[Leica] Jesse Hellman's exhibit

[wlevy at comcast.net (Walter Levy)]

Hi all -

What a nice surprise it was to learn that my son's roommate's dad is a
member of the LUG! Small world!

Here's a more in-depth review of Jesse's show.

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Jesse Hellman is showing "two shows in one" at the Peabody Institute of
John Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. Along one wall are a dozen of
his backstage photos of Peabody Opera performers preparing for the
stage. Jesse has made the most of the often difficult lighting,
capturing the intensity that permeates the wings and dressing rooms with
a great sense of intimacy. The 11x14 prints are sumptuous, exhibiting
deep lustrous blacks that play off against the singers' theatrical
makeup.

The second wall holds photos from Jesse's travels in Italy. Aside from a
few blown highlights the printing here is also excellent. Printing all
of these images full-frame with a black border indicating the edges of
the negatives was an interesting choice, and in most cases it works
well, although some of the compositions might have been made stronger by
some judicious cropping.

Despite these minor quibbles, Jesse's photos show that he is not only a
competent technician but a keen observer as well. His Italy pictures
especially capture people in a beautifully naturalistic, simple way that
encourages the viewer to connect with them, almost becoming a part of
the scene. This show is well worth seeing. If you're in Baltimore stop
by the Bank of America Mews Gallery at the Peabody Institute at 17 East
Mount Vernon Place and check out "Italian Sketchbook" and
"Transformations". The show runs through October.

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Regards,

Walter