Category Archives | Phil Cantor Photography

Bagpipes. Tartans. Kilts. Great faces.

2026-08-14T14:19:19-04:00August 6th, 2026|art photography, Daguerreotype|

The Tartan Day Parade (New York City|April 11, 2026) is a photographer's paradise, where Scottish-American heritage fills Sixth Avenue with color, tradition, and unforgettable characters. Every few steps there's another portrait waiting to happen. I knew it would be colorful, so I loaded my 70 year old Rolleiflex 2.8 with expired Kodak NC400 film. Because it expired 18 years ago I had to rate the film at ISO 100 (which was not enough, BTW). See [...]

Jockey Hollow encampment
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Jockey Hollow encampment

Daguerreotype, fine-art photography, Phil Cantor

Jockey Hollow encampment

2026-08-14T13:58:47-04:00July 28th, 2026|Daguerreotype, fine-art photography, Phil Cantor|

Some types of subjects choose the camera. Photographing 18th Century reenactors with a modern digital camera feels too easy. A 70-year-old Rolleiflex, on the other hand, seems like the perfect way to honor the craftsmanship and authenticity they bring to the Jockey Hollow spring encampment. (Morristown, NJ | April 18, 2026). Photographed on Kodak NC400 film, expired 2009; rated at ISO 80. See more Rollei photos

8 weeks to opening of new exhibit: ALTER EGOS
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8 weeks to opening of new exhibit: ALTER EGOS

art photography, Daguerreotype, fine-art photography, Morristown, Phil Cantor, Photography, portraits

8 weeks to opening of new exhibit: ALTER EGOS

2024-07-19T11:42:25-04:00July 19th, 2024|art photography, Daguerreotype, fine-art photography, Morristown, Phil Cantor, Photography, portraits|

My one-man show called ALTER EGOS is 8 weeks away at the Berkshire Hathaway Gallery in Montclair. ALTER EGOS is a collection of black-and-white portraits that spotlight regular folks who, when they step away from their everyday world, dive headfirst into their passions with wild enthusiasm. Each photo in this series shows the quirky and creative sides of these individuals as they transform into their vibrant alter egos. All photographs were shot on film on [...]

Portrait from a different era
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Portrait from a different era

Daguerreotype, fine-art photography, History of photography, Photography

Portrait from a different era

2024-05-03T16:59:05-04:00November 22nd, 2021|Daguerreotype, fine-art photography, History of photography, Photography|

This is a different kind of child portrait.

Why people didn’t smile in olden days.
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Why people didn’t smile in olden days.

art photography, Daguerreotype, Family portraits, fine-art photography, History of photography

Why people didn’t smile in olden days.

2024-05-03T16:59:30-04:00April 27th, 2020|art photography, Daguerreotype, Family portraits, fine-art photography, History of photography|

As I sit around at home during this quiet time, I got to thinking about why people didn't smile in old photos. In the old days, cameras were slow and a single exposure would be several seconds long. If anyone moved, the photograph would be blurry, so as a result, everyone had to stay very still. This resulted in portraits having everyone in an unnaturally stiff pose, and it's why we think of people in [...]