As a child I was always attracted to light, shadows, and textures. I remember fondly making hand shadows, creating dramas in the evening light. When I became old enough to use a camera, my Dad, gave me an early Kodak box camera to use. From there I graduated to a Kodak Retina 35mm. I loved that camera and learned quite a bit about light using it. Many film cameras later and lots of years too, I find myself making photographs with a 4 X 5 Cherry wood field camera made by the people at Zone 6 from Vermont. Over the years I have exhibited my work widely. I am also a published photographer. My real passion is finding a promising subject, and creating a black and white photograph that expresses my creative viewpoint. In addition I work in color, my belief is that color must contribute to the composition to be relevant.

Over the decades I learned how to make photographs well designed, thought provoking, peaceful, and wonderful to live with. I strive for a timeless quality, one that stimulates pleasant memories in the viewer. It is my thought that living with photographs that we love, inspires our imagination, brings us an inner calm, and helps us shift gears from our hectic schedules. Through my lens, I capture the spirit of my varied subjects, looking for the optimism and hope that lives within my composition. Each of us brings our own unique interpretation to all that our senses take in. We have our own set of emotional filters. It is my hope that my photographs communicate the ever evolving tapestry of tone, color, texture, pattern, emotion and constant change in life's drama.

Although I have spent many years working with my 4 X 5 Cherry wood field camera, and even more years in my darkroom, these days I am all digital. In my opinion, digital capture and post production give me access to many useful tools that assist me in expressing my vision. Restoring a damaged photograph and seeing a big smile on a persons face is very pleasing. Sometimes the photograph I restore is the only image they have of a beloved family member. I also love chasing the light in the silence of a quiet landscape, or capturing the personality of unique Architecture. I invite you to browse through my galleries and enjoy yourself. All of my work is available for purchase. If interested message me through the e mail link on this site.

Andre Cantelmo