I was born in Washington, DC of Hungarian immigrant parents. They were both artists and as a result I was surrounded by art, both modern and traditional. The family moved to Nashville, TN when I was still very young. As I came into being, was heavily influenced by both parents as well as my older brother, who grew up to be a photographer, sculptor, and filmmaker. I recall hanging around in the home darkroom watching him conjure images from the film he had processed in total darkness earlier. It fascinated me and I wanted to know how to do it as well. This environment was conducive for the development of interests in art as well as music. I began taking piano lessons at age 8 and carried on with it through college, and am still involved in music. I studied photography, filmmaking, music and music production at the University of Memphis in Memphis, TN and subsequently photography at Washington University in St. Louis, MO.
My early work turned out to be in medical photography, first in Memphis, then Ft. Worth, TX followed by Rochester, NY. The best takeaway from the experience was learning the importance of consistency and repeatability, vital in successfully documenting a patient's progress in any number of situations. But I yearned for a more “cultural” environment, and found the museum world to be a great fit for me. This started with a staff position at the Rochester Museum and Science Center in Rochester, NY. After relocating to Delaware, I assumed a staff position at the Hagley Museum and Library in Wilmington, DE, then at the Winterthur Museum in Winterthur, DE. I have extensive experience photographing fine and decorative arts of all media: paintings, works on paper, furniture, sculpture, ceramics, glass, as well as documenting conservation efforts, where the skills of consistency from the medical realm fit nicely.
Staff positions call for flexibility. From the start, creating portraits, covering events, documenting building construction and renovations, photographing interior and exterior spaces, creating images for promotion have been a part of every tenure I have had. In truth, the variety of assignments always kept the jobs not only more interesting but helped hone a broader spectrum of skills.
Along the way I have had the privilege of working on a freelance basis with some remarkable people. Clients have included the Chester County History Center in West Chester, PA; Woodmere Art Museum In Philadelphia, PA; Pixel Acuity (for which I was contracted to, among other things, photograph paintings and sculpture for the Cape Cod Museum of Art in Dennis, MA; photograph fossils at the Smithsonian National Natural Science Museum in Washington, DC; and photograph various rare books and documents in Chantilly, VA. These included selections from the Lapidus Collection from the Yale University Library, the archives of Duncan Phillips of The Phillips Collection, and Emily's List).
My career has spanned the transition from analog to digital. I am as comfortable in a wet darkroom as I am in using Capture One and Photoshop, with experience using 35mm, 120, 4X5, 8X10 film formats; and also with DSLR, mirrorless, and medium format digital cameras/backs working either tethered or not. Along the way I have also utilized quite a variety of lighting equipment including strobes, LED light panels, and “hot” incandescent lamps. The call for flexibility comes into play to know when what might work best!
Personal photographic interests have varied greatly over the years, from creating special effects images achieved by the use of long shutter times and “painting” with light, to documenting neon signs, architecture, cemetery art, landscapes, and portraiture. My earliest works included creating images for “performances in varied media” which originated during my undergraduate years. These were collaborative efforts that incorporated original music, images, film/video, and sometimes modern dance, mime, and actors. Those were fun times! In the here and now, my focus remains pliable, largely influenced by what is presented before me!
Following is a partial list of publications that my work is prominently featured in. Some of these efforts involved travel and working on location. Those were challenging and ultimately very rewarding excursions. I am very pleased and proud to be able to claim them!
PUBLISHED MATERIALS (Partial list with significant photographic contribution)
“Claggett: Newport's Illustrious Clockmakers” by Donald L. Fennimore and Frank L. Hohmann III; Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library, 2018
“Crafting Excellence: The Furniture of Nathan Lumbard and His Circle” by Christie Jackson, Brock Jobe, and Clark Pearce; Yale University Press, 2018
“Stretch: America's First Family of Clockmakers” by Donald L. Fennimore and Frank L. Hohmann III; A Winterthur Book/Hohmann Holdings LLC, 2013
“Paint, Pattern & People: Furniture of Southeastern Pennsylvania 1725-1850” by Wendy A. Cooper and Lisa Minardi; University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011
“Success to America: Creamware for the American Market” by S. Robert Teitelman, Patricia A. Halfpenny, and Ronald W. Fuchs II; Antique Collectors' Club, 2010
“Harbor & Home: Furniture of Southeastern Massachusetts, 1710-1850” by Brock Jobe, Gary R. Sullivan, and Jack O'Brien; University Press of New England, 2009
“Layers: Unfolding the Stories of Chester County Quilts”; Chester County Historical Society, 2009
“Silversmiths to the Nation: Thomas Fletcher and Sydney Gardiner, 1805-1842” by Donald Fennimore and Ann Wagner; Antique Collectors' Club, 2007
“Iron at Winterthur” by Donald Fennimore; University Press of New England, 2004
“Eleutherian Mills” by Maureen O'Brien Quimby; Eleutherian Mills - Hagley Foundation, Inc. 1999
LINKS TO ORIGINAL MUSIC:
Multi-tracked solo works: Laszlobodo.bandcamp.com
Multi-tracked collaborations: Echoworks984.bandcamp.com