William Kauffman

When I was twelve years old, my parents gave me an old, simple roll film camera, and a couple of rolls of black and white film. I played around with it, learned to load it, and ventured outside. Now that I remember, "street photography" or "social landscape photography" are a good description of my first attempts, in Pearl River, NY. I had never heard those terms, of course, nor would I have known what they mean. I shot storefront windows and their displays, with reflections of the outside world showing. I was fascinated by reflections and by light, though I could not have formed that thought into words.
As I grew older, Christmas presents were first, a Yashica 35mm slr, then later, a Nikon F Photomic. After four years in the Navy, I brought that Nikon with me into the School of Visual Arts, in New York City. There, I met and was taught and influenced by Dena Rubenstein (Dena, Photographer), Jimmy Moore, Al Francekevich, Dick Frank, Bernie Lawrence, and others. I learned (I hope), to see, and to talk about images. I am grateful.

I photographed weddings and portraits in Rockland and Westchester Counties, in New York, and Bergen County, in New Jersey, more and less often, for over thirty years. During the same time, I wor...

I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography, at the School of Visual Arts, NYC, in 1977.

I have shown at the Upfront Exhibition Space, Port Jervis, NY. I am the former owner and founder of River Cloud Gallery, Nyack, NY.