Matt Kaelin has started a wonderful project photographing the Fishers Island Year-Round Community. These beautiful portraits are on display on the second floor of the Community Center. Stop in and have a look. If you are interested in participating, contact Matt at mattkaelin@gmail.com or 973-592-4577.
Have you ever pictured yourself in a professional photographer’s portfolio?
Fishers resident and photographer Matt Kaelin is working on his current project which is focused on the current year-round residents of Fishers Island. He has been here long enough to appreciate the uniqueness of Island life and the eclectic group of people who have chosen to live here full-time. Through a series of portraits, Matt is hoping to document our island and the people who call it home year round.
The Fishers Island portfolio will be a series of photographs, some of individuals, and some family groups. The location, usually chosen by the sitter, could be meaningful, perhaps a favorite place on the Island, but ultimately reflects their everyday. Each image is captured on an 8 x 10 negative using a Lotus field camera and natural light.
Several of his previous projects include Spectrum, a collection of photos taken over a year in a classroom group of autistic children; American Astronaut, not what you might expect with that title; and a behind-the-scenes look of life in a Benedictine Monastery.
Matt moved from Brooklyn to Fishers in 2016 with his wife Tryn Collins, Assistant Director of Lighthouse Works. After graduating from Swarthmore College with a BA in Psychology, Matt met Tryn at Hunter College in Manhattan where each received a Master of Fine Arts degree, hers in painting and his in photography.
Matt has a rotating exhibit at the Fishers Island Community Center (FICC) as he works his way through the process of taking the photos, developing the prints (on Island), and framing them. Visit the FICC’s 2nd-floor gallery space where you will see examples of the over 30 year-round residents who have participated so far.
Matt would love to talk with you, our year-round residents, about setting up a convenient time for him to take your portrait. He can be reached at mattkaelin@gmail.com and 973.592.4577. His website can be found at www.mattkaelin.com
