When Gil Maker was a senior at Syracuse University, a community darkroom opened on campus. Prior to his senior year, he had started taking photos during the summer in Boston, his hometown; at concerts at the Boston Gardens. After awhile, he thought it might be a good idea to learn how to develop his photos. Following graduation, Gil continued to take photos and displayed his first images at the Everson Museum in Syracuse. While raising his family, he grew apart from photography. He credits his wife June for rekindling his interest. He says that “after the kids were gone, my wife thought I should have a hobby, besides golf and reading, so I started taking pictures again. I would not be displaying my photos if it weren’t for her.”
Gil attended workshops, read books and sought ways to improve his craft. This all led to him becoming a partner at Image City, which he says, “turned out to be one of the best decisions I have made in my life.” Besides taking photos, Gil also enjoys learning about the history of photography, collecting photography books and studying the work of the masters, as well as contemporary photographers.
Gil says that his personality reflects the type of photography that he enjoys. “I tend to be a black and white person. I think that has influenced me to shoot only in black and white, which helps me to see many shades of gray. This observation has helped me rethink my ideas and opened me up to many new situations.”
When Gil first started taking photos, he concentrated mainly on landscapes; however, he says “My interests now have moved to studying Asian photography and photographers. The style of Asian photography incorporates a minimalist style that speaks to me.” Gil has been leaning away from subject to emotional photography.
During the 2024 Black and White Invitational, Gil is featured in the Neuberger Gallery, where he is displaying night images of the steel and oil plants that are still active in Hamilton, Canada. He took all of the photos at night. Whenever Gil traveled to Toronto, and passed Hamilton, which was once the steel capital of Canada, he noticed that the smoke stacks were always “belching smoke or fire 24 hours/day.” He says, “There were huge mounds of coal. At night the factories lit up the sky. I would tell myself I should photograph this area.” So approximately 40 years later, he finally did just that. He says that the area now “is only a shell of itself from its heyday.”
One image included in Gil’s display is called “Factory Panorama,” which shows the shoreline of the factory area. He says that “this image gives some idea of what the factory area was like in the past.” He likes the way the smoke stack and the white smoke anchor this image.
Gil’s keen eye for detail and composition has resulted in a collection that not only captures the essence of these industrial structures but also highlights the mesmerizing play of light and shadows during the evening hours. Gil’s display is a testament to the beauty that can be found in unexpected places. His exhibit invites viewers to appreciate the industrial beauty that often goes unnoticed and encourages a deeper understanding of the role these structures play in shaping our world. Gil’s exhibit will be on display until February 18, 2024.