Gallery Night in Chatham Part 1

Last Wednesday I made my way into Chatham for the weekly Wednesday Gallery Stroll. Chatham is a small town with an amazing number of galleries. I knew the photographer Michael Kahn, a featured artist at The Focus Gallery, was going to be there so that was my first stop. Focus Gallery is in what used to be the old High Wheeler Square; Fire Signs Jewelry and Susie Nickerson's Health Food Store used to be there. If that doesn't ring a bell, it's behind Carmines Pizza and Dunkin Donuts.

Focus Gallery is devoted solely to the fine art of photography. The space is open and airy and the photographs are stunning. Michael Kahn's work is shot with a 2 1/4 square Hasselblad camera, he still shoots film and he prints his own work; all impressive to me given the size of his prints. What I loved most were the 5 small prints he brought in just before I left. They may have been original proofs, probably 5 x 5 and they were printed on what used to be my favorite paper, portriga rapid made by Agfa. I loved that paper; it's warmth and luminance and it's yummy browns. It's been years since you could get that paper and I remember stocking up on as much as I could afford when I heard of it's impending demise. The photos were wrapped up so I didn't get a close look at them but I could tell they were exquisite gems. I will make my way into town again for a closer look before some lucky collector buys them as a set.