"The widespread adoption of digital technology has revolutionized photography. At its heart, this revolution has allowed photographers to do two things that they could not easily do before: see the image immediately and modify the it substantially once taken. On the face of it these are positive developments but as with all advances there is a danger of discarding what was good about the old regime. Before the digital revolution photographers waited to see their results. This usually meant that the subject of the photograph no longer existed when the image emerged, so there was no opportunity to redo. In addition there was limited scope to modify the outcome to more closely conform to photographers’ expectations. As a result of these limitations photographers developed three skills; timing,-knowing when to push the shutter, framing- knowing what to include or exclude from the image and composition- knowing how to organize the information in the frame. The fleeting nature of reality meant that these skills were often employed very rapidly and at an instinctive level. There are many examples of photographers who functioned this way: J.H. Lartigue and H.C. Bresson come immediately to mind. In modern practice Caroline de Bertodano’s work combines these traditional skills while expressing a celebration of the human spirit that is at odds with the more cynical sensibilities of today. Her work in traditional black and white presents us with a world of uplifting elegance. This is a world where the basic skills of the photographer, obsessively practiced lead to heightened sensitivity and appreciation. It is our great good fortune that we can share these perceptions through her work."
Bill Blanco 2011