New Hampshire Center for Photography BLOG

NH Center for Photography - Annual Members Meeting 2024

Maundy Mitchell — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 13:09:48 GMT

We had a busy day yesterday! In case you missed it, here are the Cliff Notes. Grab a cup of coffee for this update:

We started with a board meeting, followed by our annual members meeting. We shared all kinds of great food (well, don't miss it next time!)

There was the President's report. Ian Raymond recapped the previous year, followed by the Treasurer's report. Dan Gingras gave us an update.

We welcomed two new members, Steve Lewis, and John Fitzgerald.

Next we voted in a new board member, Becky Field, as Maundy Mitchell finished a 3-year term.

Claudia Rippee, Maundy Mitchell, and Alicia Bergeron shared more about our new name (NH Center for Photography) and branding. We're rolling that out now. Our new website should be ready at the end of the summer!

Dan Derby talked about our fantastic zoom presentations, most of which are held during the winter, but they're all recorded for you to enjoy.

Gary Tomkins gave us an update on our historic architecture project. We need more photos! Check in with him if you'd like to contribute. We'll be finishing up early fall, and have an exhibit in the late fall.

Gary Samson introduced our next group project--The NH Artist Portrait Project. It starts now!

We talked about our upcoming events - these will be posted online--including our first annual NHCP Photo Flea Market (July 20 at Kimball Jenkins)

Ian Raymond will give a cyanotype demonstration at an exhibit at the Sandwich Historical Society on June 29. This is part of a large celebration and exhibit of photography.

NH Center for Photography will also have a table at the League of NH Crafts Fair on August 11.

We talked about our upcoming "Photo Slam," which is for all members to share in a quick-moving slideshow of their work, one after another. More on that soon.

After the meeting, some of the members had a wonderful time photographing each other around the mansion and grounds.

The Woods of Odiorne: Photographs by Effie Malley

Maundy Mitchell — Thu, 02 May 2024 11:12:07 GMT

Trees are among the most common objects we see, and Effie Malley hopes her photographs of trees will lead people to look at them differently. She has been photographing the trees at Odiorne Point State Park for two years. Her work has culminated in a solo exhibit of twenty-five color photographs, The Woods of Odiorne: Photographs by Effie Malley, at the Portsmouth Public Library, 175 Parrott Ave, Portsmouth, NH through June 1.

Join us May 8 from 6:30-8:30 PM for an Artist's Reception. Light refreshments will be provided.

Malley says that the exhibit provides no sequential narrative; rather, she hopes the photos convey the experience of awe she felt being around these trees she came to know. As a climate activist, she has learned the important role trees play in reducing carbon. As a former and budding botanist, she continues to learn about the remarkable ways trees communicate and share resources with each other.

Malley grew up in the suburbs of New York City, and frequented art museums. She took photographs through childhood and was photo editor of the high school newspaper. She studied photography at the University of New Hampshire with Richard D. Merritt. Later she worked at the UNH Photo Services Department and the UNH Art Museum. She currently lives in Portsmouth and makes digital photographs in color and black and white. She has been a member of the New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists (soon to be renamed NH Center for Photography) for three years and is grateful for the opportunities—sharing work, printing, attending webinars—that NHSPA /NH Center for Photography offers.

About her plans Malley says, “I’m not sure I can stop photographing trees. My work has alternated between somewhat abstract photographs and landscapes inspired by 19th century painters. I may continue the more abstract work, but in black and white. I also hope to explore some still lifes.” She will continue her documentary work about the impacts of climate change.

What drives her work is the process: she refers to the intense concentration where she can lose track of time shooting and processing images. She is fascinated by the inherent contradiction of a photograph catching the ephemeral while being impermanent itself. She gravitates to digital photography. Although she loved her years spent in a darkroom and particularly misses the experience of the print rising in the developer—so real and yet so miraculous—the accessibility of digital allows her to concentrate on the image.

You can see more of her photographs on Instagram @efMalley.

Information about the exhibit at Portsmouth Public Library and jpgs of the images at https://www.cityofportsmouth.com/library/galleries/woods-odiorne-photographs-effie-malley-2024

Upcoming Organization Name Change

Maundy Mitchell — Sun, 03 Mar 2024 19:36:55 GMT

On January 28, 2024, we held a member meeting at the Exeter Town Hall and voted to change the name of our organization to New Hampshire Center for Photography. While this will take a little time to properly transition and rebrand, the Board of Directors had been discussing this name change since last May.

The consensus at the May board meeting was that the current name no longer best describes the organization nor does it encapsulate a range of photography types. The current name also does not represent the outreach and educational aspects of the organization. Rebranding will welcome any photographers in addition to those who describe themselves as fine art photographers.

The board noted that the use of the word “Center” would be addressed in the rebranding in order that it be considered a virtual center for photographers to connect, rather than a reference to a physical space.

The January member meeting began with discussion and questions about the name change. The membership ultimately decided to change the organization’s name.

Since then, board Treasurer Dan Gingras has secured the name New Hampshire Center for Photography with the state of NH and purchased the domain name www.NHCFP.org.

Board members Maundy Mitchell and Claudia Rippee will head the committee for rebranding. We will be working with a professional web designer to create a website using our new domain name, and who will help with other aspects of rebranding (news articles, social media, etc.). The website featuring our new name, New Hampshire Center for Photography (NHCFP), and updated interface will be live by the fall. As we make the transition the current site will remain active and as we phase out the NHSPA domain, for the next 12 - 24 months we will retain that domain name and internet searches will be redirected to our new site.

We feel that this is an exciting time for our organization, and we look forward to becoming a more inclusive and welcoming group.

Member Spotlight: Ammara Khan

Maundy Mitchell — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 12:54:40 GMT

Ammara Khan has been a member of NHSPA for almost three years.

Growing up, she wanted to become an artist. She said, “In those early years I was intrigued by the colors, shapes, forms, and textures around me."

Over time, she became more intrigued with black and white images and photographed less and less in color.

Now she is drawn to symmetry, light and shadows. “To me, shadows are the most mysterious element of a photograph. One can see what they want to see in the darkest part of an image. As a photographer, I write stories and shadows provide me the space to do so.”

Lately Ammara has been pursuing urban exploration and has been traveling to cover heritage architecture in her native country of Pakistan. Her goal is to help preserve some of it for future generations. She also sees it as a way to complete her own identity. She is planning an exhibition once the body of work is complete.

She sees photography as a therapy. “Over the years it has tamed and molded me to appreciate and wait for the right moment. The urge to press the shutter relentlessly is gone. Instead, I wait for the elements to fall into place. My Leica has been my savior and has brought me great joy by letting me see the vastness in a small view finder and that too with the distractions of colors."

"My goal is to reduce the clutter and focus on what really matters to me as an artist during my explorations.”

“I am thankful to be part of NHSPA as I have made friends for life and have learned and continue to get inspired by the wonderful work presented by the artists here.”

New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists 24th Annual Exhibit

Maundy Mitchell — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 16:17:57 GMT

We're excited to announce the New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists (NHSPA) 24th Annual Member Exhibit. The exhibit will be held January 6-28, 2024, at the Exeter Town Hall Gallery (Saturdays and Sundays 12-4 p.m.), with an opening reception on Saturday, January 6, from 12-4 p.m. It is free and open to the public. We hope you'll stop by!

Member Spotlight: Jim Napier

Maundy Mitchell — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 13:10:28 GMT

Let’s welcome Jim Napier, a new NHSPA member who lives in Plymouth, NH. He joined because, “Nature abhors a vacuum and creativity abhors a bubble. I lived in the bubble of rural Northern New England most of my life, long enough to know social isolation is [a] threat to survival up here."

He described himself as a “card-carrying social phobic.” He is no fan of the vulnerability it takes to have one’s work critiqued by others. But, as he said, “through the wisdom of age, exposure, and Prozac, I came around to the popular belief that constructive criticism is an absolute necessity to improve my [work].”

Jim said that over the past 30 years, he has found it difficult to find like-minded artistic communities. The groups he found were difficult to break into, especially when his “artistic vision is based on moody existentialism and not pretty pictures…”

He moved to Plymouth in 2019, and again began a search for a local arts scene. Then Covid struck. He felt a sense of deja vu, so he reached out to Maundy Mitchell, a portrait photographer who also lives in Plymouth, for advice. “She suggested this group and I immediately joined.

“I've searched for a very long time for a sense of community and believe I found it.”

When asked what drives him, Jim said, “Time. I have wasted too much time. I was born with a love and talent for creating art. I was also born with an intense curiosity of literally everything, especially a love of problem solving. Not that you can't be right and left brained with ADHD and be a successful artist, you can. It just makes it very difficult to stay on any one track. Especially when you have pressure to choose the safe track.

He was trained in painting, drawing, photography, poetry, and art history in his youth. He did well and was encouraged until “the time to think about picking a college and a profession. I became stuck on the track to Medicine. Although fascinated with the problem-solving part of medicine, my secret driving force was learning anatomy drawing and photographing my dissection of cadavers.”

In college, he stayed on the med school path but continued with independent study in art. But then he realized he had made a mistake. In medical school, he continued painting and printing negatives in the bathroom, but “medicine is all consuming and it was driving me crazy.”

By 2010. He decided he had kept his true self hidden long enough, so he quit medicine and started making art. “I did all sorts of odd jobs to survive and buy supplies. I lived on a farm, on a dirt road five miles from anything. Except for my dog who served as my critic, subject, (and muse) I lacked an artistic or social network.”

Time is of the essence now for Jim. He said, “I will be 56 next month...I understand that if I want to succeed with my goals, I must do it within the next decade.”

Jim’s favorite medium is film. He started in the darkroom between 2nd and 3rd grade and immediately felt at home. “I love the whole process of Black and white photography: mixing chemistry, developing, composing, printing- all the little choices which end as a final print.” As film became prohibitively expensive and camera shops disappeared, I realized it was time to go to the ‘dark side.’”

He switched to digital photography in 2006, which, he felt expanded his creative options, especially when it came to post-production. He enjoys the immediacy of digital work.

The downside of digital work, he said, is a “complete dependency on the latest hardware, firmware, software, sensors, plus your computer system, in a word, you are tied to the speed of technology. And, if you fall behind of the latest tech, your images quickly start to look [bad].

For these and other reasons, Jim is drifting back to film photography. “These days I typically carry my Nikon D4s as well as my F4s. I use a Mamiya RB67 as a studio camera.” He sees film and digital as complements to one another.

Jim is always working on multiple projects at the same time. He is getting photography business going, which, among other things, takes "grit."

He has an exhibit at Centerline Architects, 174 Battery St., Burlington, VT, with about a dozen pieces of framed work, as well as small, matted prints for sale. The show runs through March.

Several of his projects lean toward photojournalism. One documents how technology is affecting human interaction. One is about the divisive political climate, and another is a documentation of people performing their jobs with short interviews about their work.

He has also been working for years on how to create 3D photo constructions. “I see using some type of emulsion on a transparent substrate creating a free-standing assemblage.”

As for what he’d like to learn next, Jim said, “There is so much to learn! I want far more education in formal portrait photography and to master darkroom technique. Really, to just be better at everything than I am now. I don't even know what I don't know!”

You can see more about Jim Napier and his work on his website: https://www.studionapier.com/

"Iconic New Hampshire" Exhibit in Manchester

Maundy Mitchell — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 13:57:37 GMT

We’re pleased to announce a new iteration of our exhibit called “Iconic New Hampshire.” Originally displayed in full last summer at PSU, this exhibit is taking a new form this month at New England College in Manchester, NH.

“Iconic New Hampshire” offers a wide range of photographic subjects and interpretations on our theme for the exhibition—each contributing to the identity of the state of New Hampshire.

Curated by former NH Artist Laureate Gary Samson, “Iconic New Hampshire” features about 40 works by members of the New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists. It will be on view from November 3 – November 24, 2023, at French Hall, 148 Concord St., Manchester, NH.

Everyone is welcome to the opening reception on Thursday, November 9, from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. We hope you’ll join us!

A photo of part of the original exhibit of "Iconic New Hampshire" at PSU last summer

New Hampshire's Historical Architecture - Project Update October 2023

Maundy Mitchell — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 12:38:35 GMT

WHAT WE’RE DOING

In June 2022, NHSPA began a new statewide photography project, New Hampshire Architecture: Buildings that have Survived 200 Years or Longer. Members have been researching and photographing historic buildings that were built in 1823 or earlier in each New Hampshire town/city.

The 1785 John Prescott Chase house in Epping, recently restored by the Southeast Land Trust (SELT). ©Gary Tompkins

WE NEED YOU!

Many thanks to the members who have, so far, contributed more than 220 photos to this project. The work we have received is beautiful and we can’t wait to share it in its entirety.

So far, 202 buildings have been photographed, or will be photographed by NHSPA members. Ninety-eight towns have had at least one building photographed, but there are about 150 towns where no historic buildings have yet been photographed for this project.

Our projected completion date is June 30, 2024 (extended date). We have a lot to do, but it’s not too late! And winter light can be especially pretty! Don’t worry, we won’t make you go out in a snowstorm – you can choose which buildings to photograph, when you want to. See below for details about how you can start.

Participation is the key to the success of this project. We need many members to cover all areas of the state.

HOW CAN YOU START?

We have used the National Register of Historic Places to find the listed New Hampshire buildings that were built in 1823 and earlier, but not yet photographed for our project. This list contains over 500 eligible structures that we have not yet photographed. Please visit the main page of our website https://nhspa.wildapricot.org/ and click on the tab "Historical Building Photography Project" for the list, guidelines, and signup sheet.

The number of buildings in NH that are listed on the National Register is only a fraction of our existing historic structures. Many more historic buildings can be found through local historical societies, and individual research.

If you’re a member (or would like to become one, please join us!) You can start photographing buildings that fit the criteria right away! These can be in your local area, or in other parts of the state.

One of Candia's oldest houses. Built in the mid-18th century, it was transformed into the Federal style in 1820. It is now the town's history museum. ©Gary Tompkins

WHAT KIND OF CAMERA DO YOU NEED?

Members are primarily using digital cameras, but you can use any photographic process. The camera, lens, and process are each members’ choice!

BOOK

EXHIBIT

We are planning an exhibit for this project. We’ll keep you updated when we have more information!

If you have any questions, or need assistance please contact Gary Tompkins at garytompkinsphoto@gmail.com

"Small Works" Exhibition & Sale

Maundy Mitchell — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 11:40:28 GMT

"Small Works" Exhibition & Sale

We are pleased to announce our upcoming exhibit called “Small Works.” It will be held at the historic Belknap Mill, 25 Beacon St., Laconia, New Hampshire, October 5 - 30, 2023.

Everyone is welcome to stop by the opening reception on Thursday, October 5, from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Many NHSPA Members submitted images to this open themed, family-friendly exhibition. Each framed piece is no larger than 11x14. The works will be displayed salon-style and will be for available sale for $50.00 each.

While you’re visiting the “Small Works” exhibit, you can have a look around the Belknap Mill, the oldest, unaltered textile mill in the U.S. Then enjoy the foliage with a stroll around Rotary Park, along the Winnipesaukee River.

We hope you’ll stop by!

Member Spotlight: Michael Sterling

Maundy Mitchell — Sun, 03 Sep 2023 14:56:33 GMT

Michael Sterling has been a member of the New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artist since 2013. He first picked up a camera when he was in high school and was motivated to continue after winning an honorable mention in a national Kodak high school photography contest. After retiring and moving to the NH Seacoast about 15 years ago, he transitioned from film to digital photography and became more serious about it.

Michael says, “I want to create images that draw the viewer in for a closer look. I work on projects to keep creatively engaged. I was privileged to be a co-editor of the NH Now book along with Gary Samson and Dan Gingras. [I gained] new perspectives on evaluating imagery.”

While Michael enjoys today’s digital cameras and post-processing, he says, “I do not chase technology. [I’m] comfortable with what I use now. I spent many years in a home black and white chemical darkroom." He feels that digital processing is easier for him because of his darkroom experience. "It was a great way to learn. [Working in] black and white forced me to look at an image’s line, form, lighting, and composition, without being distracted by color. In fact, today I often change my camera’s viewfinder to [monochrome] as I compose a shot.”

Michael is always working on several projects at a time. Ongoing subjects include architecture and environmental portraiture. Lately, he has been busy with photography assignments for Portsmouth NH 400 events. But he enjoys street photography. “I try to have my camera with me ‘just in case’". He is also currently working on a portraiture project and has plans to start a new landscape project in the fall. In editing the NH Now book, he saw images of parts of the state that were new to him and which he plans to explore for his new project.

Alternative Process Photography Exhibit

Maundy Mitchell — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 11:51:14 GMT

An upcoming exhibit will include the work of fourteen members of the New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists. “Alternative Process Photography” will be held at The Galletly Gallery, New Hampton School, New Hampton, NH, from August 28 to October 14, 2023.

Everyone is welcome to an artist reception on Friday, September 8, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.

Amy Wilson, the Gallery’s Director, said, “This exhibit celebrates photographic images that use an alternative process in an especially expressive, compelling, or innovative way. The images on display combine modern and historical technologies, including photopolymer gravure, cyanotype, gelatin silver, wet-plate collodion (tintype), platinum-palladium, albumen, anthotype, palladium, Van Dyke brown, near-infrared, and mixed media imagery. The thoughtful and carefully crafted artworks illustrate the expressive potential of alternative process photography.”

NHSPA members whose work will be on exhibit include Alicia Bergeron, Bev Conway, Jay Goldsmith, Mark Giuliuci, John Hoglund, Susan Lirakis, Maundy Mitchell, Ian Raymond, Claudia Rippee, Kiera Lee Reese, Gary Samson, Ron St. Jean, Gary Tompkins, and Christy Utter.

This exhibit is free and open to the public. The Galletly Gallery is located on the second floor of New Hampton School’s Moore Center. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 am.

Founded in 1821, New Hampton School is an independent, co-educational, college preparatory school. For more information, please visit www.newhampton.org.

"Above the Notch," a New Book by Fletcher Manley

Maundy Mitchell — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 11:12:22 GMT

Having lived in northern New Hampshire more than 30 years, longtime NHSPA member photographer Fletcher Manley has created a large body of work. He has curated that work for a new book coming out this year.

“Above the Notch” is a visual commentary on community and life above Franconia Notch (“the Notch” as it is known here) in New Hampshire. The Notch is locally known as the dividing line between central and northern New Hampshire. The book is a collection of 90 photographs with interspersed short text captions. Its main purpose is to raise awareness of the importance that wild lands play in the economic and spiritual value of northern New Hampshire.

Manley also wanted to use his creative skills as a photographer to help a local nonprofit. “As a way of using my creative abilities to return something to our ‘North Country’ community, I am pleased that Taproot NH (www.taprootnh.org), a locally based 501 (c) (3) organization with a focus on Education, Environment, and Nutrition, will benefit from the sale of these books.”

When asked about how he chooses what to photograph, Manley said, “Rarely do I set out to photograph things specifically but remain open to respond to what may be revealed of something, of some place, some person, by its form, color, light, dynamic.” He compared his approach to photography to painting. “The artist at his easel places a frame around what is seen by his mind’s-eye to reveal a harmonic whole, [building] his image slowly and methodically. [The photographer] is looking and seeing outwardly from within [and captures the scene] quickly—seizing the moment, as I like to think of it.”

“Above the Notch” is a 60-page, 9x6 inch, softcover book. The book will be printed by Puritan Capital of Hollis, NH, and published by Bondcliff Books (www.bondcliffbooks.com).

While the book is designed to be affordable, Manley is currently seeking the last bit of funding to enable publication of “Above the Notch” in time for the 2023 Autumn and Christmas market season. The “Governor Wesley Powell Fund of NHCF” has pledged $1,000 as an initial grant. If you would like to participate in the success of this project, please contact Fletcher Manley. Tax deductible donations may be made directly to Taproot Farm & EE, 101 Main Street, Lancaster, NH 03584. Checks should be noted as “Book Project.”

You can view a short YouTube video about the book HERE.

Iconic New Hampshire Exhibit

Maundy Mitchell — Sat, 24 Jun 2023 12:39:28 GMT

“Iconic New Hampshire” is a large exhibit featuring the works of 35 artists who are members of New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists. The exhibit was curated by the Museum of the White Mountains and is held at the Silver Center for the Arts at Plymouth State University, June 16 - September 30, 2023.

This exhibit is a photographic exploration of New Hampshire iconography and the driving symbols behind New Hampshire’s state identity. Through the examination of iconic people, places, and material culture, we capture the enduring spirit of our state’s history and unique symbolic expression.

Museum director Kala Brzezinski said, “These [photos] offer a wide diversity of photographic subjects and interpretations on our theme for our exhibition—all providing a fascinating tapestry on the state of New Hampshire's identity.”

The opening reception on June 16 was well-attended. Photos courtesy of Fletcher Manley.

The Silver Center for the Arts at PSU is open Monday-Thursday, 9:00am-6:00pm, and Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. The address is 114 Main St., Plymouth, NH. You can find directions HERE.

We are grateful to the Museum of the White Mountains for inviting us to exhibit, and for doing such a great job putting it together.

Six Books Every Photographer Should Read

Maundy Mitchell — Wed, 31 May 2023 11:21:05 GMT

Fine art photographer and photo educator Gary Samson gave us a list of his top six books every photographer should read.

The History of Photography by Beaumont Newhall

A concise history of the medium, if you can only afford one book, get a later addition of this book for a good overview of the major figures and movements in photography.

A World History of Photography by Naomi Rosenblum

A comprehensive deep dive into the history of the medium, exhaustive in content, it should be on every photographer’s bookshelf.

On Photography by Susan Sontag

On Photography considers the relation of photography to art, conscience, and knowledge. A seminal book on the medium.

Beauty in Photography: Essays in Defense of Traditional Values by Robert Adams

How is photography art? Of what importance is it to society? By what standards are we to judge the success or failure of a photograph? Robert Adams reflections are delicate, unusually calm, but they also carry the force of sure conviction, the passion of absolute dedication.

Why People Photograph by Robert Adams

Adams’ writing is free of academic jargon. Readers will also appreciate his attention to the common experience (he talks about trying to earn an income), his enjoyment the unorthodox (one essay concerns dogs and photography), and above all his conviction that art matters. Photographers “may or may not make a living by photography,” he writes “but they are alive by it.”

Photography Speaks: 150 Photographers on Their Art by John Szarkowski

“A very valuable introduction to the achievements and the intentions of an exemplary selection of photographers.” Some of the texts will come as a surprise even to specialists. - John Szarkowski

Creole Soul: Zydeco Lives - Art Opening

Maundy Mitchell — Sat, 29 Apr 2023 13:02:23 GMT

You’re invited! Join Gary Samson, seventh NH Artist Laureate & NHSPA Vice President, at “Creole Soul: Zydeco Lives.” His latest photo exhibit is now open at the Seacoast African American Cultural Center, and the opening reception is this Thursday!

On May 4, at 6:00 p.m., the UNH Center for the Humanities will host a reception to celebrate the last book by longtime center director Burt Feintuch and the work of Gary Samson.

Join us for a great evening of art, discussion, food, and friends!

More info HERE

Member Spotlight: Ken Goldman

Maundy Mitchell — Sat, 22 Apr 2023 11:36:30 GMT

Ken Goldman has been an NHSPA member since 2018, joining shortly after he moved to Portsmouth from the Washington, DC area.

Ken had always wanted to express himself artistically, but as he says, “I dance like a rusty robot, sing like a frog with a sore throat, and I can't even draw a stick figure!” So, he decided to try photography. Photography gave him the tools to express himself artistically and creatively in a way he enjoys.

This enjoyment of photography began in 1964/65, at the New York World's Fair. Ken used a Kodak Instamatic 100 camera and began taking photos. Then, throughout his busy working years, his photography became limited to vacation photos. In 2010, as he prepared for retirement, he joined a camera club in Maryland, where he started to learn more about photography and become more serious about it. These days you will rarely see Ken without a camera. He says, “Photography keeps me busy and mostly out of trouble.”

When he first became interested in photography, he was photographed mostly landscapes and nature. Today, he says, his focus is street and urban photography. “My enjoyment of this type of photography began totally by accident...It was a cold, sleety day in March 2014. I was sitting in a window seat at the Starbucks on L Street NW, near the Farragut North Metro Station in Washington, DC. As I sat there, sipped tea and read, I decided to pull out my camera and take some pictures of the people passing by. Happily sitting there and taking photos, one of the differences between the two types of photography really grabbed me...in nature photography I always cursed the people in my pictures. For the most part, in street and urban photography, the people are the picture! Once I realized this somewhat obvious fact, it really excited me, and I never looked back!”

Ken travels often and still does a lot of travel photography, which includes nature, landscape, street and urban photography. He likes to use Olympus digital cameras and usually only makes prints for exhibits or sales. Recently, he put a fresh light meter battery into his 35mm Olympus. Now, he’s considering trying film again.

Since moving to Portsmouth, Ken has exhibited his work numerous times. His black and white photo of the Albacore is part of the Reflections of Portsmouth exhibit at the Foundry Place Garage. He exhibited with NHSPA in Exeter and Kimball-Jenkins, with his photo Tall Ships being featured on the 2019 Exeter exhibit poster. He also participated in New Hampshire Now with photos exhibited at seven of the eight venues, and three photos selected for the book. His photos were juried into three Annual Jack Parfitt Photography Exhibitions at the New Hampshire Art Association, and he has exhibited at the Portsmouth Historical Society, the Portsmouth Public Library, the Portsmouth Senior Activity Center, and the Portsmouth Athenæum.

Currently, Ken is working on several projects and bodies of work including Museum People, Spying from Starbucks or Coffee Shop Candids, People at Work, Artists, Musicians, Bicycles and the [Lawn] Lighthouses of Grand Manan. He says, “I recently realized that, without planning it, I have been recording various aspects of life in Portsmouth; now I need to figure out what to do with this large body of work. Recording the world and the life around me is what keeps me interested in photography.”

Asked what he’d like to learn or do next, Ken said, “I am not satisfied with my abilities with indoor and night photography, so these are areas I would like to improve in the future.”

Member Spotlight: Becky Field

Maundy Mitchell — Sat, 25 Mar 2023 20:40:55 GMT

Becky Field has been a member of New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists for 11 years, since the start of her project, "Different Roots, Common Dreams: New Hampshire's Cultural Diversity," which documents the lives of immigrant families and communities. Her first entry in a NHSPA group exhibit was in Exeter, 2013. In 2021 she was a participant in the NHSPA project "New Hampshire Now: A Photographic Diary of Life in the Granite State."

Photo of Becky Field © Michael Sterling

Becky says she is motivated in her work by a passion for photography combined with a strong sense of social responsibility and advocacy. “I use my work to honor the ethnic, cultural and religious diversity in state known for low diversity.” In 2012, after hateful graffiti was scrawled on the sides of 4 refugee homes, she began a photographic project in response. “Having just started the certificate program in photography at the NH Institute of Art, I decided to use my camera to welcome people who had come here looking for safety and a better life for themselves and their children. I was especially inspired by Gary Samson's photo projects in Ghana and Cape Breton. At the time, I thought I would do this for a year as my final project at NHIA, then go back to photographing dragonflies and flowers. But I have stayed with this body of work for all these years because I have met such wonderful people and heard such powerful stories of their journeys to resettle here.”

She works exclusively in digital photography. “For reasons I don't understand, I am drawn only to still photography; videos just don't do it for me. My work has almost always been in color because of the vibrant colors of so many of NH's immigrants. However, recently I have done a more somber body of work about the struggles of an asylum seeker. [That work] seemed naturally to require black and white.”

Exhibits, talks and continued work on her photo collections are how Becky spends her time. “With the current public interest in diversity and inclusion, there has been increasing calls for exhibits of my work. Also, I am collaborating with the University of New Hampshire to archive my photographs as a record of the state's diversity over the past decade, but also as a photographic resource for educators and researchers.”

She also has an exhibit of photographs and stories of immigrants based on her second book, "Finding Home: Portraits and Memories of Immigrants,” a history of New Hampshire's immigration, in collaboration with the Manchester Historic Association.

Supported in part by a grant from the NH State Council on the Arts, Becky has a collection of work on tour and currently at the Manchester Community College. “It shows the life of an immigrant who fled his African country and legally asked for asylum in 2018. Instead, he was shackled and jailed for no other reason than asking for asylum. Now, almost five years later, he is still under house arrest and required to wear an ever-present ankle monitor which tracks his movements. To protect his family back in his country, his face cannot be recognized in my photographs, and I cannot identify him by his real name or country. He is an artist and poet, so his artwork and words accompany my photography. The exhibit is unusual; ten large black-and-white photographs are printed on canvas and suspended inside black backdrop frames with zigzags of blackcord. The exhibit at the Manchester Community College is up from 3/21 to 4/15. In January-February, this exhibit was in Harrisville, and will be going next to Newfields, Hanover, and Peterborough.

When asked what she would like to learn or do next, Becky said, “My top priorities now are managing the exhibits and working on the archive with UNH. However, I have found with this project that new opportunities and new side projects relating to photography of immigration and refugees always seem to pop up. I also go to multicultural events and conferences where I talk about my work and sell my two books, both of which have won several awards.”

You can see more about Becky and her work on her websites: http://www.fieldworkphotos.com/index.htmland http://differentrootsnh.com

Member Spotlight: Susan Lirakis

Maundy Mitchell — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 00:38:53 GMT

Susan Lirakis began making photographs at the age of six, after receiving a camera as a baptism gift from her godparents, and she never stopped. Initially, she used medium format films and made silver prints in her home darkroom. Now, she creates primarily using digital cameras. She says, “I loved working in my darkroom, and I still use the Holga and other plastic cameras. Using those cameras helps keep alive the feeling I had making images when I was a child. I'm drawn to imagery that is dream-like and filled with feeling, tending toward archetypes.”

Susan has been a member of NHSPA since its inception. She was part of the original group that visited Appledore Island with Peter Randall, Gary Samson, and others, prior to the formal organization in 1998 and meetings on Star Island.

“I am curious about looking and I’m interested in exploring light and gesture. I am fascinated with what it is that makes us feel human. With my imagery, I work to acknowledge and celebrate persons and everyday phenomena.”

Recently, Susan has been working in series: a collection of mothers and daughters from the 1980s that she has revisited and re-photographed thirty to forty years later. Another series is called, "In Good Company," portraits of residents of her small town. A third series is of portraits of Tibetan nuns in exile. She is also actively expanding a series of portraits and interviews with people describing what makes them feel most alive, entitled “From Our Hearts, Sharing Our Stories,” which has been on-going.

Most recently, she has been making images of folks wearing plant-based wreaths. She says, “I alter the images to remove traces of literalness and to create more feeling of mythological timelessness. I also have a daily practice of adding to a visual journal through photographic imagery.”

“I’m interested in exploring processes of living, aging, and dying, and of myth and memory. Through my work I connect and ground physically in this world. I enjoy learning alternative ways to adequately interpret the work.”

Susan has received awards and fellowships through the NH State Council of the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, the Clowes Foundation, and McLaughlin Residency Fellowship.

You can see more about Susan Lirakis and her work on her website, http://www.susanlirakis.com

Member Spotlight: Peter Randall

Maundy Mitchell — Sat, 28 Jan 2023 21:37:55 GMT

Peter Randall is the founder and first president of the New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists.

Please tell us a bit about the founding of NHSPA

“Forty years ago this August, I invited a group of fellow photographers to spend a weekend on Appledore Island at the Shoals Marine Laboratory. I had been thinking that nowhere in New Hampshire was there a place for non-commercial, or fine art, photographers to gather and share work and ideas.

About thirty photographers participated, including current members Gary Samson, Ian Raymond, Susan Lirakis, Jay Goldsmith, and David Putnam. We continued to meet annually until 1991. I had moved our location to Monhegan that year, but later the following winter I was diagnosed with cancer and was out of action for two years. My surgery cured the cancer but left me with a disabled leg and little ability to wander the rocky landscape of Appledore.

Several years passed and I was urged to organize another photographer gathering on Star Island. A large group met on Star about 1996, but later Star officials said a conference couldn’t just be friends of mine. We’d have to be an organization. With Gary and a few others, I organized what is now the New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists. I was not excited with the name, but the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s office would not accept a simpler title.

We met on Star for about 20 years, often adding a guest speaker. Some weekends we had more than forty participants.”

What drives you?

“For most of my career I have photographed for publication, mostly documenting people, places and events. After taking just two photo classes at UNH, I got a job as staff photographer for a Manchester weekly and six months later I was the editor and staff photographer for the Hampton Union weekly. This was followed by ten years at New Hampshire Profiles magazine, where I eventually became editor and continued to shoot for the publication. Starting in 1983, I have authored nine books of photographs, including three on New Hampshire and two on the Isles of Shoals. Mostly when I grab a camera there is a purpose for the images I make."

What is your favorite medium / why?

“Although I did use medium format for a while, I have mostly worked with 35mm film and digital cameras. As I have aged and my walking has declined, I now use lighter Panasonic micro four thirds equipment. I used a Linhof 6 x17 panoramic camera for a book of New Hampshire images. That camera uses 120 medium format film to make four exposures on a roll. I bracketed exposures so usually one roll was one subject.”

What are you working on now?

“As photographer for 60 years, I am currently going through my work deciding what to save. Older images are now history, visual records of people and places changed now or perhaps no longer existing.”

Thank you, Peter!

NH Society of Photographic Artists 23rd Annual Exhibit

Maundy Mitchell — Sun, 01 Jan 2023 13:41:01 GMT

We're excited to announce the New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists (NHSPA) 23rd Annual Member Exhibit. The exhibit will be held January 7-29 at the Exeter Town Hall Gallery (Saturdays and Sundays 12-4 p.m.), with an opening reception on Saturday, January 7, from 12-4 p.m. It is free and open to the public. We hope you'll stop by!

"Magnolia" by member Joe Sack

Members from around the state will share our work in this exhibit. The work will include many methods, from black and white gelatin silver prints, to modern digitally-printed images.

NHSPA is a statewide organization of fine art photographers dedicated to the support of contemporary photography as a means of creative expression and cultural insight. We focus on the education and artistic development of its members and the community by providing exhibitions, publications and educational outreach programs. Our headquarters are at Kimball-Jenkins School of Art in Concord, NH, where we have a studio, printers, darkrooms, and meeting spaces.

NHSPA Member Spotlight: Alicia Bergeron

Maundy Mitchell — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 12:02:56 GMT

This month’s member spotlight features Alicia Bergeron, of Newbury, NH. She has been a member of New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists for one year.

What drives you?

"When I was a little girl, I would spend hours peering into the green grass watching tiny beetles, grasshoppers, and crickets crawl. I discovered photography my senior year in high school and as if under a spell, my interests shifted from biology to photography. Today I find myself still drawn to the small details found in nature—except this time with a camera and an incredible love of light. I could easily spend an hour (or three) among the quiet ferns and buzzing bees, waiting for that magic light to unfurl."

Portrait of Alicia Bergeron by Scott Snyder

What is your favorite medium, and why?

"I am drawn to the transformative power of Light.

My favorite light is from an afternoon glow; seen at just the right angle it magically illuminates subjects from within and casts the most lively shadows. I love to photograph with a macro lens to celebrate these tiny botanical treasures and share them as gifts. Many of my subjects are in the midst of a seasonal transformation—there is so much energy and life at the edge of this shift."

"Flutter" by Alicia Bergeron

"Moss" by Alicia Bergeron

What are you working on now?

"I am currently printing work for The W. Dale and JoAnn Franke Overfield ’69 Art + Design Faculty Exhibition at Colby-Sawyer College. I have been an adjunct faculty member for three years now and this will be my first time exhibiting with colleagues and friends. I am including some of my newer work that explores creative camera movement and the impression of light."

"Fading" by Alicia Bergeron

What would you like to learn or do next?

Presently, I am establishing a new darkroom to explore alternative 19th century photo processes such as cyanotype and platinum/palladium printing. I am attracted to the more tactile photographic processes and wonder how they may transform my way of seeing and creating.

"Begin" by Alicia Bergeron

You can see more of Alicia’s work on her website, HERE

NEW HAMPSHIRE’S HISTORICAL ARCHITECTURE: PROJECT UPDATE

Maundy Mitchell — Sun, 06 Nov 2022 14:01:07 GMT

WHAT WE’RE DOING

In June, NHSPA members began researching and photographing buildings in each NH town/city that were constructed in 1823 or earlier for our current statewide photography project, New Hampshire Architecture: Buildings that have Survived 200 Years or Longer.

WE NEED YOU!

We have 21 photographers currently participating in the project, and we need more! We have more than 160 members. If you’re a member (or would like to become one, please join us! You can start photographing buildings that fit the criteria. These can be in your local area, or in other sections of the state.

This project will be completed by June 30, 2023. We have a lot to do, but it’s not too late! And winter light can be especially pretty! Don’t worry, we won’t make you go out in a snowstorm – you can choose which buildings to photograph, when you want to. See below for details about how you can start!

So far, 202 buildings have been photographed, or will be photographed by NHSPA members. Ninety-eight towns have had at least one building photographed, leaving somewhere between 136 and 162 to photograph.

Participation is the key to the success of this project. We need many members involved, to cover all areas of the state.

WHAT KIND OF CAMERA DO YOU NEED?

Members are primarily using digital cameras, but you can use any photographic process. The camera, lens, and process are each members’ choice! Below, you can see some of member Gary Tompkins’ work using a different film cameras.

HOW CAN YOU START?

We will be having our last Coffee Session of the year this month, on Saturday November 19th from 10:30am-12:30pm. Coffee Sessions are held at our headquarters, Kimball Jenkins School of Art in Concord, NH. If you have new images that you would like to upload, please bring them to this month’s Coffee Session. If you’ve been thinking about contributing to this project – even if you can only photograph one building--this is a great time to find out more! If you can’t make it to the meeting, you can find out more here.

BOOK

If we come close to our goal of photographing at least one building in each of the 234 towns in the state, the project will culminate in the publishing of a book. This project, unlike the NH NOW project, does not have grant money available that would allow us to do a large print run, so we will be doing this project as a print-on-demand book that can be ordered online. We have not decided yet whether it will be a single publication containing all of the seven regions of the state, or whether we may break it down and do a separate publication for each region. That will be determined by the quantity of images we have to work with.

EXHIBIT

Depending on participation and submission levels, we will likely put together an exhibit.

MEMBER GARY TOMPKINS for the PROJECT

“In researching the histories of the buildings for our architectural project I have been enlightened to learn that what we accept as, or presume to be, “historic” or “original” are in fact the results of what later generations perceived or reinterpreted as appropriate for their time. It turns out that most of these historic buildings have been adapted and altered multiple times over the years. As towns grew with new settlers, or shrank with westward expansion, as fortunes rose or fell, as congregations grew or were replaced by new denominations, these building were adapted to the changing conditions. Old buildings that have remained original and unaltered for centuries are extremely rare. Time and budgets constrained plans then, just as they do today, historic buildings reflect this reality. Below are examples of changing style and purpose that I have encountered during the project.

[Left: Horseman L45 view camera with bag bellows, and 90mm Schneider Super Angulon lens. Right: Community Church of Sandwich ©Gary Tompkins]

“Here is the Community Church of Sandwich. When anyone reads the sign that says built in 1792, and looks up at the beautiful high-colonial design features, they could be inclined to think that it may have always looked this way. However, when built it was a typical “Type-II New England meeting house,” no steeple, no bell, and with the main entrance on the eave side, not the gable end. It was built for a Baptist congregation, but later became Free Will Baptist, a short time as Methodist, then supported a Federated congregation. In 1847 the building was turned to face the gable end southward to the road. At that time its height was reduced by four feet, and it was remodeled in the popular style of the time, Greek Revival. In 1862 the tower and steeple were added. More alterations followed in 1925 under the direction of a Boston architectural firm when a clock, and Colonial Revival embellishments were added to the tower.

“New Hampton Town House, built in 1798 for town meetings it was also used as a Congregationalist church until 1842. When built it was two stories tall, with exterior stairs (called “porches” in that time) to access the second floor gallery. After it ceased being used as a church, and with the town population in decline, in 1872 the gallery level was removed along with the exterior stairs, and the roof was lowered to its present height.”

NHSPA Member Spotlight: Ian Raymond

Maundy Mitchell — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 21:25:12 GMT

For this month's blog, we feature NHSPA member and Board President, Ian Raymond. Ian became a member in 2018 before becoming Vice President and then, in June, President. He has been a professional photographer for more than forty years. He runs his studio, Raymond Photography, in downtown Laconia, NH.

What drives you?

"I have been photographing since I was five years old. Even at that age, I think I realized that photography, much like reading, opened up a world of vicarious experiences—the viewer was able to almost “live” the same experience as the photographer had witnessed firsthand. I remember viewing portraits of my grandparents when they were children and fantasizing what life must have been like so long ago. By the age of seven, I had watched my neighborhood friend’s mother making contact prints in her bathroom, and after watching the magic happen in the developer tray, knew that photography was what I wanted to do for a living."

What medium do you like to work with?

"I have worked in media ranging from 35mm, Polaroid, medium format, large format, and ultra large format (an R.R. Robertson camera with a 16”x16” film holder). My work has ranged from fine art portraiture to commercial work including architectural, industrial, studio product photography, and photographing and writing feature stories for magazines. At one point I was shooting well over 500 product photographs per month, all on 4x5 transparency film with a Cambo view camera. Over the 40-plus years that I have been doing photography professionally, it seems my personal work always veers toward using vintage camera equipment and processes."

What are you working on now?

"I currently have an exhibition (through the month of October) titled "Time Passes Slowly”, hanging at the Belknap Mill in Laconia, NH. It is a collection of this work, fine art portraits, shot on film and paper negatives, using large formatcameras that are 100+ years old. The collection also contains many images printed on albumen paper, a process dating back to the 1850s. I absolutely love the quality of images these primitive lenses are capable of creating. Much of my work was inspired by early photographers such as Julia Margaret Cameron, Gertrude Kasebier, Alfred Stieglitz, Oscar Rejlander, Edward Steichen, and the promotional poster for this exhibit was of course inspired by Man Ray."

What would you like to learn/do next?

"Going forward, I look to expand on this work by photographing a much larger cast of characters, and using other alternative and historical processes such as wet plate collodion."

Learn Fine Art Digital Printing with Gary Samson

Maundy Mitchell — Sat, 17 Sep 2022 13:11:38 GMT

Come learn the details about fine art digital printing with renowned photographer Gary Samson.

This one-day workshop will be held on Saturday, October 15th, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at Kimball-Jenkins School of Art in Concord, NH.

You will learn the steps to take your images from digital files to the best prints they can be. Using your own files, you'll print on a variety of high-quality papers from different manufacturers. Both matte surface and glossy, 100-percent rag papers will be available, and Samson will demonstrate the advantages of using different surfaces to achieve a particular look for a specific image. You will learn how to prepare your files for print, and you'll leave with a number of prints made on a range of different papers. Samson will also discuss the presentation of your finished work.

This workshop is co-sponsored by the New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists and Kimball-Jenkins School of Art.

Spaces are limited. Enroll here: https://www.kimballjenkins.com/fall-2022-adult-classes-workshops/fineartdigitalprinting

"Brianna" Copyright Gary Samson

NHSPA Member Spotlight: Claudia Rippee

Maundy Mitchell — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 11:31:21 GMT

For this month's blog, we feature longtime NHSPA member and Board Secretary, Claudia Rippee.

In terms of your art, what drives you? "I am a constant observer of my environment and most engaged in an urban setting with multiple visual stimuli cascading around me. I suppose obsession was inevitable when I picked up my first camera in 1998. Since then I have been happiest traveling to Rome or Paris (or really any European destination) with a camera in hand and wandering the city snapping scenes that capture the gestures of everyday life. I look for incongruous connections on the street with juxtapositions of elements to create an unexpected story that allows the imagination to illuminate the narrative as I explore searching for unexpected relationships in the landscape. Chance juxtapositions between disparate elements that catch the rhythm of the moment are likes magnets to my eye as are scenes with reflections whose layers can reveal a new, altered reality. A closer look may reveal subtle detail. My photographs are about relationships and patterns framed in the viewfinder or objects arranged in a still life that will reveal a unique story to each individual viewer."

What is your favorite medium? "My current favorite is the wet plate collodion process, which I have been learning and working with since late 2018. Since pouring my first plate and watching the image clear in the fixer bath I have been smitten by this very tactile process. I love that a finished image can be made in a twenty minute span of time and the beauty and unique visual character of the silver image which carries the mark of the makers hand is unrivaled by any other process, in my opinion."

What are you working on now? "I just finished a collaborative project named “Call and Response” with Maine-based painter, Angelique Luro. Angelique’s abstract canvases were a response to my graffiti photos which I printed on canvas and mounted onto stretcher bars and when hung in their respective pairs were quite dramatic. I am now changing gears and pausing with digital work to create a series of wet plate still-life images created in the studio for my winter project."

Where are you going from here? "To date my tintypes have all been produced in my studio which is a controlled environment that eliminates many of the variables one faces in the field. I recently purchased a vintage brass landscape lens, from the estate of Will Dunniway, and plan to make a series of images at Fiskill Farm in Concord. Working in the field introduces new variables that can effect the process so I expect there to be a substantial learning curve."

What's on your list of things to learn or do next? "Learning to efficiently and quickly make a digital negative is high on my todo list. I have been making cyanotypes using digital negatives but want to also explore making negatives suited for the albumen and kalitype processes. I see myself focusing mostly on handmade alternative processes for the next year or two."

Statewide Project Update

Maundy Mitchell — Sun, 24 Jul 2022 13:27:16 GMT

This summer, NHSPA members have been researching and photographing buildings in each NH town/city that were constructed in 1823 or earlier for our current statewide photography project, New Hampshire Architecture: Buildings that have Survived 200 Years or Longer.

Along the way, members are learning interesting historical facts. NHSPA Board President Ian Raymond wrote, "I learned some new history while out shooting for the Architectural Project today.

"Deer antlers hung over an exterior door meant that food, drink, and accommodations could be had there if you were a traveler.

"A red door meant the same. These symbols were used because many people of that time period could not read. The red door was used because of its high visibility in a snowstorm or rain.

"Many homes had white chimneys with a black rim around the top. These were called "Tory chimneys" and signified loyalty to the crown during colonial times.

"During the civil war era the white chimney or red door each signified that the home was a "safe space" for fugitive slaves on the Underground Railroad.

"One of the homes I photographed today was built by the ancestors of astronaut Alan Shepard."

You can find more information about this project here: https://nhspa.wildapricot.org/sys/website/system-pages/?pageId=18010

New Statewide Photography Project for 2022-2023!

Maundy Mitchell — Tue, 21 Jun 2022 17:40:59 GMT

We are pleased to announce that we have begun a new, statewide photography project, New Hampshire Architecture: Buildings that have Survived 200 Years or Longer.

Current NHSPA members are in the process of researching and photographing structures (buildings, barns, churches, forts, covered bridges, etc.) in each NH town/city that were constructed in 1823 or earlier.

Our goal is to photograph each building from the street. We may also photograph detail shots of the exterior / interior architecture. Photography for this project will take place from June 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023.

If you have a building that is 200 or more years old, please contact our president, Ian Raymond (ian@raymondphoto.com). We’d love to include it in our project.

The project will culminate in an exhibit. We’ll share details about that in the coming months!

Members may find more information on our private Facebook group, and files here under our private tab “Statewide Photography Projects.” The public may follow along on our public Facebook page, and updates will also be posted here.

Gary Samson to Receive MHA Award

Maundy Mitchell — Sun, 05 Jun 2022 20:10:36 GMT

The Manchester Historic Association (MHA) has recently chosen five honorees for its 30^thAnnual Historic Preservation Awards, including an Individual Achievement Award for renowned photographer and NHSPA Vice President, Gary Samson.

The Historic Preservation Awards program recognizes and supports the work of individuals, businesses and organizations that have made significant contributions to the preservation of buildings, neighborhoods, traditions and other historic resources in Manchester. [Click the dots in the upper left-hand corner to read more]

You can read more about the MHA, the Historic Preservation Awards, and the other award winners, HERE.

The awards presentation event is scheduled for September 8 at Manchester Community College.

Congratulations to Gary Samson and all the deserving honorees!