News

Instructor Michael Zide's Photographs Selected for Juried Show

Hallmark Institute of Photography Instructor Michael Zide will be one of the photographers featured in the upcoming show , "The Four Seasons" exhibited at the PhotoPlace Gallery in Middlebury Vermont. Juried by noted nature photographer David Middleton, Zide's work was selected from over 600 entries. Exhibition dates are February 14-March 10, 2012. The show will be produced in book form.

Hallmark Hosts Franklin County Relay For Life 2012 Kickoff Event

On Saturday, January 21st at 10am, Hallmark's Educational Center will host the Relay For Life of Franklin County Kickoff Event.

When the doors open, Hallmark's lobby will be filled with energy, excitement and a huge sense of community. Veteran Relayers and potential newbies will come together to kick off another season of fundraising for the American Cancer Society and the fight for a cure. Local vendors such as Mo's Fudge Factor, Hillside Pizza and Yankee Candle will be present to showcase creative fundraising opportunities for the community's cause. Dunkin Donuts-Mohawk Trail, Adams Donuts, Hillside Pizza, Fosters Supermarket and Hallmark are sponsoring food and drink for the attendees. Mo's Fudge Factor, Hillside Pizza, Yankee Candle, Kim MacDonald of Mary & Violet and Joan Anderson are all providing gift baskets and crafts for prize giveaways. People helping people... great things happen when communities come together and this event is no exception!

Linda Baker and several members of her family (known as Dick's Angels) will be introduced as the committee's unanimous choice for Honorary Chair of 2012. Linda and her family have been dealt many blows from cancer and this family won't back down. They will fight until everyone can be free from cancer worries! Dick's Angels have been a top fundraising team in Franklin County for several years. They've raised over $100,000 in their years as relayers. They are true heroes of Franklin County!

Hallmark's students and their photographic talents have earned Hallmark top sponsorship honors and have become a beloved tradition at the Relay event. In addition to team photos, a group photo for Franklin County cancer survivors and general event photography, their efforts produce an emotional heart-felt visual presentation used each year at Kickoff to set the tone and help relayers Celebrate, Remember and Fight Back! This year's presentation, which now incorporates video clips, is incredible! The images are powerful, the interviews are intense and we know no one will leave without a tear or two and a few laughs and the inspiration to go out and kick cancer's butt! The crowd is ever so appreciative of the Hallmark photography sponsorship. The images created every year truly represent the stories, love and hard work of this community. Thank you Class of 2011 contributors!

If you'd like to donate to the cause, please send checks payable to American Cancer Society to the following address:

Tammy Murphy
Director of Student & Community Services
Hallmark Institute of Photography
241 Millers Falls Road, At the Airport
Turners Falls, MA 01376

Previous News Items

Family Portraits to benefit the United Way of Franklin County

On Saturday November 19, Hallmark students and staff will volunteer their time to photograph family portraits and raise money for Baystate Franklin Medical Center's Employee United Way campaign.

Students will donate their time and photography skills to help stage the day-long event. With faculty supervision, students will greet families, photograph in our state-of-the art facilities, assist in the studios, edit images and fulfill print orders right on the spot. All proceeds from this even will directly benefit the United Way of Franklin County.

Hallmark Students Shoot it up at The Hole In the Wall Gang Camp

On Saturday November 12, student volunteers will travel to Ashford, CT to produce a photo session to brighten the day of some of the young campers at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. Founded in 1988 by Paul Newman, the Camp is a nonprofit, year-round center serving children and their families coping with cancer, sickle cell anemia, and other serious illnesses.

For the photo session, students and faculty will set up portrait studios in the dressing rooms of the Camp's gorgeous on-site theater and photograph campers hamming it up--with costumes or without.

Hallmark has become involved with this organization by outfitting the Camp with new and donated camera equipment, computers and printers for the campers and staff to use. Hallmark alumna Judy Barrette volunteered to photograph the Camp's annual fundraising gala, and future plans include teaching photography to the campers and of course, more fun-filled "photo days."

World Class Photographers Combine Talents To Expand Location & Fashion Lighting Classes

TURNERS FALLS, MA -- Hallmark Institute of Photography's Advanced Location Lighting class, first introduced to the June 2011 Graduating Class by Artist-in-Residence, Gregory Heisler, has proven so successful that the school has announced an expansion of the class to include Hallmark Instructor, David Turner, and his keen knowledge and worldly experience as a Fashion Photographer. Having started his career in Milan, Italy shooting the features for top fashion magazine, David is known 20 years later as a favorite amongst fashion designers. Famous for his magical portraits of icons like Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, Turner uses his eye for detail in his fashion shoots and his fashion eye for his still life work. He has been an influential contributor to W Magazine, Harpers Bazaar and Seventeen Magazine, to name a few. Heisler's work, in his career as a professional photographer, has graced the cover of TIME magazine over seventy times. He has photographed some of the biggest, news-making names there are, from Derek Jeter and Shaquille O'Neil to Bill Clinton and Bono.

The new class will begin with a continuation of the techniques introduced by Heisler in the Advanced Location Lighting class, and quickly segue over to Turner with an emphasis on fashion photography. Both photographers will work closely with students in small groups to teach them how to photograph people and products using advanced lighting techniques on location. Lectures, demonstrations, weekly assignments and in-class critiques will play a role in getting students to understand how to photograph in a wide range of different settings.

Hallmark's Director of Education, Lisa Robinson states, "We are thrilled to have two very unique and talented photographers available on staff to serve the needs of our students. The results of Greg's hard work and phenomenal knowledge of location lighting work can be seen in the year-end portfolio work of our June 2011 graduates. Being in a position to expand upon that foundation by adding the sophisticated fashion talents of David Turner will only further enhance the quality of work to be produced by both our October 2011 graduates and our June 2012 graduates. In today's exciting, ever-changing world of professional photography, our graduates must be equipped with all of the tools necessary to be successful, and that certainly begins with a portfolio that exhibits skills and creativity that are second to none."

Results from the Advanced Location Lighting class produced by Hallmark's June 2011 graduates during their 10-month training program can be seen below.

Hallmark Announces New Video Classes

TURNERS FALLS, MA -- George J. Rosa III, president of Hallmark Institute of Photography, has announced the expansion of its 10-month curriculum offerings to include new Video classes for the professional photographer. Beginning this September, Hallmark's digital still photography program will incorporate HD video capture and production classes. To accommodate the new Video curriculum, the school will utilize nearly 5,000 square feet of space from its current Millers Falls Road Administrative Office Building in addition to space at its 50,000 square foot Educational Facility located in the Turners Falls Industrial Park. Significant investments in equipment include Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital SLR cameras, ikan HD video monitors, Rode microphones, Zoom 4-Track audio recording devices, 24" iMac Apple computers and Apple Final Cut Pro Video Editing Software. Mr. Rosa states, "The advent of motion imagery in electronic media applications such as video magazines and video advertisements, available on such devices as Apple's iPad and other tablets, has created a significant opportunity for the professional still photographer to expand his or her product offerings by incorporating motion and sound into still photographs. That's not to say that video is a replacement for still photography, but more and more clients are requesting motion imagery to supplement their still photography needs. Our graduates must be prepared to meet these demands."

In addition to incorporating the new Video classes into its 10-month curriculum for its resident students, Hallmark plans to conduct a series of evening, weekend and week-long continuing education classes and workshops, which will be made available to the general public. Such classes are slated to begin in the Fall of 2011. Rosa adds, "We're obviously very excited about the implementation of our new Video classes. It allows Hallmark to further solidify its position as the leader in professional photography education. We're equally excited to bring this type of quality educational offering to the general public."