Hudson resident exhibits vintage-style photographs
By Angela Greiner Contributing Writer

Photographer Jordan Kessler prepares for a shoot. PHOTO/DEVIN FEIL

Hudson - Rapper, skateboarder and filmmaker are a few hats that local resident Jordan Kessler has become known for. "Photographer" will officially be added to his portfolio Friday Jan. 11 with his debut show at the opening reception of the Hudson Town Hall's "Art in the Hall" exhibition series.

The show, sponsored by the Arts Alliance, will run through March and off ers free admission to all residents interested in viewing the prints during normal business hours.

Kessler takes blackand white photos with a vintage-style view cam- era. He said he never aspired to be a photographer.

"I actually got a D in it [phot when I took it in high school," Kessler said. "… I thought it would be an easy elective, but it was really tough learning the technical part of photography."

After graduating from Hudson High, Kessler went on to study filmmaking at Mass. College of Art, where he received a bachelor's degree. After two days on a production set, while still an undergraduate, Kessler realized that the 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. hours were not his speed. During his junior and senior year of college, he filled his schedule with photography courses, which he was far more successful with this time around.

Moving back to Hudson after graduation, Kessler began working at Palm Press in Concord, printing black-and-white photographs. It was at this time that he began to experiment with classic accordion-style cameras.

Kessler searches to capture the images he wants, and armed with camera, tripod, lens, loupe and light meter, he heads to various industrial structures that line the streets and communities of central Massachusetts.

"I don't want to over-intellectualize my photographs," Kessler said. "The pictures are of places that people will recognize; they are familiar places that often get ignored."

With prints captured on 8-by-10-inch negatives, which cost $3 to $5 each, he makes every shot count.

"When I find an image to shoot, I set up for about 20 minutes and then I often don't take the picture," Kessler said.

"A lot of what I do is not just about the final print. It is the process of getting there," he said. "You cannot fire out a ton of pictures … It slows you down and it causes you to be deliberate."

With a romantic tie to the process and the decline in the supply of needed products, Kessler fears the impact of the digital trend hitting the industry.

"This form of photography is reliant on supplies and it scares me because I love it so much," he said.

He is not even tempted by digital photography.

"It is a quality thing: the image you get from a sheet of film at that size is far superior than any digital image," Kessler said.

The prints featured in the exhibit are part of a series called, "Hudson Area Study #1."

"When I left Hudson," Kessler said, "I said, 'I am never going back,' but I moved back and developed a fondness … I love Hudson."

All of the photos in the series feature structures and nocturnal images around Hudson, including "Knight Drums at Night," which was taken at the corner of South and Broad streets.

For more information about Kessler, visit his website at www.jordankessler.com or visit the Arts Alliance at www. upwitharts.org.