Noted Saranac Lake Photographer Exhibits at SUNY Canton

Barry Lobdell’s “Street-Level” is the latest in a series of exhibitions at the college’s Learning Commons.

Barry Lobdell of Saranac Lake is exhibiting more than 30 black-and-white photographs at SUNY Canton.

An artist’s reception and opening will be held for “Barry Lobdell: Street Level” at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, in the SUNY Canton Learning Commons Classroom. The event is free and open to the public, and the exhibition will remain on display for the entire fall semester.

Lobdell’s work involves capturing candid and unscripted images. These images are typically taken outdoors without staging or directing the subjects, allowing the photographer to document authentic moments as they naturally occur.

“Street photography can be said to capture everyday life in public places, sometimes finding candid moments involving people, other times capturing the essence of human-created features in the inhabited environment,” he said. “My work in this exhibition features both aspects mentioned above. Candid, unplanned moments when I raised my camera and pressed the shutter at just the right time are here, along with more carefully thought-out reactions to given situations. They say every picture tells a story, and I invite the viewers of my work to explore the tales found here.”

Barry Lobdell’s photography has gained notoriety through exhibitions across local, regional, and national art communities. His work has been featured at notable venues including the Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach, Florida; the Housatonic Museum in Bridgeport, Connecticut; the Turchin Center for the Arts in Boone, North Carolina; the Cambridge Art Association Galleries in Cambridge, Massachusetts; the Boston Atheneum in Boston, Massachusetts; PhotoPlace Gallery in Middlebury, Vermont; the Southern Vermont Arts Center in Manchester, Vermont; View Arts in Old Forge, New York; and the Amanda Smith Gallery in Johnson City, Texas.

Locally, he has won Best in Show honors in juried competitions at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts, the Gibson Gallery in Potsdam and the NorthWind Fine Arts Gallery in Saranac Lake, in addition to many other awards.

Lobdell co-authored a book, “Pull Over”, which teamed his photography with the poetry of Michael Tucker. His photographs were also featured in “Places of the Spirit”, a book published by the Lake Placid Institute for the Arts and Humanities. His work was also featured in Volume 46 of the literary journal, “Blue Line” published in 2025.