RUTLAND — The beautiful photography of former Addison County resident Steve Costello is going on display at this weekend at Rutland’s Chaffee Art Center in an exhibition titled “Eye on Nature: Photographs by Steve Costello.”
On Friday, Sept. 23, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and again on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., the public is welcome to visit the Chaffee at 16 South Main St. for a pop-up exhibit of Costello’s photography. This is the first time Costello has publically shared his work.
Steve Costello, a vice president at Green Mountain Power, is a Burlington native and has lived in Rutland Town for nearly 20 years. In the early 1990s he was assistant editor of the Addison Independent.
His approach to photography has been largely influenced by three things: A love of nature, his previous career in journalism, and a grandmotherly wildlife advocate named Meeri Zetterstrom, who introduced him to ospreys and fed his passion for wildlife.
“Most of my photographs are shot with very long lenses, with a focus on the eye of a bird or animal, and printed in a large format on canvas, which together give an illusion of proximity and a texture that accentuates the feathers and fur,” Costello said. “When I frame a scene in the viewfinder, my goal is to limit post-shooting editing, and print full frame as often as possible.”
Costello said he has never been focused on commercial sales.
“In fact, I’ve never sold a print before,” he said. “But (I) welcome the opportunity to help benefit this incredibly valuable institution in our community.”
Among the works is Costello’s photograph “Osprey.”
“Every spring I paddle at Lake Arrowhead in Milton so I can try to capture at least one good photograph of an osprey,” Costello said. “The pilgrimage began as part of my job, continued for years as a commitment to wildlife advocate Meeri Zetterstrom and continues today as an opportunity to reconnect spiritually with her long after her death. As I float on the flat water, which is now sprinkled with four to six massive nests every spring, each osprey encounter is a reminder of her vision and leadership in making their recovery a reality. If not for her, this photo, shot this past spring, simply would not exist.”
Chaffee board President, Rick Twigg stated, “The Chaffee has gone through a transformation over the past three years building an even stronger focus on the community — more varied educational offerings, public art displays and spontaneous ‘pop-up’ events.”