Abbondanza showing heads to Buffalo

Artist James Abbondanza’s “Faces of Change,” which highlights the transformative contributions of individuals in the Niagara Falls community, focusing on leadership, entrepreneurship, and positive outlooks is getting another gallery showing.

Through the lens of the historic wet plate collodion photographic process, these portraits capture the essence of change-makers who are shaping the region’s future. The wet plate collodion process, a cornerstone of early photography invented in the mid-1800s, involves coating tin or glass plates with light-sensitive chemicals, exposing them while wet, and developing them on-site to reveal a one-of-a-kind image.

In contrast to the immediacy of digital photography, this method is a slow and intentional art form that yields distinctive, tactile results. Each individual who sat for a project portrait embarked on a journey through a process that has profoundly impacted the course of human history.

The community is invited to an opening from 5-8 p.m. Friday, June 14 at the gallery at 617 Main St. in Buffalo.