Student's photos leave their mark at Linger Longer

Talbot Eckweiler values a good story, and as a photographer and a writer, she appreciates a variety of mediums.For the entire month of November, the Linger Longer Café in Allegany will host a gallery featuring 14 of Eckweiler's photographs, giving her the chance to speak volumes through images.

"One of the reasons I like photography is words can be obscure, but with a photo, everything is in front of you," she said.

Carole McNall, an assistant professor of journalism, encouraged Eckweiler to display her work in the public and was delighted to see her follow through.

"I've loved Talbot's photos ever since I first started seeing them, and it's a pleasure to see that others will also get the chance to see how talented she is," wrote McNall in an e-mail. "I think she's a very talented photographer with a rare eye and enough patience to get the photo she visualizes."

Eckweiler, a junior journalism and mass communication major, enjoys writing but has taken to photojournalism as of late.

"It always comes back to the old cliché," she said. "A picture's worth a thousand words, and I guess I'm just lazy."

However, one look at her history as a photographer proves she's far from lethargic.

Eckweiler said her fascination with cameras began in high school. In the two film courses she completed, she used black and white film and learned how to utilize a dark room. In her senior year, she took pictures for the comedy magazine she was the editor-in-chief of.

During her second semester at Bonaventure, Eckweiler said she started taking pictures for The Bona Venture, a contribution she continues to make.

Although she covered news events at first, sports photography captured her interest.

"I enjoyed the basketball games and still do," Eckweiler said.

As she continued covering sporting events for The Bona Venture, her portfolio blossomed.

In Eckweiler's time at Bonaventure, her photos were published in The Laurel, the campus' literary magazine, the first-year newsletter, The Olean Times Herald, a local newspaper, and The Communicator, a once-a-semester publication from the journalism school, along with www.Scholarsandrogues.com, a blog.

Some of Eckweiler's photographs of students and the campus decorate the pages of the 2009-10 calendars and the cover of the 2009-10 academic student planners. Several senior journalism and mass communication majors asked Talbot to take pictures for their senior capstones, ranging from rugby matches to gossip columns.

The freelance photos featured in Eckweiler's upcoming gallery were taken to satiate her curiosity rather than to complete an assignment. Frequently, nature captures the focus of her lens.

"I like photography because I like to think I have a different perspective on the world that I can capture and share," she said.

Drawn to small details, Eckweiler said some of her favorite subjects to photograph are bugs, birds and leaves.

"If you look close enough, it actually turns out to be pretty beautiful," she said.

Before graduating, Eckweiler said her biggest plan is to get a minor in photography approved and complete a senior capstone that includes both writing and photography.

In the future, she said she hopes to land a job at some place like National Geographic.

"I have an interest in ecology, and I'd love to do more research on the things I see and write a story accompanied by pictures," Eckweiler said.

Eckweiler said her matted and framed photos would be on sale at the café. Although she hadn't set prices yet, she estimated the photos would be priced from $15 to $50, depending on the size of the photo, the frame and the matting.

She said Linger Longer Café would keep about 30 percent of her sales in exchange for allowing her to showcase her photos on its walls.

According to its Web site, the café, located at 63 W. Main St., is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Eckweiler had a wish for future viewers of the gallery.

"I hope people get an appreciation for nature," she said. "Particularly the little things."

housesp@sbu.edu