April 2-30, 2011
Susan Lewinnek: Zipping Corn and Other Scenes from my Travels

Photography has been a part of my life since I was about four years old. My brother, ten years my senior, secluded himself in a darkroom in the basement of our house. I spent many hours keeping him company in this mysterious place where I peered at the strange reversed negative images and watched the magic of a print emerge from its watery bath.  My first camera, which I used at the age of six to capture for posterity life at overnight camp, was a Kodak Brownie. From this point on, I always had a camera and I always used it…to record the aftermath of a hurricane, the antics of my family and friends, and my travels.

I never thought of myself as a serious photographer, nor, for that matter, did I ever think seriously of photography, until several years ago when I decided to enroll in a basic photography class.  I was completely hooked. In looking for more courses and workshops, I learned about “The Magic Moment”, Constantine “Costa” Manos’ workshop at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown. There, I learned the difference between making an image and taking a picture. I learned how difficult and challenging it is to make a truly interesting image. I learned how difficult and challenging it is to click the shutter at the “magic” or “decisive moment.”

A few years ago, I spent some time in the village of Zapata just outside the colonial city of Oaxaca, Mexico, photographing the daily life of one family as part of Stella Johnson’s workshop, “The Documentary Project”. Through this experience, as well as a number of return trips, I have come to recognize my photographic passion, to capture a beautiful moment in an ordinary scene.