Sophie and Jay Paris, daughter and father photographers, have twice offered villagers and visitors in North Bennington the opportunity to make their own photographic portraits.

On busy Saturdays in September 2000 and September 2007, the pair strolled the village with a tripod and camera. Each subject posed as she or he wished, and chose the moment for making the image. Sophie and Jay rigged a digital camera with an old-fashioned photographer's bulb and tube. The subject squeezed the rubber bulb and viola the pixels were fixed (with sly help from Sophie and Jay).

Some of the photographs were made on rooftops, some in parks, some inside. The subjects include the governor, a beloved centenarian, groups of children, and villagers at work, at rest, at play.

Each photographer/subject was invited to a gallery opening the following day at Vermont Arts Exchange. Sophie and Jay then worked through the night to print, hang and mount a show. Turnout was high and enthusiastic in both years. Photographs of the 2007 opening are here.

For a gallery of self-portraits from 2007, click here.
For a gallery of self-portraits from 2000, click here.
For Sophie and Jay's artists' statement for the 2007 show, click here.

This project was underwritten in part by The Fund for North Bennington, Inc. Twenty-seven photographs from this project are on display in the North Hall Gallery of Vermont Arts Exchange, Sage Street Mill, North Bennington.