Sisters photographer shows at BBR

"Immersive Landscapes," a show of 15 large photographs from Sisters Country by photographer Curtiss Abbott is on display at Black Butte Ranch Lodge through December 31.

An artist's reception is set for Thursday, December 17, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Originally from the Bay Area, Curtiss has lived at Black Butte Ranch since 2009. He has made Sisters Country his focal point, and his images show the depth of his love for the rivers, lakes, fall colors, sunrises and sunsets. "I call these 'Immersive Landscapes' to reflect my intention that you feel almost as if you are inside my image - listening to the waterfall, walking in the woods, gazing at distant mountains," he says.

Some - but by no means all - of the photographs are taken on or from the Ranch. A seasonal favorite is "Path Through the Aspens," a golden shot of the walking/bike path in autumn, with Black Crater in the distance. Curtiss' personal favorite is "McKenzie River Cascades."

All of the photographs are printed on canvas and set in walnut "floater fames" to maximize their presentation. All are for sale. Photographer and custom framer Dennis Schmidling of Sisters Gallery & Frame Shop stretched most and framed all of the canvases.

"Nature offers such a wonderful palette of colors and experiences," Curtiss says.

That is why he prefers to display his work in as large a format as possible. He shoots with a medium-format digital camera: a Phase One 80-megapixel digital back on a Cambo technical camera with Rodenstock lenses. He then optimizes the images using Capture One Pro and Photoshop, and prints on a 44-inch-wide Epson 9900 printer.

He is often asked if he manipulates his images.

"Some see it as a badge of honor to 'get it in the camera,' but the camera actually distorts reality, depending on what lens you are using. And, all of your 'automatic' settings interpret the images based on how the computer inside your camera processes them. Is that reality? Everybody sees things differently," Curtiss says. "The final product is a print, and I want the print to represent what I saw, heard, smelled and felt when I captured the image. The photographer's image is what I want to convey."