The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
‘Just to express the artist side of me’
Hobbyist’s photos catch eye of business owner who will display the work
PORTLAND — It requires getting up before the sun rises, freezing his fingers, staking out osprey nests and staying up to see the stars, but Chris Graham said all of this is worth it for a good photo.
“It’s not really a business,” Graham said. “It’s something for me, just to express the artist side of me. I consider myself an obsessive hobbyist who likes to create and share as much as I can.”
For the month of October, Graham’s photos are on display at Klekolo World Coffee on Court Street in Middletown.
Yvette Elliott, owner of
Klekolo World Coffee, invited Graham, a Portland resident, to display
his photos in the shop after seeing his work on Facebook.
“I went to his photography page and was really wowed by his shots,” Elliott said. “He must spend a lot of time out to get such beautiful shots and know his equipment and how to use it.”
Graham said he indeed spends a lot of time taking photos. On top of his “obsession” he also has three school- aged kids and another job.
“This summer, after the kids were asleep, I will go out and take night photos,” Graham said. “Milky Way season, I don’t sleep a lot because I’ll be up late at night trying to capture photos of the Milky Way. I try to
squeeze it in. For me it is kind of a release, this is all I think about when I am doing it.”
The Milky Way is just one of the many scenes Graham enjoys capturing. He regularly photographs the Arrigoni Bridge and the Connecticut River at different times of day, as well as scenes in other parts of Connecticut.
“The photos (on display) go from, if I was to put it on a map, the Arrigoni Bridge down to Old Saybrook,” Graham said.
Graham’s display includes 10 photos, which are
for sale. Elliott said it is harder to get traffic in the shop because of COVID-19.
“I hope to have Chris back in the future,” Elliott said. “His work is amazing and so vibrant.”
One of the photos on display ranks in the top three of his all time favorite photos he’s taken, according to Graham. In February of 2019, Graham got up at 4 a.m. and drove from Portland to Old Saybrook to photograph the lighthouse there at sunrise.
“Freezing my hands trying to get photos as the sun came up, but it was just incredible,” Graham said. “I probably took 400 photos that morning and it was like the toughest deci
sion, which one I liked the best. It was an amazing morning.”
Despite his ability now, Graham said he never had any formal training in photography. He only picked it up after his first daughter was born and he found himself struggling to photograph her as she moved.
“I obviously read some information online, if there was something I was struggling with,” Graham said. “Other than that, maybe reading a couple books, but otherwise self-taught.”
Graham takes photos with a pro-grade Canon 5D DSLR, but he also likes to take panoramic shots with his drone, which he reg
ularly flies over the Connecticut River.
“Drones nowadays are incredible,” Graham said. “You almost can’t crash the thing.”
For those interested in picking up photography, Graham encourages carrying a camera everywhere.
“I know nowadays everyone has a camera on their phone and that is great, but I always have my big camera with me, everywhere I go,” Graham said. “You never know what you are going to run into.”
Those interested in checking out his photos can visit Klekolo World Coffee any time in October or go to chrisgraham-photography.com .