer for the Council on Culture & Arts. COCA is the capital area’s umbrella agency for arts and culture (tallahasseearts.org).

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Joel Dawson explores the world with camera in hand