You don’t have to look far in St. Tammany Parish to discover a talented artist. In fact, one lives right across the street from me.

I’ve long known photographer Patrick Lera as my neighbor and as a dedicated volunteer for the St. Tammany Art Association. I’ve seen the black-and-white images he creates with different cameras.

But I got a better glimpse into his creative process and his love of photography when we sat down recently at my kitchen table for a chat in anticipation of “Self/Reflection: Photographs from the New Orleans Museum of Art,” an exhibition opening soon at STAA (look for more information on the exhibition itself and its opening during Fall for Art Oct. 21 in the next Artscape).

Lera’s portfolio includes several self-portraits: one taken in graduate school, another in a bar on Decatur Street, a third shot in his backyard with a pinhole camera. Each ethereal-like shot is striking and gives a glimpse into the human condition. Equally as noticeable are Lera’s images of places around St. Tammany Parish and of travels through Europe after earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from UNO in 1994.

On the Horizon 

• The 2017 Louisiana Contemporary Exhibition Presented by The Helis Foundation continues until Oct. 15, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, 925 Camp St., New Orleans. The show features the work of four north shore artists Dale Newkirk, Trent Pechon, Robert Santopadre and Luba Zygarewicz. Museum hours are Mondays to Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with Thursday hours from 1o a.m. to 8 p.m. when the Ogden After Hours weekly entertainment series occurs from 6 to 8 p.m. Museum admission on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. is free for Louisiana residents, courtesy of The Helis Foundation. www.ogdenmuseum.org.

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Read the entire article on The Times-Picayune’s website.