Photographer James T. Callahan of Hillsborough is exhibiting selected photographs from his series, “Reflections on the American Small Town,” at the Hillsborough Public Library through July 31.
The panoramic fine-art photographs are a personal look at central New Jersey towns that have meaning for the artist. They tell his his subjective view, and also to show how these towns are changing in the 21st century.
”I think this is important work because it shows how our cultural landscape is evolving,” he said. To do this, his color photographs use reflection in storefront windows that blend the historic architecture with modern lifestyle elements.
The result is a panoramic image with a feel reminiscent of historic photographs. The work is part of his master’s thesis at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where he is an online graduate student.
In addition to portraiture, editorial and product photography, Mr. Callahan, 51, began photographing historic downtowns 10 years ago when he lived in Freehold. His work now includes Flemington and Somerville.
He ultimately plans to open a studio in the area in one of the historic towns he photographs, and produce commerical and historically inspired fine art photos.
”I want to reach the people who love these towns and who are dedicated to their continued existence while preserving their historic attributes. Even though my photographs are not documentary, they preserve what the towns are like at this point in time for current and future generations.”
The Hillsborough library is open Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The library is closed on Sundays until Sept. 2.

