Culture Crawl

This section includes a peek at the latest in theater, reviews of women-only exhibits, reflections on something interesting in film,
a snapshot of ​a special cultural or community event, etc.

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BEHIND THE LENS: 
Mid-Hudson Valley Photographers Find Support and Opportunity as a Collective
September 2024​

“The camera makes you forget you’re there. It’s not like you are hiding but you forget, you are just looking so much.” ~ Annie Leibovitz 

Members at Olive Library Exhibit, 2023 (L to R): Charley Mitcherson, Nancy Donskoj, Gail Albert, Susan Phillips,
​Ruth Wetzel, Dorothea Marcus, Carla Schapiro, Ana Bergen, Shari Diamond, Maria Fernanda Hubeaut, Joan Barker
Photo Courtesy: Women Photographers Collective of the Mid-Hudson Valley

​​By Sandra Bertrand

The Women Photographers Collective of the Mid-Hudson Valley is a membership organization which promotes community building, networking, mentorship, and opportunities for presenting and exhibiting work. Photographer Kay Kenny initiated the group in early 2020 to counteract the isolation and disconnectedness of the COVID-19 pandemic, but since then it has become an essential regional resource for women photographers to help and support one another in their creative work.

Kay shares, “I began to organize the Collective on a walk in Thorn Preserve on a winter day in 2020 with two fellow photographers, Meryl Meisler and Jan Nagle. It was during the pandemic, and we were all feeling a sense of isolation. I had a Zoom account and was already a member of a photo workshop group that met regularly on Zoom.” She says the idea of expanding the group came next. “By January 2021, we had gathered a group of nearly 20 women photographers from several counties in the Mid-Hudson Valley area of New York. By September 2022, we opened our first exhibit at the Lace Mill in Kingston, New York. The group continues to grow, embracing not only the diversity of the photographic medium and the opportunity to exhibit as an organization, but also enjoying the camaraderie and professional support. We are not hierarchal. I function as a Zoom organizer and notetaker. Collective in its truest meaning is how our organization works.”

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When I approached four of the members of the collective about their work, I discovered they all shared one unique talent: The magical ability to disappear behind the eye of the lens and make us see what was always there in the first place. These women share some thoughts about their personal journeys and inspirations. ~ Sandra Bertrand

Kay Kenny in her Studio
Photo Credit: Meryl Meisler

Gail Albert is a fiction writer and National Book Award finalist who has incorporated her passion for the environment and her spiritual teachings into her images. Maria Fernanda Hubeaut searches for authenticity in life and art, dissolving boundaries between photography and performance art. Susan Phillips’ love of nature is expressed both in her photography and collage. Kelly Sinclair is an avid explorer of all photographic forms, most recently in portraiture of women as they age.

Image-making has become so much a part of pop culture. Everywhere you look, people on the street are snapping away, capturing friends or framing “selfies” in an instant. But photography wasn’t always “in your face.” When did you first realize that making images could be part of your vision, something special that only you could see?

GAIL: I have always seen the goal of my photography as capturing images of the natural world that have been filtered through my own perceptions and biases. My world is filled with specific creatures in constant transition, whether they are trees or rocks, often mysterious, all sacred. The challenge is in creating images that convey to others what I experience.

Quiet
© Gail Albert

​MARIA: During my early teenage years my grandfather, who was a great mentor to me, passed away. He always encouraged me to keep searching through writing, drawing and photography. After his passing, I cleaned and repaired his old Pentax Spot Matic, using the camera as a way to communicate with the world. As a very shy teenager, photography not only taught me to be present in every shot but also gave me a sense of purpose.

Surface 01. Body Work: Surfaces of Water Territories, Kingston, NY
© Maria Fernanda Hubeaut

​SUSAN: Truthfully, I asked for a camera at age 12. And although I did get one, I’m not quite sure what the motivation was at that point in my life. My younger cousin became a photography teacher, about the same time that I started dating a fellow who always had a camera around his neck. I wanted one, too, so I bought one. Because I was in grad school at the time, I took a few photography and darkroom courses. After taking what I thought was an excellent shot at the Cloisters in New York City, then developing and printing it myself, I was hooked!

Sunflower
© Susan Phillips

​KELLY: I started taking photos in high school and as soon as I shot my first roll of film, something shifted in me. The camera became a bridge between my shy self and the world outside, allowing me to see differently. I see the world in potential images even when I don’t have my camera with me. Photography has completely enriched my life and has become a tool for personal growth.

Ocean View
© Kelly Sinclair

​Photography can take many forms. Do you see yourself as a street photographer, capturing “the decisive moment” (as photographer Henri Cartier Bresson coined) or creating a “still” image that might be posed for a certain effect.

GAIL: I aim to capture some aspects of the scene I am looking at. These are always moments in the natural world. I am extremely dependent on the lighting of that ‘decisive moment.’ The objects themselves may not be moving, but the light is always in transition.

MARIA: Henri Cartier-Bresson had a profound influence in the early stages. I am deeply inspired by his philosophy that photography is about aligning the eye, the heart, and the camera.

SUSAN: I don’t put myself into any category other than photographer. I search for art in places often overlooked by people rushing by: street abstractions formed by the effects of traffic and the erosion of painted lines; graffiti art in the visible layers of torn papers, restructured by weather and random anonymous participants; oxidized rusted surfaces creating patterns and designs; reflections in puddles, ponds, or store windows. I think that’s what makes my vision my own.

KELLY: My photographic practice has deepened over the years. I’ve experimented with many different styles from street photography to landscape and nature to still life. I am now venturing into portrait photography, making portraits of women as we age and exploring what this means on a personal as well as a societal level.​

Kelley (Celebration of Silver Series)
© Kelly Sinclair

Greek Woman 2
© Susan Phillips

​Photography as an art form has not always been fully appreciated in the larger art community as “fine” art. In your opinion, how has that changed?

GAIL: There are galleries that never considered taking photography that now include photography in their open calls. Some galleries now have shows that are only for photography. An example of this is the local Woodstock Artists Association and Museum in Woodstock, New York, which will be having their first all-photography show in 2025.

MARIA: Photography has grown significantly in its acceptance as a fine art form within the larger art community. However, there are still some who do not view it as visual arts. The key is to create from the unique language of photography and to present your work honestly and authentically.

SUSAN: It did take a long time for photography to gain the same respect as other art forms. At first, it had to be ‘black and white’ to get into galleries. Eventually, color was accepted. I still believe that the impact of a great black and white photograph can engage the viewer intellectually, in a way that color cannot.
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KELLY: When photography first came on the scene, it was considered inferior to other art forms. Photography has come a long way since its inception. The art lies in the content as well as the beauty and technical mastery of the photograph. What is the photographer trying to say? A fine art photograph elevates its subject and allows us to see the world in a different way.

Have you explored other art mediums as a creative person and, if so, have you incorporated your photography work into other forms (i.e. photo-collage or other forms of mixed media)?

GAIL: I have published three books in the past, one of which is on Jewish spiritual teachings, and I am exploring how to incorporate bits of spiritual text or symbols into a photographic assemblage.                                    
MARIA: Photography is the foundation of all my artistic explorations. I am the creator of ‘La Fotografia Performatica,’ an artistic manifestation that dissolves the boundaries between photography and performance art. Everything in my art starts and finishes with the language of photography.

SUSAN: I have embraced collage as another form of creativity, since 1999, when I took my first collage course at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. My eye composes the whole before I take a photograph. Collage work is reversed. I usually start with some random elements. I transfer images, use antique papers, rusted objects, old letters, dried flowers, and then I ‘play’ at assembling the finished product. Often, I cut up the finished piece into smaller bits and then reassemble it. My collages can hint at landscape, suggest the passage of time, or trigger the recall of forgotten dreams and memories. The viewer decides.

KELLY: Photography was my first love as an art medium. I started in the darkroom before finally switching to digital in 2008. I have a vintage polaroid that I love, and I have been experimenting with cyanotypes and love this different way of creating images with light.

Morning Frost on Bluestone
© Gail Albert

Morning at Big Deep
© Kelly Sinclair

Creating art can at times be a lonely endeavor. How did you become involved with the Women Photographers Collective, and what are its aims? Do you feel your own work can benefit by being part of a larger organization?

GAIL: I was asked to join because several of the earliest members had seen my work in local galleries. I was delighted to be part of a group whose members, in many cases, had expertise I did not have. I came to photography as an author and psychologist, with no college or graduate courses in photography. I have learned in workshops and internet courses, and by going to museum shows, so I am an outsider. The idea of being part of a group of photographers who share their work was like a light in the dark.
             
MARIA: It's wonderful to be part of a community of women photographers where we can discuss and share projects. During the pandemic, I moved to the Hudson Valley. Knowing some of these women photographers from the city made it great to start meeting online and then in person. Sharing group shows has created a special bond between us that I want to keep nurturing.

SUSAN: The Women Photographers Collective experience has been terrific. Everyone’s style and execution vary. Sharing and learning from each other is a singular, enjoyable endeavor, and that is what we often do.

KELLY: I have been alone making my art for many years. When I first heard about the Collective, I was thrilled about women getting together to engage and support each other in getting their photography out into the world. It’s helping me by igniting my fire to hold myself up to the highest standards. I want to continue to grow and evolve as a photographer.

What are your feelings about digital photography as well as the manipulation of images? Do you embrace a more traditional approach, or do you see all forms as fair game?

GAIL: I only do digital photography. And I am quite comfortable manipulating my images somewhat in Lightroom or Photoshop. I want the viewer to be able to see what my mind saw when I took the photo, not simply what the camera records.

MARIA: As a photographer, I have always been acutely aware of the differences between art photography and photojournalism. While the latter has traditionally been dominated by a more masculine perspective, I have pursued honesty in my feminine self in the realm of photography as an art form.
 
SUSAN: Digital photography simply means a different tool is being used to record an image. It is much easier than film photography, and the results can be just as spectacular, just as in the darkroom where you can bring out shadows, crop, change the contrast, etc. The true artistry lies in the eye of the person behind the camera.
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KELLY: Digital photography has made making photos so much more accessible. I used to love mixing chemistry and spending hours in the darkroom, but the time commitment alone was a limiting factor. There is a lot more freedom now for creatives, and the tools artists choose is part of an individual, creative process.

Blue Morning
© Gail Albert

El Sueño, The City Object of Meditation, New York City
© Maria Fernanda Hubeaut

What has been your experience as a woman, from your early days of learning photography to making it a viable profession, or being accepted within the constraints of exhibitions or public awareness?

GAIL: While I have been taking photographs for decades, I have only been involved professionally in photography in the last ten years. I am not aware of any barrier because of being a woman.

MARIA: Photography allows us to infuse our work with the nuanced, empathetic, and deeply personal insights from our experiences as women. Our role is not just to document, but to bring forth narratives that might otherwise remain unseen. This commitment to authenticity is crucial, for our own artistic integrity and for future generations of female photographers. We can challenge the status quo, push boundaries, and inspire others to do the same. Together, we can ensure that the feminine vision in photography remains vibrant, impactful, and indispensable.
 
SUSAN: Professionally, I was an elementary school teacher for 35 years. I knew that it was my career path. Photography came a few years later and has never left.
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KELLY: The art world has always been dominated by men. But women have always been here, making our art. As we gain more autonomy and agency in society, we are becoming more and more visible, as it should be.

​​Who are the women photographers who have inspired you?

GAIL: I have been more inspired by painters than photographers. So, I have to say Georgia O’Keeffe.

MARIA: Two incredible, historical women photographers who inspire me are Tina Modotti and Imogen Cunningham, though many others, both past and present, influence my work.

SUSAN: I admire many historical women photographers. Three come to mind. Dorothea Lange was best known for her Depression-era work for the Farm Security Administration. Lange's photographs influenced the development of documentary photography and showed the effects of the Great Depression. Berenice Abbott was best known for her iconic photographs of Paris and New York City during the 1920s and 1930s. Her architectural compositions and portraits of cultural figures of that time are realistic and riveting. Margaret Bourke-White is also a pioneer who comes to mind. She, too, photographed the impact of the Depression on the American Midwest, and was the only female Western photographer allowed to photograph Stalin during the German invasion of the Soviet Union!
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KELLY: So many! Dorothea Lang, Imogen Cunningham, Ruth Orkin, Diane Arbus, Francesca Woodman, Sally Mann, Graciela Iturbide, to name a few.

Staircase, Barcelona
© Susan Phillips

The Only Way, New York City
© Maria Fernanda Hubeaut

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​We are living in challenging times. Do you feel your aims as a photographer have altered as a result of this turbulence? How do you find sanctuary in your life and art?

GAIL: As climate change has continued to progress, I have become committed to producing work that emphasizes the sacredness of our planet, encouraging people to act publicly for its protection. When I am out with my camera, there is nothing else. For several years, I took photographs mainly in the bog behind my house. It is a primeval place, totally silent except for the occasional bird; and wearing my calf-high boots, so I can stand in the water changes my whole day. But anywhere outdoors is a refuge.

MARIA: In times of chaos and uncertainty, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed and distracted. These challenges often fuel my creativity, providing new layers of depth and meaning to my work. I find my own sanctuary in my art. By respecting my creative time, pace, and the message I want to convey, I create a space where I can express myself freely. This sanctuary allows me to share my perspective with the world.

​​SUSAN: The world today is challenging and frightening, in every aspect. My photography IS my sanctuary. It helps me to momentarily forget the issues of war, race, environment, elections, etc. It’s just me and the camera. My other sanctuary is nature. I adore the 'greenness' surrounding me, especially in my home upstate. Being in nature is life affirming for me. My advice to others is to go out and hug a tree. Although I am not the first to say it, more people should do it!

KELLY: For many years my photography has been an homage to the earth and part of my vision is to try and capture the beauty in the details. It’s also part spiritual practice. Moving into portrait photography, I am shining a light on women as we age and as we start to become invisible in society and sometimes to our own selves. I reject these notions and hope that we can instead step more into who we want to be, which is more awake, more creative, and stronger. A friend said to me, when we heal ourselves, we heal the planet. Showing up behind the lens and in front of the lens empowers me and the women I photograph. I find sanctuary or refuge in my life by grabbing my camera and heading into the woods!

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Women Photographers Collective

Members' Websites

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Sandra Bertrand is an award-winning playwright and painter. She is Chief Art Critic for Highbrow Magazine and a contributing writer for GALO Magazine. Prior to working for Sanctuary as Travel & Culture Editor, Sandra was a Featured Artist in May 2019.