It is February in Buffalo. It is the coldest, dreariest and most colorless time of the year. For students suffering from cabin fever, Tuesday's Christopher MacDonald photography display in Blu - a lounge located inside of Osaka, a Japanese restaurant on Main Street - provided the ideal cure.
At the display, it was possible to feel warmth again, and not just the kind radiating from a central heating system. Latin beats by DJ Scotty and DJ Reuben hit the ears, and with a good imagination, a person was whisked away on a vacation to Costa Rica.
There were 25 clear pictures of Costa Rican life and landscape, with colors that were rich and bold beyond belief.
"All but two of the photos are edited, and even those still preserve the original colors," said MacDonald.
These images are strong enough to transform into sound. Some are very peaceful and quiet, while others are loud, with an almost three-dimensional quality. A particular crowd favorite was the brilliant purple beach sunsets.
"There is a cold water beach in the northern area of Costa Rica that gives off great sunsets at dusk," MacDonald said. "Our first evening was rained on, but what a show. Instead of deep hues in the sunset, my fellow students and I were witness to an invasion of purples and then deep blues across the horizon. Far off on the peninsula, lighting danced on top and marched its way on through and into the mainland."
Aside from photos of beautiful scenery and foliage, there are amazing images of wildlife. The pictures that stood out in particular were the vibrant toucan photos.
"I had a great experience in Los Innocentes when this toucan flew in from nowhere to get a quick sip of juice that was sitting out on the veranda," MacDonald said. "This incredibly colored beak made its way to fit into the glass, sip some juice and lift its beak out to gurgle it down - then repeat. It was great! A piece of bread for the road and with a smile, he flew off."
The art resulted from a spur-of-the-moment visit to the Central American country MacDonald took with his father. Inspired by his environment, MacDonald turned a vacation into a two-week long trip, traveling around Costa Rica and taking over 500 digital photographs.
MacDonald, who originally earned an associate's degree in fine arts and finished with a bachelor's in graphic design, was working all the while on both traditional and digital artwork.
"Painting, photography, sculpting, papermaking, you name it. I just loved having access to so much near me," he said.
The photographer said his original goal for these pictures was to show the negative and positive aspects of the people and their culture. But after realizing the language barriers of this goal, his focus became a "photo-journalistic tour of Costa Rica."
"I wanted to bring a little warmth up to Buffalo and offer something affordable to have in your home that makes you feel good," MacDonald said. "A little change of atmosphere for the winter blahs."
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
