JUNE/JULY Art Exhibit

JOHN F WARD

John F Ward grew up on Long Island, except for a year he and his family spent in Germany. After high school, he took a job with a small weekly newspaper in New York before moving to Connecticut for a job at a daily paper in Torrington. After several years, he went back to New York City to work as a photographer’s assistant and as a freelance photographer. He returned to Connecticut in 1988, married, and began a family, working for larger and larger papers in the state — winding up at The Hartford Courant. After a major layoff there, he earned a master’s degree at Trinity College and began teaching literature and writing at Middlesex Community College and Quinnipiac University. He retired in 2017 and has been focusing on photography and writing — and his adorable grandchildren — ever since.

Q & A with The Artist of June/July John F Ward

1. What inspired you to become a photographer?

I was given my first camera at the age of nine when my family and I lived in Germany. I learned that I could document our travels and preserve my own memories on film. That eventually led to a career that included more than a decade as a newspaper photographer, documenting the lives of people in the communities I served.

2. How would you describe your photographic style?

My style is documentary portraiture — I work hard to record people as they live their lives.

3. What types of subjects or projects do you enjoy photographing the most?

I love making visually interesting portraits of people engaged in their everyday lives.

4. Can you share some memorable experiences from your photoshoots?

In my years as a newspaper photographer, I have been fortunate to meet and photograph some remarkable people, including celebrities like Pete and Toshi Seeger and Judy Collins and xxx like . I am in the midst of a project in which I photograph and interview people who are doing important and interesting things in their lives — a philosopher, a drag artist, a roller derby skater, a female airline pilot, a submarine commander, a real-live rocket scientist, and many more.

5. How do you approach a new photography project?

I always look to blend into the scene, becoming almost invisible, so I can capture candid and relaxed images of people, even when they know I am there. But recording the image is only the first step. “Processing” my digital images in Lightroom and Photoshop, cropping, adjusting values like color and luminance, is where each image comes alive visually.

6. Who are your biggest influences or inspirations in photography?

I am most influenced by the work of Robert Frank, whose documentary images established the genre for the modern world, and by Diane Arbus, who extended Frank’s work by capturing the off-beat nature of people and what they do in their lives.

7. What challenges have you faced in your photography career, and how did you overcome them?

I am very shy. I use my cameras to give myself permission to be present in the situations I want to record. My cameras are a kind of passport to see into peoples’ lives, no matter what they are doing.

8. Do you have a preferred location or setting for your photos?

I love all locations, from photo studios (which I can set up anywhere) to natural or urban settings.

9. What techniques or equipment do you find essential for your photography?

It might sound obvious, but “seeing” is essential to my work — not just looking but seeing in a more elemental way, seeing past the visible to the essence.

10. What advice do you have for aspiring photographers looking to improve their skills?

Be sensitive, be empathetic, be considerate and courteous, but also be persistent in what you are working on. Don’t back away from people. If you don’t engage with your subjects — even the ones who don’t know you’re there — you will be disappointed with the results.

Join him for his Artist Reception on Sun. June 22nd from 2pm-4pm