SPS Member: 2009 to Present
Elected to Hall of Fame in 2024
We are proud to announce the induction of Fred LeBlanc into the Springfield Photographic Society Hall of Fame. While most of our members have refined their photography skills as a hobby, Fred decided a long time ago to take up photography as a career. He has worked as a professional commercial, corporate and editorial photographer for over forty years. His award winning photographs have been exhibited in museums, libraries, galleries and juried art shows and have been published on calendars, posters and postcards. Also, his editorial images regularly appear in regional and national publications.
Over the years, Fred has been a mentor to many of us. As an early adopter of new technologies, he has led us into a number of new areas. It was Fred who made the conversion to Lightroom a long while back, began to talk up its potential, and conducted training sessions at his home studio. Without question, many of our members successfully turned to Lightroom with Fred’s guidance. Fred was also one of the first adopters in our club of mirrorless technology and many of us have followed in his footsteps. Fred explored HDR post processing early on, as well as the art of light painting. His work in both areas was outstanding.
Fred is committed to the art of the printed image. He has said that, in digital format, the image is always available for change and that a picture is never really complete until you print it. Fred does a masterful job of printing and has performed that service as part of his business. But also understanding that it would be hard to print and frame all of your favorite images, he has sponsored the idea of printing collections in a photo book, has done presentations to show us what options are available, and shared with us the books he has created.
I think you could say that Fred is also a field based photographer. He has done a photography study of the City of Holyoke, based on numerous days in the field, leading to a superb collection of black & white photos of Holyoke. In recent times, he has taken us on field trips to New England cities to photograph the murals that are emerging everywhere. He has also led our club members on field trips to such locales as Cape Cod, Fall River, New Bedford, Monhegan Island in Maine, Hancock Shaker Village and numerous spots in the hill towns of Western Mass. And it always seems that when Fred leads a trip, a lot of us go, and we always have a good time.
Fred has served multiple terms on the board of directors of our club and has led demonstrations at evening workshops and our seminars at the Agawam Library. We greatly appreciate those contributions. But beyond all of these things, Fred is simply an incredible photographer. His work is always inspiring and sometimes breathtaking. In no area is that more true than his photography of the classic sailing ships that ply the waters of the coast of New England. Whether it is in color or black and white, or whether it is a small scene or a dynamic image with waves crashing high against a pointed bow, his work in this area is truly extraordinary.
So, as a contributor to our club as board member, technology pioneer, teacher, trip leader and as an extraordinary photographer, Fred LeBlanc is our 2024 inductee into the Springfield Photographic Society Hall of Fame.
Click the image (or square) below to see Fred LeBlanc’s Gallery.
