Make a Picture: A Selection of Michigan Photographers from GRAM’s Collection

What is the difference between taking a photo and making one? This quote from renowned landscape photographer Ansel Adams expresses the idea that making a photograph is an act of conscious creation. Adams believed that a good photograph required more than just luck and a decent camera. Photographers use their carefully honed technical skills, understanding of light and composition, and their unique points of view to craft beautiful and compelling pictures. 

This exhibition is organized to complement Presence: The Photography Collection of Judy Glickman Lauder and highlights the creativity of Michigan photographers whose work is represented in GRAM’s permanent collection. Their works illustrate the many functions of photography from documenting war in distant parts of the world to capturing the human connections close to home. Born in Ludington, photojournalist Ryan Spencer Reed’s images of soldiers deployed in Afghanistan bridges the gap in understanding between those who have been through war and those who have not. Grand Rapids artist Hwa-Jeen Na creates meticulously staged portraits that offer empathetic glimpses into the experiences of our friends and neighbors here in West Michigan. While landscape photographers like Gretchen Garner and David Lubbers transport us emotionally with the sheer beauty of the natural world.