In the 1990s, New York’s the Chelsea Hotel was a hub of bonhomie and bohemianism. An eclectic crowd gathered there, drawn both to the artistic environment it cultivated and for its reputation for setting in motion creative collaborations and avant-garde performances.

For photographer Tony Notarberardino, the hotel was a refuge when he arrived in New York City in 1994. Brought up in Melbourne, Australia, by Italian emigrant parents, Notarberardino – who still lives in the same apartment at The Chelsea Hotel today – was fascinated by the clientele. ‘As a photographer, I found the people who congregated at the hotel – and the hotel itself – to be so inspiring and visually striking,’ he says. ‘It was this magical, commingling of people from all walks of life that made life at the hotel so continuously compelling. It became and continues to be my home.’

Tony Notarberardino’s Chelsea Hotel Portraits

The move marked the beginning of a series of portraits. ‘At 4am one night in September 1997, I was inside the Chelsea Hotel elevator, returning home, when a hand adorned with long, painted fingernails blocked it from closing. In walked an aged drag queen carrying more shopping bags than she could manage while holding the hand of a six-year-old boy. After four years of letting these moments pass by, I introduced myself and asked if I could photograph her. Without hesitation, she agreed.’

The resulting, large black and white photographs are the subject of a current exhibition at New York’s ACA Galleries. Notarberardino, who has photographed more than 1,500 subjects, continues to capture portraits daily in his hallway, using his vintage 1960s Toyo-View 810GII camera.

 ‘When I first started the series, I was photographing everyone: from the hotel cleaning staff, El Quijote [restaurant] staff waiters, to celebrities. I wasn’t exactly looking – I was more reacting to the circumstances I was in. There is no one formula that led me to photograph people, but it had to do with their style, uniqueness, and something that just drew my attention. These photographs document a piece of New York counterculture history that has been incredibly important to many artists, musicians, and other creatives.’

‘Tony Notarberardino: Chelsea Hotel Portraits, 1994–2010’ until 27 April 2024 at
ACA Galleries in New York

acagalleries.com

There have been countless incredible sports moments in the last decade in Southwest Florida. And without Linwood Ferguson, a lot of those would be just memories. Ferguson has shot hundreds of games at Florida Southwestern and FGCU. He moved to Florida for retirement in 2012, and at first, it was just a few games here and there, but he quickly became a staple on gamedays.”He’s been such an important piece to the athletic departments, not only here at FSW, but also with FGCU. Just for what he gives to us and the student-athletes and the exposure for our programs that we’re able to gain,” said FSW sports information director Roy Allen.”It just picked up and found they really liked attention to the sports that don’t get it,” Ferguson said. “The students liked it, the parents liked it. So I kept doing it.”When FSW restarted its athletics program in 2015, Ferguson started shooting for the Buccaneers, as well as the Eagles. He captured all the action, but sometimes he was a part of it too.”It can be exciting,” Ferguson said. “I often am sitting, like, under the basket. You get run over occasionally, but so far I’ve survived that.”Photography has always been a fun hobby for Ferguson. He said that he started in high school and did it off and on over the years, but not once did he turn it into a business.” just as a way to get away from real work,” Ferguson added. “So that’s a reason I didn’t want to take money for it. Then it becomes a job and it doesn’t become fun anymore.”So every single picture he took was as a volunteer. He just enjoyed the experience and liked knowing what he was able to give to the teams.”We don’t have big budgets for photography,” Allen said. “I can’t express what it means for our kids that are overseas and their parents aren’t able to be here at games and not able to take pictures of their kids and to be able to go onto Linwood’s page after the game and pull pictures that he’s taken of their kids that they can hang up in their house or give to their family members and have as memories forever. It’s just something that’s really important and we’re just so blessed to have had him for as long as we did.””My family is all the way across the world,” FSW softball player Sietske Drijvers said. “They’re not able to watch our games live, so being able to send these pictures and show them what we’re doing over here and the passion in the pictures really means a lot to me and my family.”Ferguson’s photos have been used on the athletic departments’ websites, as gifts for senior days, and they are on display all over the arenas. “If you go into our arena right now, you can look up and see a picture of our NBA player, Keon Ellis,” Allen said. “It’s a kind of classic picture that Linwood took after he made a big dunk in a big game that’ll be out there forever. And without Linwood, we wouldn’t have that shot. So it’s huge for us from a display factor as you walk down the halls at both FSW and FGCU. The halls are lined with photos that he’s taken for both of us. From day one of our arena, from day one of our volleyball program, from day one at the City of Palms Park when baseball and softball started back up here. Linwood was there for all of that and everything in between until now, and so he’s captured just some enormous moments for us that otherwise we wouldn’t have to be able to use for generations to come.”But after 12 years in Southwest Florida, his retirement journey is taking him and his family further up the East Coast.”To be honest, going forward, it’s going to be tough for us to replace what Linwood has given us for so many years,” Allen said.And while Ferguson might be leaving the 239, his impact will live on through the halls of arenas and beyond.”I will certainly miss shooting out here,” Ferguson said. “Once I get in and get settled, I have hundreds of boxes to unpack… maybe I’ll find a school up there that wants somebody to come out and photograph their athletes occasionally.”

The Port of Baltimore has had some notable events, including the Ever Forward grounding in 2020, the acquisition of massive cranes that allow larger ships to enter the Port, and—eclipsing the rest—the Key Bridge collapse less than two weeks ago. Bay photographer Mark Hergan has documented the port’s historic events and everyday commerce alike.

When the container ship Ever Forward ran aground just outside the Patapsco River on its way out of port, Hergan was one of the first photographers on site to document the entire process. From the first day of uncertainty to the final ungrounding, Hergan was tracing the event for the public. His unique style highlights the people behind the image. From crews working on tugboats and the Coastguard members who maintain a perimeter, Hergan captures the people who work to resolve the situation. 

“The port is interesting because there is always something different going on—new ships, tugs doing various tasks, and something new every day,” he tells us.

In March, when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being struck by the container ship Dali, Hergan was on the water documenting the tragic event. Each day, his photographs update the public on the progress and portray a story that helps people understand the workings of the port. More importantly, Hergan captures the humanity of the situation.

Hergan uses his 18-foot Scout center console as his photography vessel. He says, “It’s the perfect boat for me because it has a low freeboard that allows me to get low to the water for the perfect shot.” Kept on Bear Creek, Hergan has easy access to the Port of Baltimore and all its inner workings.

Hergan is an avid sailor and currently owns a Tripp 33 named Zombie which he races on Tuesday nights with the Baltimore City Yacht Association. One of the more interesting fleets he participates in and documents is the Log Canoe Fleet on the Eastern Shore. He regularly sails on Mystery, a 1932 log canoe out of the Chester River, and has published a book of his photography showcasing the beauty and uniqueness of this historic fleet.

When Hergan began his photography career, he liked shooting traditional Chesapeake Deadrise workboats. This led him to name his business Deadrise Marine Photography

Hergan publishes many of his photos in boating magazines up and down the Chesapeake, including Chesapeake Bay Magazine. Last year, he spent 111 days on the Bay as part of Spinsheet‘s Century Club and says he hopes to surpass that goal this year.

Hergan’s photography of the Bay serves as a valuable historical reference. His documentation of the Port of Baltimore and the hard-working men and women who keep it running smoothly are vital news sources that will tell stories for generations. His photos engage his viewership with the human side of an industrial port and remind us of the beauty of every aspect of the Chesapeake Bay.

You can follow Hergan’s work on social media at Deadrise Marine Photography or on his website at deadrisemarinephoto.com.