MANISTIQUE, Mich. (WZMQ) – A new photography exhibition opens this week at Manistique’s Lake Effect Community Arts Center.
Cosmic Dance features the work of Philip Dattilo. Although he is currently based in Escanaba, much of his work depicts sights and scenes from the Ann Arbor Area. Cosmic Dance showcases just a portion of the work he has produced in his decades as a photographer.
“When I was in grade school, my father took me to a hobby shop,” Dattilo said. “On the shelf was a kit that said, ‘How to develop your own pictures.’ I brought that home, and the only problem with that was that when you’re working with film, there has to be total darkness. I could only work at night. I commandeered my mother’s kitchen and put up a sign that said, ‘Do not enter—photographer at work.’ The only negative part of that was that my family lost their midnight snacks!”
Years later, Dattilo was drafted into the Army. There, a friend taught him about architectural photography. When Dattilo returned to civilian life, he went door-to-door visiting companies he was interested in working with. Eventually, he found himself producing photos for many of those companies seven days a week.
With the transition from film photography to digital, Dattilo says the medium has changed drastically over the years. What has not changed is his passion for telling stories through photos.
“It’s much easier now, but if I had to do it over, I think I would still go door-to-door,” he said. “It’s more personal. Photography is not just a profession; it’s an experience. It gives one a more acute sense of the world around you. I think most photographers would agree with me that those who have given hours to their craft, if you ask any one of them, they’ll tell you they’ve never lost that childlike wonder of seeing and discovery. That’s the beauty of photography—and life!”
Lake Effect Community Arts will host an opening reception for Cosmic Dance on Friday, October 9, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Through November 7, the exhibition will be free to view Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
