About Robert Kalman
A Life Through the Lens
I have spent over four decades photographing people not for who they appear to be, but for who they are when the camera fades into the background. My name is Robert Kalman, and I am a documentary portrait photographer drawn to the quiet dignity and emotional truth found in every face.
Born in Manhattan and raised in Queens, I have always considered myself a New Yorker, even during the seventeen years I lived in New England. I studied English literature at Northeastern University in Boston, where I was placed in a co-op position at The New York Times. There, I worked as a news assistant to political correspondent Richard Reeves and managing editor A.M. Rosenthal. Later, I earned a master’s degree in education from the University of New Hampshire. During the 1970s, I served as a school principal in the small town of Chester while working part-time as a freelance photojournalist for local newspapers.
The Work That Speaks
Photography, for me, has never been about spectacle. It’s about presence. I photograph people in their everyday surroundings—at home, at work, in moments of reflection. I use a large-format camera and a formal approach that invites pause, trust, and vulnerability. Whether I’m documenting Nicaraguan villagers, mixed-race couples in America, or dog owners in New York City, my aim is always the same: to honor the individual and illuminate the universal.
Over the years, my work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions across the United States. I’ve published more than a dozen books, and my photographs have appeared in numerous editorial features. In 2022, my series What’s It Like for You to Be an American? was named a Top 50 finalist in Photolucida’s Critical Mass and will be published in 2026 to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. I was also a member of New York’s SoHo Photo Gallery and will be profiled in Black & White Magazine in April 2025.
Beyond the Camera
In parallel with my photographic work, I built a long career in education. I led schools in Rhinebeck and Purchase after returning to New York’s Hudson Valley in the 1980s. I’ve also trained educators and college students in the field of neurolinguistic programming (NLP), taught photojournalism at Marist College, and led graduate education courses at SUNY New Paltz.
Where I Am Now
Today, I live and work in the Mid-Hudson Valley with my wife, Linda. I continue to photograph, publish, teach, and listen—always searching for the next story that reminds us of our shared humanity.