Present Tense Artist Talks

JIM TETLOW

I’m a photographer based in La Jolla, California with a wide range of photographic interests including architecture, people, and nature. I strive to go beyond simply recording what I see, and try to interpret the scene. I think that I’m drawn to monochromatic images because in my career as a lighting designer, I use color as an intrinsic element of the design every day. By stripping away the color in my photographs, the composition is based on forms, light, and shadows.

Technique

The majority of my work is in alternative processes, most of which originated in the 19th century including Platinum, Palladium, and Cyanotype prints. It’s a time consuming effort, but each print is hand crafted rather than the product of an inkjet printer or a commercial lab.

Learn more on Jim’s website.

LORI POND

Lori Pond grew up in the bowels of Orange County, under the shadow of Mickey Mouse’s ears in Anaheim, California. She was around 10 when she caught the photography bug from her father, who was an amateur photographer with a garage darkroom. They would go out to Joshua Tree in the springtime, and capture macro images of the ephemeral wildflowers which sprouted from the dirt. He taught her how to develop and print her own photographs. Around the same time, she began playing flute and piano, eventually taking her musical skills to the internationally-renowned music school at Indiana University. She graduated with honors, but decided her next act was to get an MA at USC in Broadcast Journalism. After receiving her degree, she worked in television as a graphic artist for the next 35 years. All along the way, she retained her love for photography, and gradually expanded her vision to create mostly conceptual photography. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally.

Follow Lori on Instagram and learn more on her website.

RILEY ARTHUR

I have always been drawn to the relationship between people and place—the way environments shape identity, memory, and belonging. My work explores regional histories, marginalized communities, gentrification, and cultural nostalgia, with a focus on how spaces hold stories. Whether I’m documenting the fading neon glow of New York City diners or teaching photography workshops in remote field sites, my goal is to preserve and share overlooked narratives.

I was born and raised in American Samoa, where the lush, saturated colors of the Pacific left an indelible mark on my visual language. Color is central to my work, not just as an aesthetic choice but as a means of storytelling. From a young age, I was fascinated by Americana—a world that felt both distant and familiar, shaped by the media I consumed and the distance I lived from it. That curiosity has fueled my long-term project on New York City diners, an exploration of changing cultural landscapes and the communities that inhabit them.

Follow Riley on Instagram and learn more on her website.

STEFAN FRUTIGER

Stefan is a Swiss photographer and environmental advocate based in San Diego. He holds an MA in Photography from Falmouth University.

Over the past five years, Stefan has documented critical environmental issues in the American West. His “Sacred Land—Scarred Land” project examines uranium mining legacy on the Navajo Nation documenting abandoned mines and landfills. His “State of the Water” project investigates the Colorado River Basin crisis affecting 40 million people.

Stefan’s practice bridges environmental science and visual storytelling. He integrates scientific data with photography to make complex environmental systems accessible. His work translates technical information about water allocation policies, contamination patterns, and climate impacts into visual narratives that reveal how policy decisions become embedded in the landscape itself.

He combines a research-based approach with traditional techniques like medium format film, darkroom printing, and pinhole cameras.

Follow Stefan on Instagram and learn more on his website.

Present Tense #7 Juror: Donna Cosentino, Gallery Director, The Photographer’s Eye: A Creative Collective

Each edition of Present Tense Artist Talks will have a different juror of note drawn from across North America, and each juror will select three presenters for the talks, and four additional artists for the portfolio walk. The fourth presenter at each Present Tense talk is a student selected by the faculty of a participating college.

About Donna

Donna Cosentino has been passionately engaged in Photography since that first moment of darkroom magic experienced in 1971. The street-shooting genre she practiced led her to a job as a photojournalist at a North San Diego County daily newspaper where she worked for seven years.
She began teaching photography at Palomar College thirty years ago. During that time, she also ran the International Photography Competition at the San Diego County Fair, managed the Photographer's Gallery in Escondido, and ran California destination photography workshops with her business, Photographic Explorations. Now as a retired Palomar College photography faculty, she has initiated The Photographer’s Eye Collective in Escondido.
Donna most often works in Black and White film using a Nikon F3, a Rolleiflex twin lens, a Zone VI 4x5, and a 1970's Polaroid SX70.

Visit thephotographerseyecollective.com to learn more about The Photographer’s Eye Collective and gallery. You can also follow the The Photographer’s Eye on instagram (@thephotographerseyecollective) or Donna’s personal instagram account (@donnadcosentino) to stay connected with her work.