News

Hallmark Student Spearheads Charity Project for Jamaican Orphans

Thursday, February 18th

Current Hallmark Institute of Photography student Tanisha Stephens will be traveling to Montego Bay, Jamaica during her spring break the week of March 20 to research job opportunities and implement her post-graduation career plan. While there, Tanisha intends to visit the Blossom Gardens Orphanage bringing with her numerous items collected from students and staff of Hallmark. Tanisha is currently spearheading a "Barrel Collection" for receipt of children's toys, games, clothing, school supplies and more to bring to the children at the orphanage who range in age from newborn to ten years old. Tanisha says, "The instructors at Hallmark have laid out very inspirational examples of using the camera to give back. My hope is that this project encourages my classmates and I to use our careers as a channel to continue getting involved and giving back."

Tanisha has full support of her project from Hallmark Institute. The large shipping barrels are placed in both the school's Educational Center and Administrative Office Building and Hallmark's President, George J. Rosa III, has offered to pay the shipping charges on behalf of the school, in order to deliver the items to the 3rd world Caribbean island nation.

Photo: Campaign organizer Tanisha stands (center) with some of the early contributors to her collection for the Blossom Gardens Orphanage. From left to right, current students Betsy, Tia, Yara, and Hassan, Instructor Paul Bissex, current students Kris, Hilary, and Melissa.

Instructor Michael Zide is MAC-On-Campus Featured Educator

Monday, February 8th

Hallmark Institute of Photography instructor Michael Zide is being featured on the website of MAC-On-Campus, the educational support program of the well-known MAC Group. They are inaugurating their new "Featured Educator" feature with a profile of Zide, covering his views, experiences, and photographic visions. To read the article and view a gallery of 31 landscape images, click here.

Opening at The Gallery at Hallmark: "MySight"

Monday, November 30th

Hallmark Institute of Photography is proud to announce the opening of "MySight", an exhibit of recent works by current students that attend the Institute. The opening will take place at The Gallery at Hallmark on Saturday, December 12th. Located in the Colle Opera House at 85 Avenue A in historic downtown Turners Falls, the exhibit will feature a wide range of student work that represents their unique talents and diversity.

Students in this year's class join us from 33 different U. S. states as well as 10 countries including India, Brazil, France, Canada, the Philippines, Columbia, Italy, El Salvador, Romania, and China. This group brings with them an array of artistic talent, honed from different backgrounds and experiences they've had. All the combined culture and history makes its way into their images leaving anyone who views this exhibit awed and inspired.

The Exhibition Opening reception, available to the public at no charge, will take place from 1:00 to 5:00pm and will include refreshments and live music. "MySight" will be on display Friday, December 11th through Sunday December 13th and again Friday, January 7th through Sunday, January 31, 2010 during normal Gallery hours of 1:00 to 5:00pm. The Gallery will be closed December 18, 2009 through January 3, 2010.

Hallmark Students Help United Way Raise Over $6,500 with Family Portraits

Tuesday, November 17th

More than 35 Hallmark students volunteered their weekend to create family portraits to raise money for Baystate Franklin Medical Center's Employee United Way campaign.

With only 9 weeks of experience the students took on the challenge and photographed over 85 families (including 18 dogs and one cat) in the state-of-the-art facilities at Hallmark. Students handled every aspect of the event — greeting families, photographing, posing, assisting, editing images, and soothing crying babies.

"We are very excited that Hallmark Institute and its student photographers agreed to collaborate with us on this special fundraiser again this year," said Lisa Hudson, employee campaign chairwoman.

Hallmark Institute of Photography Announces New Class Start Date

Thursday, October 8th

Hallmark Institute of Photography announced today that it has opened up a new class start date for its 10-month professional photography curriculum. The program will commence with a three-day Orientation from January 13 - 15, 2010, with actual classes beginning on Tuesday, January 19, 2010. Students successfully completing this curriculum can look forward to a formal graduation ceremony on Friday, October 29, 2010.

Hallmark President and Executive Director, George J. Rosa III, explains the excitement and reasoning behind the new class start date. "All of us at Hallmark are extremely excited and looking forward to welcoming our new class in January 2010. We've made the decision to do this because of the tremendous interest that we've been receiving for our professional photography program. With our industry-envied facilities, most up-to-date and relevant equipment, and incomparable faculty, this only makes sense. I'm certain that the new class will be a wonderful addition to the synergy that already exists within our unique community of current students," Rosa remarked.

Students interested in joining the class beginning in January 2010 at Hallmark Institute of Photography are encouraged to contact the Admissions Office via email at info@hallmark.edu or by phone at 413.863.2478.

Hallmark Students Give the Gift of Life

Monday, October 5th

With assistance from the American Red Cross, Hallmark Institute of Photography will hold a blood drive on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 from 10:00am to 3:00pm. This event is open to the public and will take place at Hallmark's Premier Educational Center, located at 27 Industrial Boulevard in Turners Falls, Massachusetts. Students and staff alike are excited about the opportunity to give back to the community. Donating blood is one of the most needed and appreciated donations one can make, after all, it is the gift of life! Hallmark President George J. Rosa III said, "Numerous students have expressed enthusiasm about the drive and have been encouraging each other, as well as the faculty, neighbors, landlords, and friends, to get involved. The school intends to make a significant contribution, so come on out and join us. Bring a friend or two and be a part of this incredibly worthy cause!"

Opening at The Gallery at Hallmark: "A Second Look"

Friday, October 2nd

Hallmark Institute of Photography is proud to announce the opening of "A Second Look", an exhibit by Director of Education Tony Downer. The opening will take place at The Gallery at Hallmark on Saturday, October 10th. Located in the Colle Opera House at 85 Avenue A in historic downtown Turners Falls, the exhibit will feature work from Tony's personal collection of New England landscapes.

Tony's unique vision is evident in his thoughtful approach to ordinary subjects. Through years of concentrated effort and simply "playing" with various equipment, Tony strives to find a beauty and uniqueness in everyday objects and scenes. The images in his most recent collection open the eyes of the viewer to the otherwise unobserved.

The Exhibition Opening reception, available to the public at no charge, will take place from 1:00 to 5:00pm and will include hors d'oeuvres and live music. "A Second Look" will be on display Fridays through Sundays 1:00 to 5:00pm through Sunday, November 1, 2009.

Future exhibits at The Gallery include a retrospective of stunning landscape images by Hallmark Instructor Michael Zide, a Student Group Show from Hallmark's Class of 2010, and a collective exhibit featuring local artists. To view details about each show and the complete list of upcoming events, visit gallery.hallmark.edu.


Gregory Heisler Named Artist-in-Residence at Hallmark Institute of Photography

Friday, July 24th

Gregory Heisler, standing at the podium on stage in the Auditorium of Hallmark's Educational Center, sharing one of more than 70 TIME Magazine cover portraits with the resident class.

Gregory Heisler, on stage at Hallmark's Educational Center, sharing one of his TIME Magazine covers.

Hallmark Institute of Photography announced today that Gregory Heisler, renowned portrait photographer, has joined Hallmark's staff as Artist-in-Residence for the 2009/2010 school year. Mr. Heisler comes to Hallmark with a wealth of experience gained throughout a lifetime career as a New York-based photographer. His work includes over 70 cover portraits for Time Magazine, including many of the Person of the Year covers. His editorial portrait covers, essays, and ad campaigns have earned worldwide acclaim. His client list includes many national and international media companies including: American Express, Benson & Hedges, Canon, Dewar's Scotch, Epson, ESPN, Esquire, Forbes, Gentlemen's Quarterly, Kodak, Life, Merrill Lynch, New York Times Magazine, Nike, Sports Illustrated, and United Technologies.

Heisler's subjects are some of the world's most influential people spanning the arenas of politics, sports, entertainment, and business. American presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and international leaders Mikhail Gorbachev, Nelson Mandela, Yasser Arafat, and Itzhak Rabin have sat before his lens. He has also photographed sports figures from A-Rod to Ali, actors including Julia Roberts and James Earl Jones, entertainers like Bono and Bruce Springsteen, and such corporate titans as Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch, and Warren Buffet. Despite the VIP status of his sitters, Heisler maintains a warm personality and approachable demeanor.

George J. Rosa, III, President and Executive Director of Hallmark Institute of Photography is quick to point out that it is not only Heisler's skill as a photographer that makes him the perfect choice to join Hallmark's staff. "Gregory's relationship with the students is exemplary," Rosa remarked. "From the first time he visited Hallmark as a guest lecturer a number of years ago, we immediately witnessed a chemistry and mutual respect between Gregory and the students. Everyone here was impressed with how he utilized his sense of humor and quick wit to pass along his knowledge. Educating came naturally for him. Having Gregory on board as Artist-in-Residence will surely add flair and enhance the real-life on-the-scene problem solving skills our students need. His ability to draw upon his extraordinary experiences and share strategies and approaches will surely help our students grow as skilled professionals with the ability to think on their feet and creatively respond to any situation. We are absolutely thrilled and thank our corporate partner, Premier Education Group (PEG), for their support in bringing this vision to fruition."

Adding Gregory Heisler as Artist-in-Residence to the Hallmark program is a clear example of the support PEG continues to provide to Hallmark. "This is one of the most significant events that has ever taken place in the history of photographic education. This could not have been possible without the unwavering commitment by PEG to Hallmark and its students. Our incoming students have no idea what a treat they are in for. All of us at Hallmark are extremely ecstatic about the upcoming school year and the results we expect from this class as a whole." Rosa said.

Heisler, who has taught at International Center of Photography (ICP), the National Geographic Society, The Smithsonian Institution, and New York's School of Visual Arts, among others, will begin teaching classes at Hallmark on September 9, 2009.

To learn more about Gregory Heisler, click here.

Gregory Heisler
Hallmark Institute of Photography
Artist-in-Residence Statement

July 24, 2009 -- I'm incredibly excited about my evolving relationship with Hallmark Institute of Photography. As Artist-In-Residence at Hallmark, I'll be teaching in an environment that is second to none. I'll finally have the ability to truly teach in-depth, a luxury I've not had before. It's an unprecedented opportunity to make a huge difference in the lives of literally hundreds of new photographers. While I've always really enjoyed teaching week-long classes at terrific workshops in Maine, Santa Fe, and Vancouver, I've often expressed the desire for an extended timeframe in which I could build the education more slowly and with greater detail.

This would only be possible at Hallmark. The institutional inertia one can find in the bureaucracies of larger schools is completely absent from Hallmark's culture, due to the vision of its longtime President and Executive Director, George Rosa III. His passion for the school and complete dedication to its students inform his every decision. He absolutely has their needs and best interests as his top priority, and he visibly demonstrates this commitment and support in meaningful ways. It's a real honor to have earned his trust and to be given the freedom to create an unparalleled educational experience.

While I may still decide to accept personal assignment work on a limited basis, I'm fully committed to immersing myself in this new role because the process of educating forces me to view my art, my craft, and my world through a different prism. I appreciate on a deeper level what it means to take pictures when I'm breaking it down for my students. I can only gain this kind of insight through working in such a setting for extended periods of time. It's an entirely different interaction from the shared experience of working with subjects or clients; it exercises another part of my brain. Moreover, it will free up space to engage my own work in a new way, and it will allow me to pursue the kinds of images that I've never made on assignment; images that have been rattling around behind my eyes for way too long.

Hallmark will be the ideal home for me, one that doesn't exist anywhere else because there's simply nothing comparable. I've not seen any other facility that can match Hallmark's cornucopia of brand new, best-of-class, image-making tools. The vast array of Profoto strobe gear would vie with what one might find at a top New York rental studio. And cameras! Each student works with a Canon 5D Mark II and a Mamiya 645AFD medium-format camera complete with a Leaf Aptus 22 digital back. They don't have to wait in line until one is available; they get their own to use exclusively. For the entire year! And they have constant access to dozens of state-of-the-art workstations, each complete with a Macintosh tower, calibrated Eizo monitor, and Epson printer. This is the very same equipment they'll be using after they graduate.

I have tremendous respect for my new colleagues. The faculty members are all talented, dedicated educators who actually practice their profession. Among them are photojournalists, portraitists, still life shooters, digital imaging specialists, and fine artists. The students have the invaluable learning experience of training with working professionals every single day. It also makes for a really stimulating, vibrant environment for the teachers themselves. They're turned-on and having fun so the students can't help but catch the fever from people who love what they do.

Hallmark's program is undeniably intense. I like that. I'm all about intense since that's the reality the students will find out there in the marketplace. They come in as novices and graduate ten months later equipped with the chops to compete as professionals. They'll be able to land a plum assistant's job, work as a digital tech, find a staff shooting position, or even open their own studio. After ten months! Not two years or four years or more; ten months.

I love the students. They want to take pictures. For a living. They're completely unaffected and unpretentious, serious and seriously diverse. There are kids fresh out of high school, young adults with two-year, four-year and graduate degrees. There are many brave full-fledged grownups who decided to change careers, follow their passion, and turn their hobby into a potentially lucrative, satisfying vocation. These are people who don't have time to burn. They may be supporting families and even have children of their own in school. Most have come a long way to be here, from all across the country and around the globe. They are sincerely motivated. And there are lots of them, bouncing ideas off each other, helping one another, and sharing creative insights. They're eager to learn and fun to teach! I look forward to what I know will be a refreshing, challenging and deeply gratifying experience.