Dreamy images from successful photographer come to Syd Entel Galleries

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Photographer Drew Gardner is a visual storyteller who uses equal parts glamor and mystery. His commercial success — commissions from Guinness World Records and a Sports Illustrated spread of Olympic gold medal skier Lindsey Vonn, for example — have given him the freedom to create his own portfolio, part of which forms a show at Syd Entel Galleries opening Wednesday and continuing only through Saturday.

He talked about those photographs in a recent telephone interview from his London studio.

"During my work as a photojournalist, I'd see fantastic locations and wondered what, if I had control of a shoot, what I'd do with them," he said.

One of his hallmarks is his dramatic use of lighting, and he frequently lectures on his techniques. His photographs look like they are computer-generated and enhanced, but most are not.

Two works from his "Alice" series are included, taken in the Lake District in northern England. They have the feel of a fashion shoot and in a way they are; he used dresses by a designer he knows to help launch her line. His riff on the Lewis Carroll story isn't literal, he says; nor are any of his portfolios.

" 'The Bridge of Doom' series was a spy story I made up," he said. "For the 'Forest' series, I just wanted to photograph the most beautiful forests I could find."

His giclee prints are usually created in large format, typically 5 by 7 feet. They stand up to the size, but for this show, smaller ones are available.

Gardner will be at the gallery for a free opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Lennie Bennett can be reached at lennie@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8293.