Check out this short editorial piece from the August 24th issue of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle.  It touches on who we are, why we teamed up, and the motivation behind  Scenes from a Public Market.

 Pair develops community photography
by
Lisa Tiffin

My husband and I met in a college photography class as darkroom partners. And we’ve heard all the jokes. In fact, we’ve been known to poke a little fun at ourselves from time to time. But even before that fateful class, I was interested in photography. Something about the contrasts between light and shadow, capturing a moment in time and seeing the world through a lens just speaks to me.

And it apparently speaks to local photography partners Kelly Lucero of Henrietta and Matthew Conheady of Churchville. The pair has created several Websites around photography projects that serve as resources and inspiration for the larger community.
Though both are self-taught photographers and work amazingly well together, they are like the photos they shoot: a study in contrasts. Lucero, 51, is a wife and mother of two grown sons. Her photography is as Conheady says “zoomed in” on parts of objects, shapes and colors. Conheady, 34, is single and works a full time job. Lucero notes he is an amazing landscape photographer.

The two met four years ago and eventually teamed up to photograph Mount Hope Cemetery through the four seasons. Conheady says, “When people ask me how to become a better photographer, I say to start a project.” That’s just what he and Lucero have done.

After working together on the cemetery project, the pair started a Website devoted to historical sites of New York State (www.nyhistoric.com). “I’ve always wanted to collect photos of historical markers,” Conheady explains and says he takes pictures whenever he comes across a marker.

Lucero says of the project, “The photography drew me in. It’s not just a catalog because we have the opportunity to show the site as we see it as artists.”
Their goal is to have a place that not only preserves the history but also shows the best possible views of each site. Currently they have been able to catalog about 200 historical sites, but they hope to continue adding as they come across more.

In the meantime, the pair started another project devoted to public markets both here and abroad. Scenes from a Public Market (www.scenesfromapublicmarket.com) started as a way to chronicle sights at Rochester’s Public Market and has grown to include markets wherever the pair find themselves, from Conheady’s trips to China to Lucero’s upcoming trip to Europe.

Each month the pair adds to the galleries online, much like the changing seasons of the cemetery project. Conheady and Lucero sometimes visit the same market, but Conheady notes that even though they are there on the same day, their photos are very different. Lucero adds that it is fun to see what each other has captured and to see the market through her partner’s lens.

And that’s exactly what they’ve done for the rest of us. Even though they are focused on perfecting their art, in posting their shots they’ve allowed the rest of us to see history and community in the making through their websites.

–Lisa Tiffin