Ben Pearson
and
Nick Leadley
Opening Reception:
April 6, 2024 5:30 – 7 PM
Exhibit: April 6 – May 7, 2024
Full Concessions including a beer/wine cash bar will be available
Ben Pearson – If there is anything that can conjure a spiritual sense of wonder, it is looking up and “seeing” the vastness of the universe in all its celestial glory. Where most folks live this is lost to light pollution, but thankfully the Rangeley Region still has its night sky. It is by far one of its richest gifts. Under this stunning night sky is also one of my favorite (and most challenging) times to be out taking photos.
This show of images taken here in the Rangeley’s is a celebration of our still dark sky and the many incredible sights we get to see when we gaze up. And stunning as the view is with the naked eye, the light capturing and filtering abilities of today’s advanced digital cameras takes this view to literally a whole other dimension the naked eye can’t see. Whether it’s freezing the fleeting moment of a meteor, or the comet Neowise, to intricate details of the moon’s surface, to seeing the colorful galactic center of our home galaxy, the Milky Way. All framed against the backdrop of Rangeley’s beautiful unspoiled (and dark) lakeside vistas.
Ben Pearson is the author of the photo essay book The Rangeley’s – A Photographic Journey Through an Iconic Region of Maine. Now in its second printing. He bases his explorations out of Richardson Lake in the summer and Carrabassett in the winter. You can see some of his work at benpearsonphotography.com or search Ben Pearson Nature Photography.
Nick Leadley – Photography has been a passion of mine since my college days, one that I inherited from my paternal grandfather Jerome Leadley, a talented amateur photographer in his own right.
The natural world has always held a special fascination for me and I tend to look at it with a storyteller’s eye. Perhaps that comes from my work as a press photographer early in my career.
There is no greater joy than to see the world through a lens, capture one intimate moment in the life of a bird or wild animal or witness the stunning, and sometimes subtle, the beauty of a landscape. It’s a thrill I still get after 20-plus years behind a camera and will never lose….to get touched by the wild.
My goal is to provide a window into nature for others to peer through. It is my firm belief that helping others take their nature and wildlife photography to another level, and in doing so gain an appreciation of the natural world around us, is the greatest way to give back as a photographer.
My most recent accomplishment, a book titled Gavia: Tales From Loon Country will be available soon. The book pairs my photographs of Common Loons taken over the past 14 years with heartfelt submissions from people around the world about their experiences with these amazing birds. I will donate a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of the book to Common Loon conservation and research efforts throughout New England.