Tempe luminary artist John Aho celebrates light, both natural and unnatural. By day he excels at capturing subjects ranging from Autumn leaves to macro-views of colorful insects using sunlight; after dark he arranges high-power LED lights in candy-dish colors to create surreal landscapes lit in surprising ways around the gardens at Boyce Thompson Arboretum – which is showcasing his art with a solo exhibition that opens Nov. 9 with a meet-the-artist gallery reception from 1-3pm. “I lead painting with light” night photography workshops that use high-power LED lights that I’ve built. I was drawn to night photography in the desert due to the limited palette of colors you see during the day.
Many subjects that appear bland during daylight are transformed at night with high intensity colored LED lights that create their own Technicolor wonderland. Years ago I enrolled as a volunteer — I donate my time spent leading these workshops at BTA as a way to give back to the park that has given me so much inspiration. When I first moved to Arizona I lived in Superior — since then I’ve relocated to Tempe, and I miss the striking natural beauty of Superior and that corner of Pinal County. I love the desert scenery, the saguaros, and Boyce Thompson Arboretum. Having lived in
many parts of the country, the desert holds a special place in my heart and I find myself drawn to it.”
See the range of Aho’s art work daily in the visitor center gallery this month – or preview the exhibit at ag.arizona.edu/bta, where you can also connect with John Aho via facebook and other social media. He’s also offering several opportunities to learn his unique approaches to photography; enroll in either of two classes he’ll coach: a nighttime painting-with-lights workshop Nov. 15, or his Fall Foliage Photography class Nov. 23 (Sunday). Autumn foliage peaks at Arizona’s high elevation forests during October; situated at 2,400 feet, the Arboretum’s groves of Pistachio trees are most brilliant during late November. Workshops are $40; enroll with your credit card ready by calling 520-689-2723 during daytime business hours.
“Photographers ask what camera I prefer for my range of subjects; you can get into circular debates about the kind of camera you choose — but knowing light and how to work well with your camera’s limitations is far more important than what brand of camera you own. My preference is Nikon cameras because I have great lenses for them.”
“A good camera is one that gets out of your way when you want to take a picture and lets you capture the moment how you envisioned it. And what’s my favorite photo? that would be my next one — I’m always looking forward to taking more pictures and finding interesting things to take pictures of.”