Photographer offers pictorial tour of iconic national parks

Award-winning photographer and artist Mike Smith offers a glimpse into the grandeur of America’s national treasures in his exhibit “Our National Parks,” on display in November at West Chicago’s Gallery 200.

The exhibit opens Friday, Nov. 1, and continues through Sunday, Nov. 24, at Gallery 200, 200 Main St., West Chicago. A free opening reception is 6 to 9 p.m. Friday with entertainment by singers from the Verismo Opera Theater in Oak Park.

Smith had fond memories of a family vacation to Yellowstone in the early 1970s with his parents. His wife, however, had never visited the park. After discussing vacation options and realizing that an overseas trip did not fit into the family budget, Smith and his wife did what many Americans have done — they packed the car and drove over a thousand miles to visit several of this country’s most famous national parks in July 2012.

They had interesting adventures along the way, including an impromptu visit to a ghost town in South Dakota after following errant GPS directions to a hotel. Smith took advantage of every opportunity to use his photography skills.

“During our visit to Mount Rushmore, clouds began rolling over the top of the mountain. One by one, the presidents were disappearing in front of me and I just kept pressing the button,” Smith said.

During the trip, conversations with local residents made it clear that the best time to view wildlife in and around Yellowstone was during September, as the change in temperatures drives wildlife into the valleys for the approaching winter. Two months later, Smith once again drove across the country to capture additional wildlife images. He used his skills as an amateur radio operator to listen to the ranger frequencies to learn of animal sightings within driving distance of his location. Each day, he was on the road before sunrise and often traversed the park after dark to return to his hotel.

On the return trip to Illinois, Smith detoured through Colorado to attend a workshop for a dye sublimation process developed by a chemical engineer and artist. The process allows for the transfer of a photographic image from a sheet of plastic onto a substrate such as wood or tile. What Smith likes most about the process is that the texture of the base item shows through the image.

“I had noticed at flea markets that people were selling repurposed furniture with decoupage images. So, I decided to use my photographs with the dye sublimation transfer process, which leaves a smooth surface and allows the wood grain to show through the image,” he said.

In addition to the photography exhibit, Smith will have framed prints available along with several pieces of repurposed furniture items, each embellished with images of regional lighthouses or Yellowstone scenery. The one-of-a-kind pieces have been treated with a protective coating and are for sale.

Professionally, Smith operates Photographic Services International in Aurora. His images have appeared in magazines, greeting cards, books and educational training programs. His photography studio offers portraits on archival papers and traditional canvas prints. For information, contact his studio at (630) 330-3595.

Gallery 200 is open noon to 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and noon to 4 p.m. weekends. For information, including a complete list of art classes, contact (630) 293-9550 or gallery200.org.