Renowned photographer and multifaceted artist, Lewis Tanner, has passed away at the age of 72 due to septic shock in Burbank, California, marking the end of an era in the world of traditional film photography and leaving behind a legacy celebrated for its profound understanding of light, mood, and the essence of American landscapes. Born in Brooklyn and having spent significant years in Philadelphia, Tanner’s work spanned various domains, including portrait, architectural, and landscape photography, earning him accolades and a revered place in publications and books on architects like Frank Furness.

From Brooklyn to Burbank: Tanner’s Artistic Journey

Lewis Tanner’s journey into photography began after his move to Philadelphia in the 1970s, where his initial dream of working on movie sets transitioned into a passionate exploration of still photography. His work, known for capturing the intricate play of light and shadows, found its way into numerous esteemed publications, including The Inquirer, and collaborations with notable figures like architectural historian George E. Thomas. Tanner’s commitment to film photography in an age of digital transformation underscored his belief in the tactile, intimate experience of the darkroom, a sentiment echoed by his family and colleagues who remember him as a cowboy at heart with an undying passion for the visual arts.

Legacy in Light and Composition

Tanner’s artistic contributions extended beyond his photography, encompassing his roles as a musician, writer, and a connoisseur of the cowboy lifestyle, deeply influenced by his college years in California. His ability to infuse his photographs with a sense of composition, form, and atmospheric mood garnered praise and recognition, making his work a staple in discussions on architectural and landscape photography. Despite the digital age, Tanner’s dedication to film and darkroom techniques remained unwavering, a testament to his philosophy of engaging deeply with his craft and the subjects he portrayed.

A Cowboy’s Soul: Remembering Lewis Tanner

Remembered by his family and peers not just for his photographic genius but also for his eclectic lifestyle and deep appreciation for the cowboy ethos, Tanner’s legacy is multifaceted. His son Elias, who worked alongside him, and stepson Gabriel, who shared in the darkroom experience, recall Tanner’s profound connection with his surroundings and his ability to capture the essence of his subjects, whether through the lens or in his personal pursuits. Tanner’s life story, a tapestry of artistic brilliance, personal passions, and a commitment to traditional photography, continues to inspire and resonate within the photography community and beyond.

The passing of Lewis Tanner marks not just the loss of a distinguished artist but also the end of an era characterized by a deep, personal engagement with the art of photography. As the photography world continues to evolve, Tanner’s legacy serves as a reminder of the enduring power of visual storytelling and the importance of preserving the human touch in every shot. His work, celebrated for its depth, aesthetic sensibility, and meticulous attention to detail, will continue to influence and inspire future generations of photographers.

The Council for Older Adults in Niagara County invites all county residents over age 55 to enter the COA Amateur Photography contest. Prizes include two tickets to the Riviera Theatre Friday night series and a $25 gift card from Tops markets.

The contest theme is “Niagara: Nostalgia or History Today.” Photo subjects should be things of old that are still with us today.

Each entrant is encouraged to submit three digital photos based on the theme; paper photographs will not be accepted. For entry forms, call Heather Culverwell at 716-285-8224, extension 215. An entry form must be attached with each photo; submit entries to coa@hanci.com up until 3 p.m. March 15.

All entries will be posted on the Health Association of Niagara County, Inc. – HANCI Facebook page and online voting for the winners will take place from March 18 through April 1.

The HANCI page can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/The-Health-Association-of-Niagara-County-Inc-HANCI.

Images of a rhino in captivity, a Slovakian spa facility and a German finger wrestling champion are among the finalists and shortlisted entries in the prestigious Sony World Photography Awards 2024.

A total of 30 finalists were chosen across the competition’s 10 professional categories, which span portraiture, sport, landscape and the environment, with a further three to seven photographers shortlisted in each category.

The winners will be announced in April and an exhibition of the photos is set to go on display at London’s Somerset House.

The World Photography Awards organizes several different competitions each year, including youth and student prizes, with its national and regional winners unveiled last month. This year’s program attracted over 395,000 images, according to a press release. A representative for the World Photography Organization declined to tell CNN how many of those photos were eligible for the professional contest, but said that they had received the highest number of entries in the competition’s 17-year history.

In a press statement, jury chair Monica Allende lauded the “diverse, high-quality and creative spectrum” of this year’s selection. “The jury was captivated by the passionate storytelling; capturing both the joys and the challenges of human existence across our planet,” she added.

Although Yelp is perhaps best known for its crowd-sourced reviews of restaurants, the website also allows its users to review a wide range of businesses — including professional photographers. As wedding season ramps up, Yelp has revealed its list of America’s top 100 wedding photographers in 2024.

Yelp explains that January through March is the busiest time for Americans to plan their weddings. Accordingly, during those three months, users search for wedding photographers at a significantly higher rate than the rest of the year. Picking the perfect photographer is crucial as couples seek to preserve the best and most beautiful moments from their wedding, so it’s no surprise that one way to do that is to scour the internet for reviews and opinions.

Yelp’s top 100 list has been built using multiple factors, and it’s not simply the top 100 highest-rated wedding photographers across the United States. Ensuring a level of geographic diversity played a role, as photography businesses in nearly every state — sorry, Alaska and the Dakotas — are on the list.

The crowd-sourcing site also considered the total volume of reviews over multiple years, ranging from January 2019 through December 2023. To dial in the final list, Yelp worked alongside its “community experts.”

The number one wedding photographer of the year, per Yelp, is IMF Visions in Honolulu, Hawaii. The company has 119 reviews, with all but one rating the business five stars.

Nearly every company on the list has a five-star average rating, with the rest sporting 4.5 stars.

Tips for Choosing a Wedding Photographer

Couples should look beyond just ratings when choosing a wedding photographer, of course, as they also need to ensure that the overall aesthetic they want is something a business can deliver. For couples, the most important thing is finding the best wedding photographer for them, not necessarily the “best overall.”

Deciding if they want photos or photos and videos is also a key factor. Not every wedding photographer offers video services, and it may be that the best solution is to hire photo and video businesses separately.

For a bit of extra inspiration, looking at the winners of wedding photography contests is a surefire way to find exceptionally talented people. Wedding photography is undoubtedly a specialized skillset, and it is well worth spending the time and effort to locate the perfect match for one’s budget and preferences.

Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.

iPhone Photography

Snap Pro Camera, the innovative iPhone camera app, is proud to announce the release of its creative modes, inviting users to step into a world of creativity

DOVER, DE, USA, February 28, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — Snap Pro Camera, the innovative iPhone camera app, announces the release of Long Exposure Photography modes, inviting users into a world of creativity through their iPhones.

The Motion Blur mode in Snap Pro Camera opens artistic possibilities for crafting smooth, dreamy images of waterfalls or celestial nightscapes. This user-friendly feature allows exploration of slow shutter speeds, transforming dynamic scenes into breathtaking visual art. With an extended exposure capability of up to 30 seconds, users can capture subtle details or mesmerizing light trails with precision.

The app provides full control over the iPhone’s camera settings, offering a DSLR-like photography experience. Users can adjust settings such as ISO, white balance, and focus to capture the perfect photo. Snap Pro Camera’s advanced manual controls empower users to customize photos to exact specifications, allowing for a high-end camera-like experience.

Erkan Yigiter, CTO at Snap Pro Camera, states, “It can transform your iPhone into a camera rivaling professional DSLRs. With manual controls for focus, ISO, shutter speed, and more, you can fine-tune each shot for perfection, capturing scenes with the precision and quality of a high-end camera.”

Snap Pro Camera also provides helpful tools such as Histogram, Grids, Tiltmeter, Focus Peaking, and Zebra Stripes, enhancing the overall photography experience. The app supports RAW images for professionals seeking maximum flexibility in post-processing.

Explore unique features that set the app apart:

Advanced Manual Control: Manually adjust ISO, shutter speed, white balance, and more
Intuitive Interface: Easily switch between camera modes and access advanced features
Live Filters: Preview and apply filters in real-time
Tiltmeter: Achieve level photos effortlessly
Grid: Compose shots perfectly with the grid overlay feature
Histogram: Assess exposure accurately with the built-in histogram display
Focus Peaking: Attain perfectly focused photos
Zebra Stripes: Highlight overexposed areas of photos
ProRAW, RAW, JPG, TIFF: Capture photos in the preferred format
Preset List: Save preferred settings for future use
Photo Sharing: Share photos directly from the app to social media platforms
Multi-Language: Switch between multiple languages with built-in language settings
MIOPS plans to launch additional features, including Crowd Removal, Portrait mode for Bokeh effects, Timelapse, Panorama, and more. These enhancements solidify Snap Pro Camera as the go-to app for iPhone photographers looking to push the boundaries of their creativity.

Explore the possibilities of long exposure iPhone photography with Snap Pro Camera. The app is available now, and more information can be found at the SNAP Web Page

Images from the Snap Pro Camera App are available in the Press Kit, please visit SNAP Press Kit

Download the SNAP Pro Camera app from the SNAP Download Link

About Snap Pro Camera:
Snap Pro Camera is a feature-rich camera app for iPhones, offering users an unparalleled photography experience with advanced manual controls, creative modes, and a range of powerful tools. Transform your iPhone into a professional-grade camera and capture stunning images with Snap Pro Camera.

Erkan Yigiter
MIOPS
erkan@miops.com

• The two whales approached the photographers, who caught them in the act
• Scientists have never photographed humpback whale sexual behavior before
• The photos raise questions about whether both whales desired the encounter
• READ MORE: A chemical in whale vomit can make male rats want to have sex

By Peter Hess For Dailymail.Com

Published: 12:47 EST, 28 February 2024 | Updated: 13:46 EST, 28 February 2024

A set of never-before-seen photos has exposed the hidden world of humpback whales, in more ways than one. 

For the first time ever, scientists have photos of humpback whales mating.

And in another first, the scientists said the two ocean giants appear to be males. 

Despite the fact that scientists have closely studied humpback whales for decades, reports of their sexual behaviors are extremely rare and have never been captured on film.

And never before have scientists known that male humpback whales engaged in same-sex recreational activities.

Injury may have played a role, though, as the male whale on the bottom appeared to be in poor health and unable to escape the grasp of the one on top. 

Such behavior is widespread throughout the animal kingdom, though, and it has been documented in dolphins, bonobo chimpanzees, Japanese macaques, lions, giraffes, bison, antelopes, walruses, and some bird species.

Despite being large and well-studied animals, it’s easy for them to stay out of sight of humans while they mate, so humpback whales’ sexual behaviors have long been something of a mystery to scientists.

The images were captured by Lyle Krannichfeld and Brandi Romano, wildlife photographers who were out on a recreational trip in Maui, Hawaii, when they saw the extraordinary behavior.

One day back in January 2022, the whales approached Krannichfeld and Romano’s 26-foot boat off the western coast of Maui.

This stretch of water is a popular location for spotting whales in the winter months, when they migrate there to mate and give birth.

The two whales came slowly toward their boat, which had its engines off and in neutral. The two ocean giants were at and just below the water’s surface.

One whale (dubbed Whale A) was closer to the boat as the two came near, followed by Whale B.

Krannichfeld and Romano could tell right away that something was off with Whale A: Its skin was unusually brown.

They wanted to investigate further, so they grabbed their cameras.

It is illegal in the United States to approach humpback whales in the water, so they dangled their cameras over the edge of the boat and began snapping away.

They watched as the two circled the boat about six times.

At some point they noticed that Whale B had its penis extended – male whales and dolphins have a penis like other mammals, but when they are not using it for mating, they normally keep it concealed inside their genital slit. 

‘Whale B repeatedly approached from the rear of Whale A and penetrated the second whale,’ they reported in the journal article that described the encounter.

Each penetration was shallow, they wrote, with Whale B’s penis only appearing to enter Whale A’s genital slit ‘a few centimeters.’

And each penetration was relatively quick, lasting less than two minutes.

‘After the final penetration, Whale B dove and did not reappear,’ they wrote. Whale A stuck around for a few minutes before it, too, dove out of sight. 

The whole affair lasted about 30 minutes. 

After Krannichfeld and Romano captured their photos, they approached whale researcher Stephanie Stack, a biologist with the Pacific Whale Foundation. 

Together, they analyzed the encounter and released their observations Wednesday in the journal Marine Mammal Science. 

Throughout the encounter, the photographers saw that Whale B seemed to be holding onto Whale A with its pectoral fins – the animal’s large front flippers.

From the very few historical observations of whale mating on record, it seems important that male whales ‘grasp’ the female like this during sex.

Some details raise questions about whether the encounter was enjoyable or consensual for both whales, though. 

‘Whale A was visibly emaciated and covered in whale lice (Cyamus boopis) a species of ectoparasite that lives on the skin of humpback whales and can proliferate on whales that are injured and have reduced mobility, leading to the perceived skin discoloration as described earlier,’ the team wrote.

Additionally, Whale A seemed to have an injured jaw, which they suspect would make it hard for the whale to eat and could lead to it being weak and unhealthy.

Throughout the half-hour session, Whale A seemed to be trying to get away from Whale B. 

In fact, from the moment they approached the boat, the photographers wondered whether Whale A was using it as an obstacle to help it escape Whale B’s grasp, they wrote.

‘However, if so, Whale A was moving too slowly to be effective at evading the other animal.’

A jaw injury like the one that this whale showed could happen from being hit by a boat, the team wrote.

Such strikes can be fatal, but they can also lead to an animal slowly declining and eventually dying as it struggles to feed and care for itself. 

Sadly, that may have been the case for this whale, they wrote.

(Editor’s note: We are featuring artwork from Quest Art members that’s available for purchase as part of the Rotary Club of Midland’s online auction. The first three pieces by artists Anne Armstong, Alan Bain and Karen L. Bowen were featured in an earlier story about the auction.)

Today, we feature Lil’ Snick by local photographer Melanie Robitaille.

“Far from home, I came upon this shot while traveling around Sault Ste Marie, Ontario,” explains Robitaille. “It would seem I wasn’t the only visitor from further southeast along the shores of Georgian Bay.

“The Lil’ Snick is one of the fishing tugs that were synonymous with commercial fishing in the early 20^th century in the Great Lakes. It’s one of the few remaining, steel hulled fishing vessels of this style that still provides the popular whitefish to waterfront restaurants along the Georgian Bay shore.

“It was a moody, overcast day, and yet this floating piece of history seemed to almost pose for me at this unassuming, public dock. I used the sharp, angular lines of the docks to make her the centre of attention in this composition.”

The Hasselblad 907X + CFV 100C packs a gargantuan 100MP medium format sensor into a camera body straight out of the 1950s, and is the latest in the Hasselblad ‘V’ lineup of retro bodies which harken back to the manufacturer’s storied camera-making history. 

You may be looking at that list of cons up there thinking ‘how can this camera be rated so highly?’ Well, it’s complicated, but in short: this is a camera that appeals to a very niche audience who prize image quality and a traditional shooting experience above all else. It’ll also appeal to those already invested in Hasselblad film bodies and lenses, as it can connect to the manufacturer’s classic film cameras to give them a second digital life. The CFV 100C’s features (or lack thereof) are geared towards those niches, and may justify the camera’s price and drawbacks if you fall into either of them.

Can its specialty features earn it a place among the best mirrorless cameras around? Read our full Hasselblad 907X + CFV 100C review to find out more.

Hasselblad 907X + CFV 100C review: Price & availability

The Hasselblad 907X + CFV 100C was released in late January 2024 and is available via Hasselblad and major camera retailers. Medium format cameras are expensive and the 907X + CFV 100C is no exception at $8,199 / £6,729 body-only. This is in the same ballpark as other medium format cameras, such as the Fujifilm GFX 100 II ($7,499), and Hasselblad’s own X2D 100C ($8,199).

Add a couple of lenses to your basket, such as the XCD 38mm f/2.5 ($3,699) and XCD 90mm f/2.5 ($4,299) tested here, and you’re looking at over $15,000 all in. Luckily I have photographer’s insurance.

Hasselblad 907X + CFV 100C review: Design

The Hasselblad 907X + CFV 100C is actually two components sold together, which can be used (although not bought) separately. The CFV 100C digital back contains the sensor, image processor, screen and controls. The 907X is a clip-on metal frame which hosts the lens mount and shutter release.

The 907X was already sold with the 50MP Hasselblad CFV II 50C. Likewise, although new, the CFV 100C isn’t exclusive to the 907X and can be paired with older Hasselblad film bodies. 

Here is the unique selling point of this camera: if you have an older Hasselblad body and lenses already, the CFV 100C will allow you to use them alongside a 100MP digital sensor, bringing them into the digital age. This is its primary advantage over the similarly priced 100MP X2D 100C, which offers the form and plentiful benefits (IBIS, video etc) of a standard mirrorless camera.

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Wrapped in eco leather and edged in fingerprint-magnet chrome, the 907X + CFV 100C oozes elegance and history. Unsurprisingly, build quality is phenomenal, although it goes beyond simply being well-built: this camera feels like an exquisite piece of craftsmanship. 

With the control handle and 90mm lens attached, the camera weighs a hefty 3 pounds 10 ounces (1.635kg). The body measures 4 x 3.6 x 3.3 inches (102 × 92 × 84mm), although lenses and accessories make it much larger. However, medium format cameras are naturally bulky, so by that measuring stick the 907X + CFV 100C camera is quite compact — a petite giant. Regardless, this camera is designed to be mounted on a tripod. 

At the rear is an upwards-tilting 3.2-inch, 2.36M-dot screen — the same resolution as the display on both the X2D 100C and GFX100 II. No viewfinder is included but an OVF ($499) is available separately. Unfortunately, there’s no option for a high-res EVF. With such a high resolution sensor, it’d be practical to focus-check those images on an appropriately sharp monitor. The GFX100 II comes with a 9.44M dot EVF, while the X2D 100C’s EVF packs 5.76M dots.

Inside the CFV 100C is a 1TB SSD, allowing you to shoot casually all day without worrying about filling up or changing cards (even though the camera’s RAW and JPEG files are 200MB and 70MB respectively). There’s also a CFExpress Type-B port for expanding storage for intensive all-day shoots. Both offer faster transfer speeds than SD cards, making offloading those huge files bearable. For data transfer and charging there’s a USB-C port behind a spring-loaded flap. 

There’s no video, so no need for mic or headphone ports, although the camera does feature Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. It isn’t weather sealed, so be careful taking it out in the rain.

Hasselblad 907X + CFV 100C review: Controls

The Hasselblad 907X + CFV 100C’s rear monitor features most of the camera’s controls (without the additional grip). Thankfully the display is bright and responsive to the touch, and the menu system is sleek-looking and simple to operate. 

I would strongly advise purchasing the additional grip, which makes the camera much easier to handle. It provides direct access to handy controls, including a better-positioned shutter button, scroll wheels and a focus joystick. 

The joystick is a little blunt, tending to do too little until nudged hard, at which point it does too much. Annoyingly, ISO cannot be assigned to one of the control wheels on the grip. This meant I had aperture control assigned to both the lens ring and front control wheel — a total waste of a dial — and was forced to control ISO purely through the screen.

The grip ensures the 907X + CFV 100C can be used handheld like a conventional camera, but make no mistake, this camera is primarily designed for use on a tripod, meaning I can forgive some of its layout quirks. It’s a camera for slower-paced, considered photography, where you needn’t snatch at controls in a rush.

Hasselblad 907X + CFV 100C review: AF Performance

The 907X + CFV 100C features hybrid contrast- and phase-detection AF, which is nice to have, especially without a viewfinder for manual focusing. If you’re used to modern mirrorless camera AF systems, though, the CFV 100C’s system will feel rudimentary. It’s neither quick nor reliable in low light and, as far as detection modes go, only features face detection. So no modes for animals (although that didn’t stop me getting some lovely portraits of my greyhounds).

Given the camera’s intended uses, I can forgive it not having modes to track trains or birds, but there’s no eye detection either. I’ve shot many portraits on cameras without eye detection, so this isn’t the be-all end-all, but I found the face detection seemed to forward-focus, resulting in sharp noses and slightly soft eyes. You can skirt this issue simply by using the small AF point and positioning it directly on your subject’s eye. Or manually focusing, of course.

Given the razor thin depth of field when using a sensor this large with a wide-open f/2.5 telephoto lens, I often found manual focusing the best solution to ensure properly sharp focus, especially in portraits. Luckily, manual focusing with the XCD lenses is a joy, and very easy with the CFV 100C’s on-screen MF dial. You can zoom in on the screen to check focus, but a high resolution viewfinder would’ve been lovely for focusing while shooting handheld.

Hasselblad 907X + CFV 100C review: Image performance

The Hasselblad 907X + CFV 100C features a medium format sensor, which is much larger than the APS-C or full frame sensors commonly found in other mirrorless cameras. It’s the same 100MP sensor as found in the X2D 100C, and the images it produces are phenomenal. 

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Key to their beauty is the sheer detail the sensor captures (itself owing to the outstanding XCD glass that can resolve 100MP). I can’t show you full high resolution files or else this page wouldn’t load, but the gallery above features a JPEG export of my greyhound, Nutty. The second image is a JPEG export of a substantial crop into her eye from the same image, showing how much detail the camera captures. This gives you lots of flexibility, as you can effectively crop or blow up as much as you like.

Colors are also beautiful, captured in 14-bit (resulting in 4-trillion unique shades). Hasselblad’s famed color science is demonstrated by the camera’s single in-camera color profile, which is lovely, although clearly aimed at landscapes and portraiture. Skin tones are soft but natural-looking and flattering. That said, I did notice a consistent greenish tint and adjusted images towards magenta slightly. A lone color profile can be difficult to get used to if, like me, you’re used to shooting in and seeing different profiles. In particular, I really missed a black and white profile (I converted to Adobe Monochrome in Lightroom for test shots). 

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I found exposure metering a little inaccurate in multi-metering photometry, but not far off — after a day of shooting I aimed for around EV-1 in most shots and rarely needed to bump the exposure by much.

The medium format sensor also delivers an impressive dynamic range. In the images below — a RAW export with only a minimal magenta tint applied, followed by the same image with the shadows and exposure boosted — you can see how much image detail and color information was captured in the shadows when lifted. The sky of the boosted image shows some noise (at full resolution at least) at only ISO 1600 — a side effect of the high megapixel count, although you have to boost shadows and look hard to see it. 

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Living up to its classic ethos, the 907X + CFV 100C does not feature IBIS. This seems a little problematic until you realize that ISO 25,600 on a sensor this size does not give you the trouble it would on a smaller one. The image below of Nutty is shot at ISO 25,600 and still looks fantastic. When you blow it up or crop in, noise is visible, but not even approaching ruinous, as you’d experience from a smaller sensor.

IBIS would obviously be nice for dropping shutter in low light to keep ISO as low as possible, but once again, this camera wants to be on a tripod. Of course, IBIS is particularly useful for video, which the CFV 100C doesn’t shoot — the X2D 100C offers both.

Hasselblad 907X + CFV 100C review: Battery life

The Hasselblad 907X + CFV 100C is CIPA rated for 420 shots, which I found slightly conservative. I charged the battery fully at the start of testing, then took just over 300 photos (mostly in single shot drive) and was left with around 40% of charge left at the end of testing. Extrapolating, that equates to over 500 photos from a charge. This will no doubt be helped by the fact that there’s no EVF drawing power.

By conventional standards, 500 shots is middle of the road, so a spare battery should definitely be on the cards.

Hasselblad 907X + CFV 100C review: Verdict

It’s easy to look at price versus (the lack of) features and deem the 907X + CFV 100C as an overpriced status symbol, which to some extent is true. However, there are many exorbitantly priced status symbols in the world that still reap and deserve praise — think of supercars, for example. Their cost and lack of real world usability doesn’t mean they’re bad cars.

If you have the means, the 907X + CFV 100C will give you an experience that no other modern mirrorless camera (save the CFV 50C) can, and which is thoroughly enjoyable. This is in part down to the beautiful design and craftsmanship of the camera, and in larger part down to the incredible 100MP images it produces. In largest part though, it’s because of the type of photography the camera forces you into. It’s a romantic experience, evocative of bygone eras of photography. No IBIS means you must often use a tripod, while the screen has you looking down at the camera as if into the open finder of a classic film Hasselblad. These factors, plus the limited controls, mean you must take your time, while the simplistic AF often demands you manually focus. Despite ostensibly seeming like drawbacks, these things instead help define the camera’s purpose.

If you want to take that approach to photography, the 907X + CFV 100C will get you there. And if you already own classic Hasselblad bodies and lenses, the camera makes even more sense, digitizing your existing film gear without modernizing the experience of using it too much. Both of the above can be solved with the (not much) cheaper 50MP CFV 50C. 

Most people, though, shouldn’t buy the Bugatti, and should instead opt for the Honda — something like the Fujifilm X-T5 or Sony A7 IV. Besides, that’s probably all they can afford.

Falls Village witnesses a remarkable journey back in time with the opening of ‘From the Great Falls to the Hilltops: The Mabel Hallaway Collection of Early 20th Century Photography’ at the David M. Hunt Library on March 16. This exhibition, meticulously prepared by Garth Kobal and team, unveils a treasure trove of photographs that illuminate the history of photography and life in early 20th century Falls Village.

Unearthing the Past: The Mabel Hallaway Collection

The collection, consisting of photographs from a photo album and a box of glass slide and film negatives, offers a window into the world of Falls Village circa 1920. Outdoor scenes, musicians, and a teacher with students are among the striking images displayed. Garth Kobal’s discovery of these photographs in 2015 and subsequent digital scans in 2018 have culminated in an exhibition that merges history with the art of photography. The team, including Rika Laser, Sara Laser, and Sergei and Zoe Fedorjaczenko, has worked diligently to present these images in a manner that highlights their clarity and historical significance.

Insights into Early 20th Century Life and Fashion

Among the various photographs, one notable image is of Catherine Woodin, an expert wood chopper, showcasing early 20th century attire. The exhibition not only captures the essence of daily life in Falls Village but also offers insights into the fashion of the time. To further explore this aspect, a presentation on early 20th century fashion by Michele Majer is scheduled for March 23, following an earlier presentation on glass slide photography by Daniel Karp. These talks aim to enrich the viewer’s understanding of the era and the photographic techniques used.

A Glimpse into Photographic Evolution

The exhibition serves as a testament to the evolution of photography, from glass slide to film negatives, and its role in documenting history. It not only celebrates the technological advancements in photography but also pays homage to the lives captured in these images, offering a unique glimpse into the past. The sharp, clear images, as noted by Kobal, provide a detailed look at the local life, fashion, and landscape of Falls Village during a bygone era.

As ‘From the Great Falls to the Hilltops’ opens its doors, visitors are invited to step back in time and explore the rich tapestry of Falls Village’s history through the lens of the Mabel Hallaway Collection. This exhibition not only highlights the importance of preserving historical photographs but also encourages a deeper appreciation for the art of photography and its ability to capture and convey the nuances of life in earlier times.