Local artist/photographer colored the world for many

After 48 years as a photographic artist, Helen Simpson, owner of a studio in Brockport, is retiring. She started the business in Brockport in 1982 and closed it on February 1. What will she miss the most? "The people. My counter has been full of happiness and full of tears. I did the brides and I did the grandchildren," she said. Simpson plans to pursue personal photography in her retirement.

Local artist/ photographer colored the world for many
Retirement party open to public, works to be on display

After 48 years of bringing photographs to life with her artistic touch, Helen Simpson has decided it's time to put the camera on a shelf and clean her paint brushes.

"I don't plan to sit back and retire but I don't really know if I plan to paint anytime soon," she said.

Simpson, a self-trained photographic artist, had a shop on Main Street in the Village of Brockport. "I had god-given talent and I learned to be an artist through trial and error," she said. "I think experience is the best teacher and I had many years of experience."

Her portraits involved her photographing her subject (she used black and white film), exposing the film, processing it and coloring it sepia tones. "The sepia gave skin tones a warmer hue," she said. Following that process, she hand painted the portraits.

It was in the 1960s when she entered her first New York State Photographers Association contest and she walked away with the highest honor - the Blue Ribbon. "Every year Kodak would offer a photo of a different model, the artists would paint them and many of us entered them into the annual contest." She remembered a time when the model was a woman and she painted her as a blonde. "When I got to the exhibit, there was this model and the other photographers/artists had made her brunette, and black haired, there were no blondes."

Simpson said her brother, Carl, worked with her and she had the support of her family as she pursued her love of photographic art. "I will be forever grateful for the support I received from my late husband, David, my children and the many customers who became friends."

She never even considered "going digital." She laughed and said, no. "I like my Kodak paper."

When asked for her favorite photo shoots she recounted two: Her fourth grade teacher, Ora VanSlyke, and attorney Lloyd Butterfield. "He always wore a hat and carried a briefcase and I wanted to photograph him in his 'natural element,' " she said. "He came to the studio, removed his hat and sat his briefcase down. She asked him to go home and come back with some hats for her to choose from for the session. Simpson said she went with the hat he first came in with. "That is one of my favorite portraits and it's on display at the Clarkson Town Hall."

Simpson said she will miss the laughter and conversation the most but said it was time to move on to other endeavors and to spend time with her family. "I also have the family cottage, which was built in 1924 and still has the original wainscoting. I can't wait to spend more time there," she said.

Former Village of Brockport Mayor Mary Ann Thorpe said she became acquainted with Simpson when she asked her to restore a photo she had found of her father. "I found a photograph of my father when he was a teenager and it was in bad shape," Thorpe said. "It took Helen about four different steps to be able to restore the photo and I will never forget the painstaking care she took with that restoration - it is one of my favorite heirlooms of our family history."

Thorpe said she will miss driving down the street and seeing the window display of Simpson's works.

"I am happy for her that she is retiring but sad for the community that they will no longer have access to her works of art. She will be sorely missed by the downtown community," Thorpe said.

There will be a retirement party for Simpson at Cooper Hall on the SUNY campus on Sunday, February 18 from 1 to 4 p.m. Some of Simpson's work will be on display and will be for sale. "I want everyone to be a part of this celebration and come down to the party," Simpson said.

Village of Brockport officials recognized Simpson with a proclamation at the February 5 board meeting. "The village acknowledges the dedication and talent Helen E. Simpson has invested in the community," the proclamation read in part. "She has photographed generations of families including new babies, graduating seniors, pets, brides and weddings as well as restored heirloom photographs."

As part of the proclamation, the village officials named February 18, 2007 to be Helen E. Simpson Day.