Some of the most compelling photographic images are neither planned, nor made with the best recent equipment. Many involve the element of chance.

The photographs in the Vermont Center for Photography’s August 2011 exhibit featuring work by Barry Dial, Gene LaFord and Richerd “Whitey” Morange reflect this element of “Found art”.

You’re walking down a trail, looking for the best view of the mountains in front of you, find a spot and set up the camera, then turn around and there is the real picture. Or maybe it’s a late night drive and you see a cloud illuminated by the full moon that dominates the shrouded landscape. Sometimes the element of chance comes from equipment. Large format cameras make easy platforms for experimentation with lenses not always intended for photography. The images produced by simple lenses produce results that are uncommon in today’s world of tested perfection.

These images result from experiments with cast-off lenses, being in the right place at the right time, and looking with a readyness and appreciation for the unexpected “Found Art”.