Artist Highlight

Little is big on Naturescapes. 'I call them Naturescapes,' said local photographer Pat Little. 'It's a word I made up for very close-up digital shots of nature ' anything natural.' Little's technique is to shoot common objects so close that the macroscopic details form abstract images. With many of his images, the viewer can't tell from the abstract patterns what the larger whole is. He enjoys watching people view his work and try to guess what it is. When they discover that the unusual patterns and colors comprise tiny details in recognizable objects, he says they thoroughly enjoy the experience.

'Things are blown so far out of proportion'something as small as fingernail blown up as big as a 30-inch print'that the colors are very bold, very graphic,' he said. 'My premise is that nature is really incredible--it's really amazing. The point behind Naturescapes is that it's real, it's there and it's really gorgeous. We don't see it, but it's there ' even the smallest things are there, and the color is fantastic!'

Philipsburg resident Pat Little, born and raised in State College, began shooting as a photojournalist in 1977 with the Daily Collegian, and led a prominent career as a sports photographer for the Centre Daily Times. He still works as an Associated Press stringer and serves as a photography advisor for the Daily Collegian. But he found that his true love was investigating the 'more than meets the eye' world of macroscopic digital photography.

'This is a total departure,' Little said. 'I felt like I was riding down this river called journalism for 18 years, and then saw this little stream called 'ART,' and I shot down there.' Little exhibits regularly in regional shows and has won several awards in this new artistic venue.

Little also enjoys the departure from traditional film photography and wet processing, and has traded in his darkroom for a 'souped up' inkjet printer. 'These are actually fine art prints,' he said. 'They're not photos'they're shot on a digital camera and processed by a computer and it's ink on paper, so they actually become fine art prints. The details are a little sharper, and the colors are a little bolder.'

Anything from nature is fair game, said Little. His current image collection, numbering about 100, includes details drawn from fruits, vegetables, rocks, seashells, butterflies, flowers, geodes, wood, and many other natural objects he collects.

Little acknowledges his work is different and unusual, and that the response to it has been great. '[It's great] when the public comes into my booth, and they just start giggling,' Little said. 'This photography cuts across all barriers and all ages. People just have a great time'It's interactive and it's fast, and they see it, and then once they know what it is, they really enjoy it.'

Little's booth will be near the Kettle Korn stand close to the corner of Allen and Foster Streets. Patrons are encouraged to visit and to try to guess whether the abstracts they're scrutinizing came from a rock, a green pepper, an oyster shell, a dahlia or a pea pod. His work can also be seen at www.patlittleimages.com.