Tom Pratuch says he displayed absolutely no artistic merit from birth. This tragic circumstance led to his high school art teacher taking pity and pointing him towards a small dark room. Who knew a dark room was a darkroom? The sheer enjoyment of watching an image float into being raised no existential questions whatsoever but struck a note of joy. He responded as only a non-artistic person could – Tom chose photographic engineering. Years of snapshots ensued while mastering the fine art of well exposed pictures with nobody’s head being cut-off and/or most of the subject in the frame. Occasionally the photos rose to the level of documentary in nature. Then, being tired of paying for other people’s art to hang in his house, Tom found he had accidentally taken several photographs that had a small degree of artistic merit. Joining NVPS in 2010, he entered competition trying several approaches — Architectural, portrait, landscape, journalistic, travel, and nature. In the end, the old adage proved true – do what you love. Winning awards during his first full year of competition got Tom promoted out of novice. But the typical winning photo was a nature image – and being out in nature is what Tom enjoys most. And thus an accidental photographer was born.
Digital with Bob Friedman, Topic ‘The Best of Bob’
As a teenager I started my photography journey with a darkroom in my parents’ basement which I inherited from my brother. The first thing I did when we bought our house was to build a darkroom in the basement. Today I am 100% digital in color and black and white (my preferred medium) I have taken courses and workshops at Photoworks at Glen Echo, and with Freeman Patterson and Andre Gallant in New Brunswick, Canada.
Awards:
Northern Virginia Photographic Society
- Photographer of the Year – Color Prints 2006-2007
- Print of the Year – Monochrome 2012-2013
Jewish Community Relations Council National Contest 2008
- Two Honorable Mentions
Shows:
Penn Camera
Dec. 2009
National Parks of Utah
Two person show
Meadowlark Nature Photography Juried Show
2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
NatureVisions Juried Show
2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012
Center for the Photographic Arts – Gainesville, Virginia
- Abstract Photography Exhibition Spring 2012 One image
- Abstract photography Exhibition Spring 2013 One image
Multiple images in the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Prints on display in various professional offices in the Metro DC area.