Q & A with Gair Helfrich | Atlantic County Library System

Gair Helfrich, Assistant Director for the Atlantic County Library System, has been taking photos most of her life.

Have you had any formal training in photography?

"I've not had any formal training—in fact, just one workshop several years ago, that mostly focused on software."

What are some of your favorite subjects?

"My favorite subjects include family (what grandmother doesn’t like taking pictures of her grandchildren?), nature, landscapes, flowers, butterflies, and gardens.

"My favorite garden is Chanticleer Garden, in Wayne, PA. It’s a small, intimate garden, with a whimsical sense of humor."

Photo at left is of Gair's grandson, by Gair Helfrich

"Another favorite is the Meditation Garden at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens—a spot I highly recommend. It has an absolutely wonderful Children’s Garden. And anyone who goes to Chanticleer should check out the library in the Ruins Garden. They’ll be sure to find some of that whimsical humor there. The furniture was made by Chanticleer staff members."
The Meditation Garden image pictured below is a shot Gair stitched together from several photos.
What kind of camera do you use? "I’ve used everything from a Brownie, to an Instamatic, to 35 mm film cameras to my current Canon EOS 50D. When I went on pilgrimages to Scotland and England about 10 years ago I shot over 20 rolls of film for each trip."
"That’s a lot of pictures to develop when most of them aren’t keepers. Digital makes it very easy to pick and choose the keepers."

Is your use of highlights and shadows deliberate? Do you make alot of adjustments as you shoot – such as aperture, ISO, and camera speed?
	"Yes, the lights and shadows are deliberate. I love the way light affects the final picture. But I almost always use natural light. As for adjustments—to tell the truth I don’t make many." "I’m more interested in the framing of the picture. Most of the time I shoot on automatic and if I can’t catch what I want then I’ll make some adjustments."

Has your photography ever been in shows?

"I have been in several shows, including one at the Galloway Township Cultural Arts Center and one at the Riverfront Renaissance Center for Art (RRCA) in Millville. Generally I’m not interested in entering shows because then my photography becomes work and I want it to always be fun and relaxing."

Follow this link to see a few more samples of Gair's photos.

Is your work currently on display anywhere?

"My work is not currently on display, but one photo is hanging in the director’s office at the RRCA. Some of my photos were also used in the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office. My photos have also been on display in the Pleasantville and Mays Landing libraries."

What do you enjoy most about working at the library?

"My favorite thing about working at the library is learning a little bit about a lot of things and using that knowledge to help others."

Thank you, Gair.

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