ARTIST STATEMENT

It is one thing to capture a moment in time but quite another to make it personal and allow others to see what you were viewing and possibly feeling at that moment. I get much satisfaction when someone looks over one of my photos and doesn’t even realize it is of a place that they pass every day. A landmark one sees regularly becomes transparent and loses its beauty as we take it for granted that it is there. Through my work I like to show others how much I appreciate my world, that in my urban surroundings I see mountains, I see waterfalls and I see rainbows

BIO

Whether walking past the wavy teal waters along Lake Shore Drive that defines Chicago or tromping through the green areas in the suburbs of Illinois, Virginia, Maryland and now the urban cityscapes of New Jersey this photographer enjoys discovering artistic views in our every day world.

Beth Achenbach was born in White Plains, New York. One of four girls she spent a lot of time alone walking through the slight wooded areas looking to discover treasures which most others would walk by without hesitation. It was not until the 1990’s that Beth would learn to capture her world on film. While living in Chicago, she began working at a camera shop. There she learned about how to print using her eye for color and density. Most importantly, in order to sell cameras she spent the slow hours reading over camera manuals. Through those books and printing of thousands of photographs over the years Beth taught herself how to capture those treasures she saw in a timeless way. The architecture, beautiful flowers, street signs, even simple old rusty parts all photographed by her with an appreciation for what they once were and how they will remain after we are gone.

In 2002, Beth met the love of her life and moved to Jersey City where she found photographic inspiration on every block. Currently Beth works at Duggal Visual Solutions, one of the most prestigious labs in the world located in New York City. At her job, she prints photos for the every day person off the street but also the work of the world’s most famous photographers.

Beth volunteers her time annually as the official photographer for Jersey City Pride Festival. She has graciously donated art to organizations for fundraisers such as Human Rights Campaign, United in Grace, JCLGO, Jersey Pride, Inc., ARFF, United Divas, Tsunami Relief and most recently donated work to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. She has shown her photographs at the 2004 & 2005 Cathedral Arts Festival, Gallerie Hudson, Subia’s Cafe, Grace Church Van Vorst, Baker Boys Cafe and has been part of the Jersey City Artist Tour the past three years.

Over the past few years the New York City Blade, GO Magazine, The Jersey Journal, The Current, and the Jersey City Pride Guide have all used Beth’s images. In 2005, her piece “Diverse Reflections”, a digitally colorized image, was the cover of The Jersey Gaze. That piece highlighted Beth’s enthusiasm for moving along with the times by incorporating digital imaging into some of her pieces. But no matter how the final art is laid out, her work still begins with the basics, a camera, a roll of color film and Beth’s never ending search for those treasures that she so willingly allows us to see through her eyes.