"Danielle"
© Robert Kalman

The exhibit "New York Diptychs: I & II" features 22 of photographer Robert Kalman's large format black and white portraits of New Yorkers. It will be at the Gallery at Still River Editions from October 10 through December 18, 2015. There will be an opening reception on Saturday, October 10 from 2 pm - 4 pm.

Robert Kalman, who lives in Brewster, NY, uses an 8"x10" film camera to photograph people on the street in New York City. His method makes him different from other street photographers, many of whom shoot candidly with smaller cameras, or using digital gear. He asks each subjects a question, and they answer in their own writing, which appears with their portraits.

The resulting diptychs are beautiful portraits first, and also brilliant glimpses into the lives of New Yorkers. While Kalman shoots traditional black and white film, he scans his negatives as well as his subjects' writing into the computer and prints them digitally. Kalman chooses to wait until it is time to scan to see what his subject has written. While his working method is controlled, it maintains an element of surprise.

Some of the photographs were first shown at Soho Photo Gallery in April, 2015. The exhibit at Still River Editions also features new photographs from 2015 that have not yet been exhibited.

The Gallery at Still River Editions is located at 128 East Liberty St., Danbury, Connecticut.