Photography is Art. There I said it. When I attended The Memphis College of Art, I along with fellow painters would never have uttered those words. John Rankine and Al Hooks are two of Eureka Springs' many fine photographers who prove that snapped images rightly deserve the label of «fine art.»

Toronto native John Rankine came to Eureka Springs via Key West ten years ago. With his partner, Billy King, and friend Mary Pat Boian they started a newspaper, «The Lovely County Citizen.» John became the staff photographer. Almost immediately he worked magic with his camera documenting events and people for the publication.

Despite a hectic work schedule, Rankine finds time to work on themed shows with tremendous success. The «Doll Series» contained images of discarded toy dolls carefully placed in still life and environmental settings. His highly acclaimed artist portrait series featured sixty photos of seventy-five local artists and strongly captured the essence of each individual. The show sold out.

John's other works have included a pro Peace series shot at a rally in DC, beautiful and sometimes eerie florals, a male erotic jewelry show, and the Eureka Springs School of the Arts calendar.

What sets Rankine's works apart is his keen eye for composition. For some pieces he sets up a carefully arranged composition before shooting. The arrangement in itself is a work of art that is then captured forever as a fine art photograph. Often cutting edge and controversial, this camera artist always gives viewers something to talk about.

When asked to submit an example of his work, John sent an image of me from the Artists Series with this explanation of his intent during the shoot:

«Zeek was the first artist I shot for the artist portrait series. Because of Zeek's flamboyant persona and amazing use of color and pattern in his art, I wanted Zeek literally stripped down for the shoot, in hopes of revealing the vulnerable, sensitive artist he is. Shot in his back yard hot tub, the photo is void of color, except for his penetrating blue eyes.»

A native of New Orleans, Al Hooks came to Eureka Springs from Pass Christian, Mississippi, after being displaced by hurricane Katrina. With state of the art equipment Hooks is able to shoot images with precise clarity. Subject matter is primarily florals and urban landscapes.

Color and scale are keynotes of Al's work. With a background in painting he successfully renders his work in a painterly mode. His photos are often enhanced with computer software, altering color and form to render a striking new look at the subject matter.

Printing his own work, Hooks is able to blow the shots up to a size many photographers might find intimidating. The grand scale, interesting pixel manipulation, and vivid hues transform what could be the mundane into eye catching objects' d art.

John Rankine's works can be seen weekly in the Citizen and online at eurekaspringsartists.com.

Al Hook's works can be viewed in his signature gallery at 7 Center Street in Eureka Springs, or online at alhooks.com.

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