Westbury photographer earns laurels as professional
Snapshots are not hung in a special exhibit at the Louvre Museum. The honor is reserved for artistic photographs.
Gloria Golden of Westbury earned such a distinction when her “Chinese Farmer” picture was chosen as part of the Exposure Award exhibit in 2015.
Though she received an invite to the reception and had been to Paris several times with her husband Barry, Golden declined to go. It’s a decision she now regrets, but the satisfaction she has gained—and honors and recognitions she’s garnered—since she took up photography in a serious way in 1994 more than made up for it.
Serious is the key word. Golden invested time, money and effort to learn from the pros. Along the way, she has made a smooth transition from film (which she developed herself in her home darkroom) to digital.
Golden’s sixth published book, Metallic Metropolis, from Blurb Publishing in San Francisco, is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and on Kindle devices. As usual, it is dedicated to her husband, and as usual, the images within are printed in black and white.
Asked about the title, Golden replied, “The inspiration for the title came from one of the photos in the book, ‘Metallic Streets.’ When the rain stopped and the wet pavement glistened, I saw a metallic look crawl through the streets. In addition, the modern New York City skyline his been constructed with glass and steel structures. I feel strongly that we live in a Metallic Metropolis.”
Unlike many pros, Golden eschews expensive equipment. Her digital camera is Nikon’s entry level D3200. What she does with her color files in Photoshop and prints on her Epson Stylus Photo 3000 sets her apart from everyday shutterbugs. The results are pictures that have been printed in prestigious magazines and showcased at dozens of solo and group exhibitions.
She also eschews color, observing, “Black and white photography appeals to me because it is more soulful and creates a particular mood.”
Golden’s latest book is a follow-up to 2013’s Brooklyn Revisited: My Journey Back. It was shot in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx.
“Needless to say, I have a very strong connection to New York City,” she said. “I was born in Brooklyn and lived there a good part of my life. The city has a special place in my heart and this is what I know best.”
Though the metropolis offers many pictorial opportunities, what interests Golden most are its denizens.
“People touch me,” she said. “I want to know more about them. What are their roots? What are they thinking? My goal is to discover what they’re all about through the lens of the camera.”
One of Golden’s strengths is street photography, a difficult aspect of the art to master.
“Strangers offer an attraction,” she observed. “I often feel a connection to people on the streets and don’t have difficulty approaching them. Sometimes it’s easier to strike up a conversation with strangers than with people I know. Eye contact is my first attempt in establishing a connection, and that’s followed by conversation.”
She added, “No matter where I work, my style of photography is the same. Everything comes from within and instinct.”
Learn more at www.gloriagolden.com.
