Chestnut Hill Local photographer Steve Ladner gets his own gallery exhibit

Photos are everywhere these days – huge advertisement campaign billboards, glossy magazine covers, faded postcards and breathtaking illustration of news-stories on websites. Many of these images exist as a commercial endeavor to convey a message: buy the advertised product and – perhaps – you will be as happy as the model in the photo. For more than four decades photographer Steve Ladner was one of the professionals that made these type of images. You may have come across his work many times, without knowing that it was his.

Ladner lived and worked in New York City and Paris in the romantic heydays of fashion photography. For the last three years, Ladner has lived and worked in West Mt. Airy. Does his name sound familiar to you? It could be you have seen his recent editorial work for the Chestnut Hill Local. Ladner told NewsWorks that he hopes that the technical skills he picked up from his commercial background will help in his transition to a more artistic approach to photography.

The Chestnut Hill Gallery has a selection of Ladner’s works on its walls through July 28. The photos are grouped per theme, from small collages of many circa 1970’s and 1980’s magazine covers to examples of glamorous fashion shoots, some in stylish black and white. Ladner points out a group of portraits on the back wall and explains that he devotes his time currently to shoot personal projects such as portraits of local residents of Chestnut Hill.

A moveable Feast, Steve Ladner’s Photography at the Chestnut Hill Gallery, July 14 – 28, 2012. 8117 Germantown Avenue, Chestnut Hill.