Pictures at an Exhibition

Photographers David Miller and Rhoda Kassoff-Isaac present a duo show at Gallery 14 in Hopewell.

By: Susan Van Dongen

David Miller took a discreet shot of a girl lighting a candle in a small church not far from the Kremlin (top) and photographed a vendor near Red Square in Moscow (below). Both images are on view at Gallery 14 in Hopewell.

   Old soldiers never die — they just have their uniforms altered.
   That’s one of the things Princeton-based photographer David Miller observed during a stay in Russia last May, which happened to coincide with the anniversary of Victory in Europe (V-E Day). Russian veterans from WWII, as well as many other conflicts, proudly donned their elaborate uniforms to celebrate in Red Square. Mr. Miller met and photographed scores of men and women resplendent in their military attire, complete with epaulets, service bars and rows of medals.
   "They still celebrate victory in Europe in a big way, in fact it’s a national holiday in Russia — a three-day weekend," he says.
   Some of Mr. Miller’s most intriguing images from this and other trips to Russia will be on view at Gallery 14 in Hopewell Jan. 9 to Feb. 8. It’s a dual exhibition, which also

features works by Rhoda Kassoff-Isaac, in particular, her double-exposure photography capturing the countryside around her home in Italy. She’s titled her exhibit Double Exposure to reflect her experience of living in two countries and utilizing two kinds of media — photography and painting. Gallery 14 will host a reception Jan. 9, as well as a "meet the photographers" open house Jan. 11.
   Mr. Miller’s Faces of Russia is the result of his long-term involvement with Russia and the former Soviet Union. He holds a doctorate in Russian history from Princeton University and taught the subject before becoming an international banker, working in Africa and Russia. An avid street photographer, he had his camera with him constantly while living in Russia for three years.
   Faces of Russia is a series of black-and-white portraits showing the variety of nationalities in the country. Mr. Miller shot people going about their daily lives, tending shops in the marketplace, playing music or sipping espresso in cafés. The veterans, however, are probably the most striking images. They certainly told the most colorful stories.

Street photography by David Miller: a curious shopkeeper.

   "A lot of these guys have their uniforms re-made or re-cut to fit them," says Mr. Miller, who speaks fluent Russian, which allows him to converse with his subjects. "There’s a whole different attitude (about military service). They’re very proud of their experience in the war and they’re not shy about telling it. I met all kinds of veterans — fighter pilots who flew Spitfires in WWII, a tanker who had fought in Stalingrad and a submariner from the Black Sea fleet."
   "I noticed a couple in their 50s and 60s, and as I looked at them I saw one of the medals said ‘Cuba,’" he continues. "I got talking to them and learned they were part of the atomic missile crew from the Cuban missile crisis. I stood with them, drank vodka and ate brown bread and listened to their stories. Boy, did they love Cuba."

World War II veterans celebrate V-E Day in Red Square.

   In contrast to such street photographers as Henri Cartier-Bresson or Gary Winograd, who pride themselves on stealth, Mr. Miller has no problem asking people to pose. In Russia, his linguistic ability helps to break the ice, sometimes more than when he shoots in America.
   "It’s probably easier over there because I have a little edge as a foreigner who speaks Russian," he says. "If they see me taking a picture, they talk to me and then they learn that I can speak Russian and know something about the country. So, there’s more of an understanding.
   "You can do the same thing in America, though," he continues. "It’s a question of your attitude. You don’t want to be furtive or predatory."

A veteran of the Black Sea submarine fleet.

   His radar also is tuned to people who are fortunate enough to be good-looking. Several of his portraits in the show feature lovely young Russian women. One is particularly winsome, seated under an umbrella on a rainy day, selling vacuum cleaners in the marketplace.
   "People ask me ‘Why are you taking that picture?’" Mr. Miller says. "I say ‘Because she’s a beautiful woman. Is there a better reason?’ I take pictures because someone is interesting. That’s what I try to convey to people. I use a wide-angle lens, and often I’m standing just three feet from them — basically right in their faces — so I’d better be willing to engage with them. That’s why I had such a good time in Russia. We’d chat and it would be clear to (the subjects) that I was enjoying myself and showing respect for them as well, which is very important to me."
   One shot required more discretion, however — a portrait of a little girl lighting candles in a small church near the Kremlin.

A vendor takes refuge under an umbrella.

   "It’s an operating church with continuous services," Mr. Miller says. "I walked in and saw that picture coming immediately. I used a range finder Leica with no flash, which is very, very quiet. The 90 mm lens helped to pull her in a little closer."
   As he did with his series of portraits of Afghans exhibited at Gallery 14 in 2002, Mr. Miller collected a number of photographs in the street markets and al fresco shops of Moscow.
   "I spent a lot of time making pictures of the markets, where they sell fruits and vegetables, beads and things," he says. "Those are the kind of photos I love. I spent the whole morning there, I was having such a good time."
   During his conversations with the Russian people, Mr. Miller has discussed the general state of affairs in the country, asking whether things are better or worse since the end of Communism.
   "It depends on who you are," Mr. Miller says. "If you’re a working man, age 45 or older, it’s probably a lot worse. Back then you had job security and prices were controlled, so things weren’t too expensive. My driver was a good example. He had had a pretty good life before, but now he’s really scrambling. He had driven for ambassadors (and other state officials), but he lost his job with the cutbacks. The changes have been hard on guys like that and also for the very old. Inflation destroyed their pensions a few years ago, and things haven’t gotten much better now.
   "But for the younger, more aggressive people, things are better for them (with capitalism)," he continues. "People in their 20s and 30s feel they’ll be doing even better in the future. (They believe) if they’re smart and capable they’ll get some real tangible rewards."
   Mr. Miller has been interested in photography since childhood, but foreign journeys got him started with serious street photography. As an international banker, Mr. Miller took his camera with him on his many trips abroad. In addition to Russia, he and his wife have lived in Liberia and Afghanistan, and have traveled extensively in Asia and Europe. His work reflects the influences of photographers such as Walker Evans, Cartier-Bresson and Helen Levitt. Mr. Miller’s images have been published in Time magazine, and he has exhibited in regional photographic shows at Phillips’ Mill, the Montgomery Center for the Arts and with the Princeton Photography Club. He is a founding member of Gallery 14.
   With his spoken language skills, Mr. Miller enjoys playing a little "guess where I’m from?" game with his Russian hosts. He says he uses very good grammar but has an accent, so he is often pegged as neither Russian or American, but Central European.
   "I have this technique where I wave down a private car and use it as a taxi," he says. "I would do this and the drivers would ask ‘Where are you from?’ They couldn’t quite make it out. They knew I was a foreigner but couldn’t put their finger on it. They thought I was Bulgarian."
Faces of Russia, photographs by David Miller and Double Exposure, photographs by Rhoda Kassof-Isaac are on view at Gallery 14, 14 Mercer St., Hopewell, Jan. 9-Feb. 8. Opening reception: Jan. 9, 6-9 p.m. Meet the photographers: Jan. 11, 1-3 p.m. Gallery hours: Sat.-Sun. noon-5 p.m. or by appointment. For information, call (609) 333-8511. On the Web: www.photosgallery14.com