Mark Fairchild poses with some of his photographs at the Mendon Library. Photo by Kelly Paganelli
Mendon Public Library is pleased to share the photographs of Mark Fairchild through the month of September. These photographs show leaves gathered in Mendon Ponds Park and the Town of Mendon and are from a forthcoming book published by RIT Press, Munsell Trees: A Season of Leaves and Colors by Mark Fairchild. The leaves are photographed by transmitted light and based upon inspiration of the works of Henry David Thoreau and Albert Munsell, they follow individual trees of various species through an entire growing season. More information about the project can be found online at www.markfairchild.org/Leaves/.
On September 12 at 6:30 pm, Mark will present “The Colors of Mendon’s Leaves”. Mark’s photographic process renders the leaves such that their intrinsic colors and textures are featured at their very best and the images encourage viewers to look more closely at leaves and trees and perhaps think of them differently. The images are laid out in different ways to illustrate the progression of color for single trees through the season as well as examine the entire set of trees on a given date. Additional images simply highlight the natural beauty of leaves. The color palettes of the leaves are also examined more technically using Munsell’s system of color order. Mark’s hope is that the photographs and book will inspire others to consider trees in a different light while thinking of our impact on them and other aspects of the natural world.
Mark Fairchild is a Professor of Color Science in the Munsell Color Science Laboratory at RIT. He has been part of the RIT faculty for nearly four decades where he teaches and performs research on human color perception and color imaging systems. Mark has published several books and many technical publications on those topics and has been honored with several awards and recognitions for his contributions to our understanding of color perception and image reproduction. He has lived just outside the Village of Honeoye Falls for over 30 years and can often be found hiking and appreciating the trees in Mendon Ponds Park early in the morning.
For more information about Mendon Public Library displays, programs, and initiatives, please contact www.mendonlibrary.org.
