Of the four exhibitions currently being held at the Bermuda Society of Arts, three are new. The Sunell van der Westhuysen show, 'This is Bat Country', is being held over and although it is a splendid exhibition I reviewed it a few weeks ago thus will not do so again. Instead, I will concentrate on that which is new.

The three new exhibitions are: the 'Members' Photographic Show' in the Onions Gallery and 'Olio', a show of photographs by Libby Cook-Toppan and Kiona Estravit is on exhibit in the Edinburgh Gallery. 'The Spaces Between', an exhibit of varied works by Kimberly Tucker, is in Studio B.

The Members' Photographic Show is an annual exhibition that seems to be getting better by the year. It is also a large show, with 73 exhibits by 24 artists. I cannot help but contrast this show with the professional photographers, who also occasionally exhibit in the BSoA galleries, and in doing so, my guess is that most in this show are amateurs.

Nevertheless, their works hold up really very well. There is more to a work of art than mere technical skill however. There are other elements to consider and what I especially seek is something that grabs my interest; an element that is often surprising.

Of course, it is possible that an amateur may occasionally come up with something exceptional, whereas a professional must more consistently do so if they are to continue earning a living by their craft – that is often the difference between the two groups. With advances in photographic technology however, it is getting easier for amateurs to deal with technical issues. This gives them the freedom to concentrate of design and content.

Other than the usual definition of 'professional', that is something ones does as a vocation, the word also implies the meeting of high standards of workmanship. In that sense some in this show are 'professionals'. Since this is a large exhibition, I will focus on those works that I consider outstanding. I noticed that the jurors have already selected what they consider the best and the audience has also been asked to vote on what they think best as well. It will be interesting to see how this matches up.

The work that was chosen as 'best in show', is a monumental photograph by Jolene Bean called, 'Onward To Charleston'. It depicts a person at the wheel of a tall ship with another vessel in the background. This was taken on the Tall Ships' race from Bermuda to Charleston this past summer. Although this is a fairly large photograph, this is not necessarily what makes it monumental. In art, a sense of the monumental can sometimes be found in quite small works, such as some portraits by the 19th century French painter, Corot. It is a quality that comes with a sensitivity to such considerations as contrast of scale and proportion. It is a quality that expresses something almost heroic and certainly larger than life. In this picture, there is also an aspect of spaciousness. This is helped not only by the horizon, but also by a distant Tall Ship in the background. There is also the contrast of the warm colours in the foreground, against the cooler ones in the upper part of the picture. This picture is an outstanding work of art, which alone, is worth a visit to the BSoA galleries.

Another photograph that was also given high marks by the jurors and one that stood out for me, as well, is a diptych by Ryan Matcham called, 'Walking on Glass'. Traditionally, a diptych is a painting made up of two panels. In this instance, the work consists of two related framed photographs that are shown side by side. The subject matter depicted is of a rocky beach with multi-coloured sea glass intermingled, along with bubbles of sea foam. An artist whose work I have been following for a few years is Kelvin Hastings-Smith. What I particularly find appealing about his work is the way he links the actual work with its catchy title. For example, one photograph shows the space and the view through the arch of a bridge. The title is 'Life Beyond'.

I am also drawn to Keith Caesar's colourful photograph of Gombeys. It is called 'Heritage'. Having said that, I find that most portrayals of Gombeys are nothing more than cliches, but in this case the artist has risen above the common and has created a frenzy of colour and movement that expresses the excitement of being in the presence of Gombeys.

This Members' Photographic show is a worthwhile one, that I recommend seeing, but given its considerable size, I can only cover the highlights. That is regrettable.

The two-person photography show in the Edinburgh Gallery is a prime example of professionalism. Libby Cook-Toppan and Kiona Estravit both have a good eye for what I can best call the abstract in nature. They often focus on small details, such as a dandelion gone to seed or textures in nature, such as sea grass. This is not their exclusive emphasis however, and Ms Cook-Toppan's 'Heron I' and 'Heron II' are both striking portrayals of a great blue heron. Ms Estravit is also showing a number of photos of life in Mexico. This show is not only visually stimulating, it is beautifully presented.

Kimberly Tucker's show in Studio B is mixed in media, but with a strong emphasis on ceramics. While most of her clay objects are small, what makes them so striking is her unusual and often highly textured glazes.

Additionally, she is showing a mixed media work that makes use of cedar chips are sawdust. This is called 'Circles'.

The show ends today and is well worth making the effort to see it.