FRANK CERAVALO

Nature & Landscape Photography

Website: Vista Landscapes.com E-mail: frank@vistawv.com

Move your cursor over any image to see an enlargement.

In February 1983 the Shenandoah Valley experienced a 30 inch snow fall. One of the things my new wife and I realized was that we did not have a camera to take pictures of the event. So as soon as the snow melted enough to move, we went to our local photo shop and purchased a used 35mm range finder camera. I was given a 12-exposure roll of film and told to go out, give it a try, and bring the camera back if I did not like the results. One of the images from that roll resulted in my first landscape. Since then I've improved my technique and equipment, but the main focus of my photography has remained the same: Nature & Landscape Photography.

My formal photographic training consists of adult education classes and several seminars. The majority of my education has been from personal reading, analyzing the work and technique of the top nature and landscape photographers, and my own experimentation in the field. I have a BS degree in Chemical Engineering and feel that the training as an engineer has helped with the technical aspect of photography. But more importantly, I use the engineering mind set of always looking for different ways of viewing a situation and adapting to it. A majority of my work is from West Virginia and Western Maryland, but also includes images from a variety of places like the Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone, Bavaria, Japan, and Italy.

Over the years I have competed and received awards in both local and national competitions.  Most recently one of my images was included in the 2005 Bi-Annual West Virginia Juried Artists Exhibition. My first individual showing was in the summer of 2001 at the Washington County Museum of Fine Art in Hagerstown, MD.  I now show in several galleries across WV and Virginia with shows scheduled at different locations throughout the year.

My photography has appeared in a range of publications including postcards, books, note cards, and calendars.   Many images have also been used in travel brochures for West Virginia and Pennsylvania.  It has also been published in magazines like Wonderful West Virginia, BlueRidge Country,West Virginia Outdoors, West Virginia Heritage,  Country Extra, WV South, and National Geographic Adventure Magazine.