Fine arts photographer Merle Somerville is one of more than 200 finalists recently accepted into the General Collection of Professional Photographers of America’s 2013 International Photographic Competition. Behind him is his photo “Autumn Splendor.”
Erin Christie photo
Fine arts photographer Merle Somerville is the only Canadian among 200 finalists accepted into the General Collection of Professional Photographers of America’s 2013 International Photographic Competition.
His photos, “McIntyre Bluff” and “Old Church” will be on display at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona in January 2014.
The prestigious international exhibition is held in conjunction with Imaging USA, an annual convention and expo for professional photographers and several photographic associations.
Somerville, who has called Oliver his home for seven years, said he intends to be there to see his work shown and considers the recognition particularly rewarding when he remembers how he discovered photography.
‘Old Church’
He was 23 and working as a draftsman for an oil company in Alberta.
“I wanted to take some extra courses at the college, and when I went to the campus to look around I came across the photography lab. I talked to the instructor and checked out the equipment. Then I went home and told my wife I wanted to study photography. It has changed my life.”
His wife Valerie said photography has been very good to them. Indeed it has. The pair has been married for 50 years and worked together for many of those years.
Somerville earned his Master’s degree in photography in 1978, and has worked as a professional photographer for more than 30 years.
The majority of that time was been spent in Vancouver, where he served as a commercial photographer and owner of a professional photo lab. He has also done freelance work and shot stills for motion pictures.
Over the years his passion for landscape photography led him to more than 100 parks across British Columbia, as well as a number of scouting locations across BC, Australia, the United States, Central America and the South Pacific.
In 2007 the Somervilles shared their love of beautiful scenery, which brought them to the South Okanagan to pursue Merle’s creative study of wine-country landscapes.
His first series in the South Okanagan, which featured BC viticulture, was selected for the prestigious Fidelis Art Prints “Vineyard Art Collection” in 2008.
His work has also been published in national magazines, including his coverage of the Summer Olympics in Vancouver, tourism marketing publications and more recently, it has been seen on the Knowledge Network as part of a series celebrating BC’s 150th anniversary.
Though her husband is no stranger to accolades Valerie said she is looking forward to seeing her husband’s work displayed on the international stage.
“Quality is something that has always been very important to Merle,” she said.
‘McIntyre Bluff’
“Every photographer has a choice to pursue it strictly for love of the art or to enter it in juried exhibitions and try to make a living at it. He does it for both. He has a passion for it, but I think artists of all kinds strive to be accepted by their peers.”
The exhibition is set for January 12, 2014. According to a press release, a panel of 43 jurors from across the United States selected the top photographs from nearly 5,000 submitted entries.
Just over 1,800 images were selected for the General Collection, and more than 200 selected images will be published in the “showcase” book by Marathon Press.
To view Somerville’s portfolio visit www.merlesomerville.com
Erin Christie
Oliver Chronicle
