Photography Exhibit at Roseland Free Public Library

Stephanie Gamba can’t remember a time when she didn’t love taking pictures.

“All of the vacations I would go on with my mother, I was always the one with the camera,” says Gamba, who is currently based in Union and runs SMPhotos.

“Perspectives,” an exhibit of more than 70 digital photographs by Gamba, will be on display in the Community Room of the Roseland Free Public Library now through the end of November. A reception to meet and greet Gamba and learn more about her work is scheduled for Sunday, October 23, from 1 to 3 pm.

“I took my first photography class in high school, learning the art to black and white film and doing the entire developing process in the dark room. I did put the art down during college but revisited it afterwards, getting into band and nightlife pictures. I did that for a few years and decided, after my trip to Rome, that I wanted to be able to do more with photography than what I was currently doing,” recalls Gamba. “I have taken numerous courses, both online and in classroom, lectures, photo walks, all to build me up to where I am now. This art is ever growing so I am excited to where this will take me from here.”

The eclectic character of Gamba’s photography is reflected in a medley of subjects that range from rustic country scenes to bustling cityscapes, from curious details at Ellis Island Museum to a close-up of hands clutching a rail against a rainy backdrop.

“I have to say that landscapes and children have been my absolute favorites. Landscapes for the sheer beauty that surrounds us every day and, if we are honest, take for granted. It allows me to stop and truly enjoy the beauty that is around me all the time. And it can be very challenging to come up with a new perspective or shot than other photographers who visit the same area. Children, well, what can you say badly about them. The innocence, watching them experience playing in leaves for the first time, learning to walk, it’s such a beautiful moment captured in a photograph,” she says.

Although Gamba originally hails from New Jersey, a significant portion of the photos on exhibit feature scenes from rural Pennsylvania, where she attended East Stroudsburg University and her family relocated to about five years ago.

“I can say my appreciation for the beauty of nature started because I went to college in the Poconos. One of the reasons I chose ESU was because of how stunning the campus was. Though I was always running between classes, being surrounded by the mountains with friends who were very active helped me appreciate the beauty we see every day,” she reflects.

Nature, however, is just one of the things she takes a closer look at through her lens.

“People are such complex creatures,” observes Gamba. “You never really know what a person has gone through or dealt with. That complexity has become interesting to photograph. I enjoy the challenge of trying to get that complexity out in a photograph.”

“Perspectives,” on display in the Roseland Free Public Library Community Room, is open to the public during Library hours (Monday-Thursday, 9 am-9 pm; Friday, 9 am-5 pm; Saturday, 10 am-3 pm). You can see more photography by Stephanie Gamba on her website, www.smphotosnj.wixsite.com/main.