Morristown images that never grow old, an exhibit from a pair of pros, May 22

Photo technology has changed dramatically since Pam Hasegawa and Judi Benvenuti started shooting professionally more than three decades ago. But their photos of Morristown are timeless.

Some of those images are on display at Sandrian Camera on 72 South St.  Receptions are scheduled today, May 22,  2013, from noon to 2:30 pm and again from 6 pm to 8:30 pm at the shop. All are invited.

“A customer saw my postcards of Historic Morristown in Sandrian’s and bought large prints for a conference room,” Pam explained.

It triggered the idea for an exhibition. Prints by the women are for sale at prices ranging from $250 to $800, and will be displayed for the next few weeks.

Pam’s interest in photography began in the mid-1970s, when she became friends with a Morristown woman who was a photo researcher for a textbook company, Silver Burdett.

At the time, Pam’s children modeled for some textbook pictures. Pam became fascinated with the process, and started submitting her own shots.

“They told me how to tighten up the presentation, and what they looked for,” Pam said.

She also struck up a friendship with Judi, a graduate of the College of Saint Elizabeth in Madison who did photography for Morristown, The War Years 1775-1783, a book created in cooperation with the National Park Service.

Judi saw her first single lens reflex camera while working as a counselor at Camp Wono on Cape Cod, and was smitten. She delved deeper into photography while spending eight years in Germany and England as a teacher for the Defense Department.

In 1973, she spent two weeks at Yosemite studying with legendary nature photographer Ansel Adams, learning his famous zone system for precise control of exposures.

“He was fabulous. He had a good sense of humor, and was a good listener,” Judi said.

She and Pam went on to work for Taurus Photos, a stock photo agency.

Their pictures landed in UNICEF calendars and cards, among other places.  Pam vividly recalls a frosty January trip to photograph the Statue of Liberty for another client.

By the 1990s, consolidation in the photo industry and the rise of digital photography–which turned virtually everyone into a shooter–made it hard to continue making a living in the business, Pam said.

But she still mounts joint shows with painter Laurie Harden, who shares her artistic vision. “We paint and photograph life as it happens,” Pam said.

And she keeps snapping photos for causes she supports.  Pam has advocated strongly for the rights of adopted children like herself to obtain the identities of their birth parents.

She also documents her periodic travels to Japan on behalf of the Asian Rural Institute, an organization that teaches sustainability and leadership skills to people from poor regions.

More recently, in response to the school massacre in Watertown, CT., Pam co-founded the Morris Area Committee to Reduce Gun Violence. Her Canon G-9 accompanies her to every event.

The Sandrian show includes pristine images by Judi and Pam of Acorn Hall, Burnham Pond, the Ford Mansion, Speedwell Lake and the Tempe Wick House, among other places with iconic status for local folks.

“If you grew up in Morris County, their work is like coming home,” said Kathy Sandrian of Sandrian Camera.

The show gives both artists a chance to revisit their photographic roots.

“I’m excited because for me, it’s a huge boost to my career as a photographer,” Pam said.

For Judi, it’s the power of the medium that enthralls her.

“It’s capturing something for life. It’s slices of life. It’s a legacy,” she said.