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Arts & Entertainment

What Does Larchmont Look Like On Second Glance?

The Larchmont Photography Workshop takes a closer look at the village and its residents.

Photography instructor Palmer Davis gave his class this assignment last fall: to look beyond the surface and to pay attention to what's critically right in front of them. That is "where we find the surprising aspects of where we're living," he said.

The class is called the Larchmont Photography Workshop and the assignment grew into "Unseen Larchmont," a photography show that opened May 10th and runs through June 5th at Palmer Art, a framing store and gallery on Palmer Avenue.

The space showcases the work of ten adult student photographers, all Larchmont residents who met in 2009 attending a continuing education class taught by Davis at Mamaroneck High School.

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"When the class was over, they asked if I'd teach a private workshop for them, which is how this group was created," says Davis.

"Unseen Larchmont" is as much about moments as it is about location. "While this is a look at Larchmont life, you won't find shots of icons such as the gazebo," says Davis. "The photos display an uncommon, surprising look at suburbia."

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Some of the most original photos include street scenes, ballet studios, living rooms and backyards.

Melissa Schoen's "Family Time," in lighting that seems almost painterly, depicts a family gathered around a low barbecue at night. "Yet it looks like they're in the wilderness around a campfire," says Davis.

Stacey Ewald's "Homework Headache" captures an adolescent covering his eyes in exasperation over homework and an ordinary sofa becoming maternal.

For Patricia Roberts, a nondescript building took on a grace. "It's the back of a building on the Boston Post Road that I pass everyday," says Roberts, who, for that reason, decided to take a look. "When I did, it seemed to me that it could have been in Portugal or Italy. It sent me somewhere that was nowhere near the Boston Post Road in Larchmont."

Davis—who lives in Larchmont with wife Mary and three sons—is a fine arts photographer and instructor at the International Center of Photography in New York City. He was recently in a group show at Kenise Barnes Fine Art in Larchmont, and is represented by Carol Craven Gallery on Martha's Vineyard. He's had a career as creative director for advertising agencies such as Young & Rubicam, and has written documentaries for National Geographic Explorer TV.

Workshop members meet seven mornings, every other week, in each other's homes, in a session running September through December, or March through June. The fee for each session is $350. Applicants must submit a portfolio of work for review.

Also in the group is Patricia Horing, whose portrait of local plumber Herman Elvy won an award last year from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Lisa Glover Böhning, Ellen Washburn Martin,  Kristin Osterberg McElroy, Trish Miller, Amy Psaila and Heidi Silverstein.

Palmer Art is located at 1985 Palmer Ave. Phone: 914-834-3627.

For information about The Larchmont Photography Workshop, contact Davis at PalmerRdavis@aol.com and www.palmerdavisphotography.com.

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