Branford Photographers View The World

Robert Thomas is a happy photographer.

Thomas was among 17 Branford photographers whose work was showcased at a weekend exhibit at the Academy on the Green, sponsored by the Branford Arts and Cultural Alliance (BACA).

“What really impressed me is that we have a lot of strong work,” Thomas said as he looked around the exhibit. He said the event was a great chance to meet other local photographers, and to have their works viewed. ​“I think we’re starting to get something happening here,” he said. ​“Just to see the response is wonderful.”

He is pictured above with a photo he took at Acoma Pueblo in Sky City, near Albuquerque, N.M. 

Thomas has traveled extensively for his work at Ashcroft Inc. in Stratford, and he always takes his camera with him. A long-time photographer, he initially learned the craft from his father.

Thomas took the photo above in Iceland where blue ice floes washed up on the black lava beach.

Skip Cowles enjoys taking nature photos, and said photography is a way to enjoy an artistic endeavor and share it with others. ​“I think it feeds the soul — my soul and other people’s,” he said.

Here is Cowles surrounded by his photos — the top left is Carter’s Island off Stony Creek, and the top right was taken at Young’s Pond. The bottom photos show juvenile osprey near the trolley trail.

Sue Bender likes to enhance what she sees by making photo composites. ​“That’s two photos put together to make a stronger statement,” she said.

Bender took the above photo of window-washers and their shadows in New Haven, and then flipped it to make duplicate images. ​“It’s fun,” Bender said of her photography. ​“I’m having a good time.”

Pat Kaplan has been taking photos for about 25 years. ​“It’s a great hobby,” she said as she talked about her photos. 

Kaplan is shown above with her photo of Antelope Canyon in Arizona. She said the colors and swirls have not been enhanced and are the true colors of the scenery, which is located on Navajo property.

Popular Events

Frank Carrano, who chairs the newly formed Branford Arts and Cultural Alliance, estimates the three photography exhibits this summer have attracted about 500 people to the historic Academy on the Green.

“I think people are just beginning to recognize that a photo can be as much a piece of art as a painting,” Carrano said as he mingled with the overflow crowd at the reception Friday night. BACA member Richard Blacher was in charge of the photography events.

The first exhibit last month featured iconic photographer Bill O’Brien, who has been the unofficial town photographer for decades. The second showcased Branford resident Mike Marsland, who has been the official Yale photographer since 1987.

Carrano said it’s ​“pretty amazing” that BACA’s first major events have been so popular. ​“It’s encouraging us to keep on going.”

In fact, Carrano says BACA is interested in recruiting local photographers who would like to participate in a new project, The Faces of Branford.

“The project goal is to create a montage of the people of Branford from all walks of life,” Carrano told the Eagle. ​“We would like to capture the
diversity and, in some ways, the uniqueness of our community. This project has the potential to help us all appreciate our neighbors and especially those who provide services for us all,” he said. For information, contact [email protected]

A Love Affair With Photography

Mary Murphy-Taylor has been taking photographs since she bought her first camera at age 14 with money earned from working at her father’s store. She took a photography class at Branford High School, and said ​“It’s been a love affair ever since.” Photography classes in New York City followed, and she has a lifetime of photos to her credit. ​“The camera tells a story,” she said.

The above photos were taken by Murphy-Taylor.

Flowers seem to be a common theme, but Deborah Schwall decided to enhance hers by superimposing photos of her grandchildren. 

“I have two grandchildren and I wanted to do something a little different, so I thought I’d put them in a flower,” she said. ​“I’ve been dabbling in photography for a few years.”

Sharon Hart is a newcomer to photography. ​“I just started this year, and I’m just loving it,” she said.

In addition to photography, Hart has been taking watercolor painting classes, and she also makes jewelry, like the shell necklace she’s wearing.

Kelley Fryer has an extensive interest in various types of photography and has been doing freelance work the past four years for Shore Publications.

The above concert photo is one of Fryer’s favorites.

In total, 17 Branford photographers participated in the weekend exhibit. In addition to the ones interviewed, the list of photographers included Gary Connolly, Robert Coolidge, Alex Drago, Dr. Denis Miller, Joe Polka, Bobbi Racette, Fred Rosenthal, Raye Sorentino and Barbara Vietzke.

And if BACA and the Academy on the Green continue their relationship this sign will one day mark the occasion when the nearly 200-year-old Academy opened its doors to art and to the public in the summer of 2015.

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