Portraits 2017 | Curated by Elizabeth Avedon

David Reinfeld picked up a camera as a teenager; it was the ’60-s in New York City. He was a street photographer, taking pictures and protesting. In the early ’70-s, as a graduate student at the Rhode Island School of Design, David had the great privilege of studying with Aaron Siskind, Harry Callahan, Lisette Model, and Minor White. Their classes were his introduction to the world of art, and their teachings remain a fundamental part of the way he sees. Under their influence, he became an abstract artist. He photographed graffiti and decayed walls anywhere he could find them, including ten years in the Utah canyons. His world changed in 2011, discovering composite photography; making a photograph was no longer tied to snapping the shutter button. Today David is more of a hybrid artist, making images wherever he goes, and following whatever feels important.

Eva Avril is a French photographer born in Poitiers where she studied Geography and Photography. After a few years spent working in London UK, she came back home where she is now working as a freelance photographer, teaching photography, and spends time creating landscapes and portraits series in Europe. Her work aims to highlight the relationship between identity and territory.

Based in New York, Michael Johnson specializes in portrait and documentary photography. He recently earned his master’s degree in digital photography from New York’s prestigious School of Visual Arts. Johnson’s diverse background has ranged from magazine editing and creative writing to curriculum development and large-scale project management, experience that allows him to bring a unique skill set and sensibility to his work. His most recent project explores the relationship between people and their places through a combination of studio portraits and environmental imagery.

Henry Macbeth Jacobs, 26, lives in LaGrange, Georgia, and works for the environmental non-profit organization Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. As outreach manager, he develops and oversees environmental education programs and works with community volunteers to monitor the health of local waterways. Born and raised in Decatur, Ga., he attended LaGrange College as a history major. Jacobs discovered photography during a college study-abroad trip to Istanbul and now finds it a way to share the different landscapes and environments he finds himself in daily. His work has appeared publicly in the juried exhibitions: SlowExposures, Zebulon, Ga. (2015); Southern Landscapes, Brickworks Gallery, Atlanta, Ga. (2017); Where Are We, Atlanta Photography Group (2017); Director’s Cut, Atlanta Photography Group (2017); SlowExposures, Zebulon, Ga. (2017). www.henrymjacobs.com

Tanya Louise Workman is an interdisciplinary artist and journalist who works with images, audio and text to unravel the relationships between our interior and exterior selves, exploring difference and identify beyond the surface and seen, and how stories told and untold – and the bodies we inhabit – shape us. Known for her work with the facial differences community, Tanya’s personal projects began to turn inward when she produced the 2015 CBC Radio documentary “What Happened to Your Face? Living With a Facial Difference” and unexpectedly found herself on the other side of the mic. One of her first self portraits, “Untitled, Rockland, Maine,” was made several months later at “The Personal Story” workshop with Cig Harvey at Maine Media Workshops, where Tanya is now an MFA candidate. Based between Toronto and Maine, Tanya holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Carleton University in Ottawa, a Post-Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing from the Humber School of Writers in Toronto and a diploma in Photojournalism from Loyalist College in Belleville, Ont Her first solo show will be held next spring in the Members’ Gallery at Toronto’s Gallery 44 during the CONTACT Photography Festival.

The photographs of Susan Lapides focus on people, culture, and place. Her subjects range from portraits of visionaries to the fishing communities of New Brunswick, Canada. A fine art photographer with a strong background in editorial photography, Lapides exhibits her work widely, including solo exhibitions at Fidelity Investments and the Griffin Photography Museum both in Boston, and Sunbury Shores Art Center and the Saint John Art Centre both in New Brunswick, Canada. Her group exhibitions include the Blue Sky Gallery (Portland, OR), Houston Center for Photography (TX), Rayko Photo Center (San Francisco, CA), Los Angeles Center for Photography, Danforth Art Museum (Framingham, MA), Lesley University (Boston, MA), Panopticon Gallery (Boston, MA). Her fine art work is held in corporations and private collections throughout the United States, Canada, and France. Her editorial images have appeared in Life, Smithsonian, and many other national periodicals. Lapides graduated from Tufts University and the Museum of Fine Arts School. She resides in Cambridge, MA and New Brunswick, Canada. Susanlapides.com – susan@susanlapides.com

I am a fine art photographer based in Middle Tennessee. Over the last 15 years my photography has led me in several different directions. Landscapes, abandoned structures, rural, night and equine photography. All of these galleries are featured on my website, reneeloweryphotography.com. My work has been featured in numerous publications. I exhibit nationally and have many pieces in permanent collections. You may contact me at rlowery711@gmail.com.

Christopher Borrok is a fine artist and award winning photographer based in Brooklyn NY. Born in NYC and raised in Florida, Borrok was originally trained as an architect at the University of Florida. In 2012 he received his Masters in Digital Photography from The School of Visual Arts, where he received highest honors for exceptional work amongst Master’s candidates. Borrok’s current art practice and focus is photography. His most recent work was shown at PhotovilleNYC 2017 in September of this year. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and son. For a more complete bio visit http://borrok.com studio@borrok.com. http://borrok.com

BIOGRAPHY Gary Beeber is an award-winning American photographer/filmmaker who has exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the United States and Europe. Solo exhibitions include two at Generous Miracles Gallery NYC and an upcoming solo exhibition “Personalities” (July 6-September 1, 2017) at Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester MA. Beeber’s work has been included in juried exhibitions throughout the country. Among Fortune 500 companies who collect his work are Pfizer Pharmaceutical, Goldman Sachs and Chase Bank. Beeber, also works on alleviating hunger and assisting those in need.

Mr. Kalan (b. 1954, New York City) is a former NYC Fashion and commercial photographer now living in Mexico. http://MarkKalan.com, mark@markkalan.com This image was part of a one-person show at the Spirit Square Center for The Arts, Charlotte NC in 1993.

Mike Andrew Yood (b. 1961) has spent most of his life in Buffalo, NY and currently resides in Albany, NY. He is a largely self-taught artist/photographer. He always strives to communicate his emotions and stories through his images. His first solo exhibit, In MY Mind was held at the Future Lab, Anti-Gallery in East Boston, MA (June, 2016). His video/slideshow was one of fifteen international submissions selected to appear at Toronto VI: (un)belonging / Slideluck Show (January, 2017). www.mikeandrewyood.photos email: MAYoodphoto@gmail.com

Sara Rubinstein is photographer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She graduated from Carleton College in 1998 with a degree in Biology and a minor in German, it took a brief stint as a computer programmer before she found photography. She has been shooting campaigns for a diverse client roster for more than 18 years. Sara’s signature style consists of emotional, honest imagery. Approaching her work from a passionate, human perspective, directing subjects to achieve an emotional expression is her forte. The emotional breadth of her work is broad and includes a full array of expressions: happy and sad, exuberant and down, professional and outrageous, awkward and graceful. When not on set, you will find Sara with a manual Leica rangefinder, still creating images for her personal works series including images of her family, haunted islands, and the low country of South Carolina where she was raised. In the end, she confesses: “I love making photographs, and the process of bringing your vision to life.

Bob Soltys’ interest in photography began when he read The Eye of Eisenstaedt. Shortly after that, his aunts gave him a Kodak Instamatic camera for Christmas. Later, he joined students at Lew Wallace High School who walked out to protest a teachers’ strike that would have prevented seniors from graduating. The weekly paper bought Bob’s photos, launching a life-long photography career. He continues to capture the joy of living in small towns, at weddings, and in Paris with black and white film. A former Navy officer, Bob can be reached through his website, www.bobsoltys.com.

After being a fine art painter for some years I took up photography in a serious way several years ago. From the start, my interest was street photography. As a New Yorker it was a natural fit: the broad range and ever vibrant pulse of humanity has always drawn me in. I am dazzled daily by the performative nature of street life.

Photography has been my life-long passion. As a child, I photographed with a Kodak Brownie camera and shot with a Kodak 35 mm viewfinder as a teenager. As part of my graduate studies in education, I studied the use of photography in teaching. In the early 1970s I pursued photography through workshops. Galen Rowell influenced the way I approached visualizing composition and light. In retirement I joined Jane Fulton Alt’s photography critique group and pursued my craft with courses at Chicago Photography Classes. My work has been shown in Chicago, nationally and internationally, and has appeared in numerous publications. LENSCRATCH featured Surface Tension in June 2015. This series is a collaboration with Ted Glasoe and forms the basis of our book, Surface Tension: Beauty and Fragility on Lake Michigan, an exhibition proposal. This work will be shown at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, the Evanston Art Center and artNXTlevel in 2017. Another series, At Work/At Home, En el Trabajo/En Casa, are portraits of landscape workers in Chicago’s north shore suburbs inspired by Milton Rogovin’s paired portraits of workers on the job and at home.

Bruce Hooke is a photographer, sculptor and performance artist based in western Massachusetts. His work focuses on the human relationship to nature: from forests and wild rivers to weed-filled corners of our cities, and from the nostaligic desire to return to nature to the conquest and harnessing of nature for wealth and power. Photography has been his primary medium for over a decade but in 1994 he received an MFA in ceramics from Cranbrook Academy of Art. Website: bghooke.com

David is a documentary and portrait photographer/filmmaker. He focuses on human rights, maternal health and marginalized people. This photos of the Albino brothers is from a long term project on the denotified and criminal tribes of India. instagram @thedavidgoldmanphoto davidgoldmanphoto.com

Calli McCaw is fine art photographer whose portfolios are deeply informed by her background in art history, including studies in modernity and multi-cultural art history. She delights in infusing her photography with a dialog between the canon of art and various contemporary issues. She has a Modern Art Master’s from Christie’s, studied art history at Columbia University and photography at the International Center of Photography in New York City. With additional degrees from Georgetown (BS) and St. John’s (MBA) Universities, Calli is listed in photo-eye’s Art Photo Index and LensCulture. Highlights of recent shows and events include: 2017: SE Center of Photography’s Other Worlds; Foley Gallery’s Analog v. Digital; CENTER’s Online ART & OPPRESSION; LACP’S Online Member’s Exhibition; 10th Julia Margaret Cameron Award’s Barcelona Group Exhibition; Texas Photographic Society’s TPS26; Los Angeles Center of Photography’s 4th Annual Members’ Exhibition; 3rd Annual Davis Orton Group Show; 2016: Feature Shoot Write-Up; Critical Mass Finalist; 2nd Annual Davis Orton Group Show; Berlin Foto Biennale; Center for Fine Art Photography’s FAUX Exhibition; Griffin Museum via Instagram; 2015: 7th Julia Margaret Cameron Award Fine Art Finalist; Athens Photo Festival Shortlist; 2014: Griffin Museum’s 20th Juried Virtual Gallery, Review Santa Fe 100.

For over forty years, John Wyatt has focused on people who follow their passion in getting heavily tattooed, or fighting professionally for a living. He finds the spirit, originality and character of both groups compelling, and has photographed them because they interest him. He also interviews the people, and highlights their photographs with stories in their own words. Also, John Wyatt has documented cities, mostly in western Pennsylvania, where the buildings are deteriorating and the landscape is changing. John’s work has been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the United States. Two monographs of his work have been published: Under My Skin and Tough Guys. He has also had work published in magazines, books and included in permanent museum collections. His current photographic project is of the town of Bombay Beach, California at the Salton Sea and it’s residents.

Dr. Joshua Sariñana obtained his neuroscience degrees at the University of California, Los Angeles and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After MIT Joshua he studied memory and spatial navigation Harvard Medical School. Joshua’s has had a solo exhibition at the Griffin Museum of Photography, exhibited at the SoHo Arthouse in New York City, the Mobile Camera Club Gallery in Paris, and at Photoville in Brooklyn. In addition, Joshua has published several articles on the intersection of photography, neuroscience, and culture. Most recently, he published an article in the photography publication Don’t Take Pictures and in The Smart View magazines.

$250 Unframed, $325 Framed BIO: After earning a BFA and MFA from The San Francisco Art Institute, Julie Mihaly taught photography at Rutgers University, The Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, and New York’s School of Visual Arts after which she also turned her hand to photo editing and research. She has worked for magazines ranging from Vanity Fair to Vogue, In Style to Entertainment Weekly, Garden Design to Billboard, et al. She has also contributed her skills to projects that include Al Gore’s next documentary and a book of images by Pulitzer-Prize-winning photographer, Eddie Adams. Mihaly has exhibited her photos throughout the U.S., in Canada and in England, and has had two books of her imagery published- She Began to Realize (funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts) and The View From Here. The photo included in this online gallery is from her most recent project titled Radius for which she has been trying to photograph as many people within a four mile radius of her home in Poughkeepsie, NY as will let her. The endeavor has allowed her to engage with and learn from those who comprise her community in a powerful and enriching way. She hopes to publish a book of Radius, more excerpts from which can be viewed at: http://www.juliemihaly.com/Photo.html Mihaly can be contacted at julie@juliemihaly.com

After forty years in the legal profession in Washington D.C., Brook Hedge retired to pursue a major life passion, photography. She has studied photography with different professionals, particularly, Connie Imboden and Karen Messick. Her work has been exhibited in juried group shows in Washington D.C., at the former Packard-Reath Gallery and Gallery 50 in Lewes and Rehoboth, Delaware, respectively, and at the Rehoboth Art League and the Biggs Museum, in Dover, Delaware, where she has won awards in seven-state regional shows.

Bio: Photographer. Atlanta, GA

My interest in photography being more than just taking snapshots began many years ago. It hit ‘full stride” as I was developing a career in journalism. Working for a small town, daily newspaper in the South was the perfect vehicle for me to explore my roots and develop some photographic skills. Part of most every day was spent poking around back country roads photographing and writing about things I found interesting. Journalism was not a lifelong career, but photography has been a lifelong passion. I have embraced all the twists and turns, the ups and downs my life has taken…all with a camera in my hand. Now that I am retired, I welcome the increased opportunities to enjoy my passion to the fullest. email–marnold1431@gmail.com 615-804-9050

Troy was born and raised in a small rural farming community. Living in rural America has been the backdrop and setting that have helped Troy refine his vision. His current work focuses around his youngest son and the difficulties of being a father. Troy holds a BFA in Fine Art Photography from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and is currently working on his MFA. His work has been seen in Black and White Magazine, Plates to Pixels, F-Stop, Adore Noir Magazine and was a 2015 Critical Mass finalist

Ken Watkins began taking photographs 50 years ago when he was in high school. His one attempt to take photography lessons was thwarted when he lacked the pre-requisites to get into Russell Lee’s class at the University of Texas and Mr.Lee threw him out of the classroom the first day. When Gary Winograd took over Mr. Lee’s position at the University two years later, he and his wife lived across the hall from Mr.Watkins in a small apartment building. This photograph is from the series “Artists in Bars,” a casual and ongoing project that results from the natural and inevitable interaction of the creative types and their inspirations and respites. Mr. Watkins is retired from all commercial endeavors, and in addition to photography also acts and writes.

Nicholas Fedak II has been one of LA’s most active photographic / time -based installation innovators since his first exhibition at the Los Angeles Center For Photography. His work was included in the group APERTURE SUMMER SHOW at Aperture Gallery in New York City, and his most recent work ADONIS SOLDIER, won the $2,000.00 purchase award in the exhibition OF MEMORY, BONE & MYTH at Eugene Meyers Gallery in Grand Forks, North Dakota. His work deals with memory,and the elusive, evanescent past. https://nicholasfedakii.com

Mark Brown’s photographs are deja-vu of the people you walk past everyday. Brown’s imagery is unforgiving yet humane as he walks the streets of New York City. His eye is not searching for flashy images or beautiful things but the raw human qualities we see normally in quick glimpses, often with the instinct to look away, to not confront He to use these images as a mirror and show his subjects of New York City with dignity.

Kent Meister is a Brooklyn-based portrait photographer. Originally hailing from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Meister’s early background in theater and film luckily paved the way to a camera getting in his hands. He is intensely curious about people and uses photography to peel back and reveal layers of personality. Kent’s work has been shown at Photoville in New York City, the SVA Gallery in New York City as a part of the group show Detours, as well in the show Transitions at the Saint Paul de Mausole Gallery in Saint Rémy de Provence, France. Kent holds a degree from The School of Visual Arts with a Masters in Digital Photography. The photo appearing at SxSE is a part of a larger series titled We Are Stories: Faces of New York Indie Theater, an ongoing project documenting the personalities, lives, and spaces of artists working in New York’s Off Off Broadway theater scene. To see more of We Are Stories and other work, head to www.kentmeisterphotography.com. You can also follow Kent on Instagram @kentmeister.

Michel Delsol, born in Paris, works and lives in New York City. He has a degree in film semiotics and linguistics. Professionally he apprenticed to Arnold Newman. Michel’s portraits of writers, musicians, artists, film and stage directors have been commissioned by magazines, advertising agencies, book and music publishers. Michel has photographed 3 books of portraits: ’Edges of the Rainbow: LGBTQ Japan’, published by The New Press, ’The Life and Times of Richard Musto’, published by Roll Your Own Press and “Lee Byung Hun at Yayoi National Stadium, Tokyo, published by Hakuhodo DY Media partners. His stock and archive work is represented by Getty Images. Website: www.micheldelsol.com

Ashleigh Coleman was born in the mountains of Virginia. She received her BA in Art History and English from the University of South Carolina. Since 2010, Ashleigh has lived in rural Mississippi where she photographs life as seen through the lens of an inherited Hasselblad. Her work recently has exhibited at the Fischer Galleries, South X Southeast Gallery, SlowExposures, and The University of West Virginia. Online her work has appeared in Eyes on the South by Oxford American, Photo of the Day by Don’t Take Pictures, Salt Magazine, and 51 Instagram Photographers to Follow in the U.S. by Time LightBox. Recent publications include Garden & Gun Magazine, Oxford American Magazine, Okra Magazine, Let’s Explore Magazine, and Southern Glossary Magazine. View more of her work on her website or follow her on instagram @ashleighcoleman.

I’ve enjoyed great satisfaction as a Boston photographer, but simply being behind the lens in Jamaica revitalizes a passionfor my craft I cannot find elsewhere. These images exist because I took the road less traveled. The road for which there was no sign. The one that was completely unpaved. I’ve taken that road repeatedly over the last thirty years. This body of work is what I’ve encountered along the way. From the new series Jamaica Then & Now judywestphotography@verizon.net

I rarely photograph people, especially strangers, but this little girl captivated me. “Eyes of a Girl” was taken from across a crowded stage area at the New Orleans French Quarter Festival. In printing the portrait of her, I realized she should stand out from the crowd, so I dodged the other folks out. This was taken on the day I decided to leave Manhattan for New Orleans. I have been photographing since the early 1990s and studied at ICP.

JP Terlizzi is a visual storyteller who uses photography to explore themes of memory, relationship, and identity. Drawing inspiration from his personal experiences he captures moments that convey narratives—whether the story is a framed moment that reveals something about family and home, or a poetic interpretation of a fading reality, the feeling of loss and detachment are recurring themes in his work. Born and raised in the farmlands of Central New Jersey, JP currently lives in Manhattan. His career spans thirty plus years as creative director for a boutique agency specializing in retail design. He earned a BFA in Communication Design at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania and has studied photography at the International Center of Photography in New York. His work has been exhibited in the United States and abroad. jptrlzz27@gmail.com