The Bouras Galleries, 25 DeForest Ave., is currently hosting an exhibit by the area women’s photography group, Les Femmes Photales. The exhibit, entitled "Points of View," will be on display until Jan. 4. Gallery hours are Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors are asked to call Linda Cole, 908-277-6054, to make an appointment to see the works.

This exhibit by the women photographers contains 45 works, depicting a variety of subjects, including travel, still life, portrait and landscape. Pieces vary from abstract to documentary. The photographers employ a variety of techniques from black and white film, using both traditional and experimental methods, to color film as well as digital format.

Les Femmes Photales is an organization of women photographers devoted to the exploration of diverse photographic topics and styles. Although members of the Femmes work independently, each with her own vision and techniques, they meet several times a year to present their latest work for critique and feedback. They study the works of other photographers, both historic and contemporary, and keep each other informed of exhibition and education opportunities. The Femmes Photales name is, of course, a twist on the phrase "femmes fatales." Members have exhibited widely and in many cases have won awards for their work.

"Points of View" was organized by Summit resident Sue Zwick and by Gina Bellando, owner of Frames & Framers in Short Hills. For this exhibit, Zwick presents a series of car photographs printed on metallic paper. "With these photographs, I’ve gone back to my roots. My father was a classic car collector and I continue to enjoy going to car shows," she explains. While the old cars she photographs are black, she uses color film. "I like the effect of just a subtle hint of color peeking through reflections in the chrome," she says.

Bellando uses pinhole and other toy cameras with imperfect lenses to create soft focus scenes. After developing and printing an image in the darkroom, she enhances it further with subtle hand coloring. The original, one of a kind master print, is then scanned and digitally reproduced on fine art paper using archival pigments.

Summit resident Kathy Rogers has three works in the show and each is a study of darkness. The pictures were all made either at night or in a tunnel, where light and dark, universal themes, are in stark contrast. Some were taken during the rain and demonstrate the interplay of light and dark on wet surfaces. Rogers works exclusively in black and white film.

Another traditional black and white film photographer, Linda Kimler of Chatham Township, has five images of Paris in the show. Printed on warm-toned cream-colored papers, the pictures take on a soft, almost antique patina. Both Rogers and Kimler print their images in open studio darkroom facilities at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey.

Jody Pfeiffer, art and photography teacher at Governor Livingston High School in Berkeley Heights, has contributed five photographs from her "Urban Landscape" series. "I’ve known the New Jersey urban landscape all my life, but I first began to appreciate its richness while driving along the NJ Turnpike, " she says, adding, "The aged buildings, trains, abandoned cars and twisty roads form fascinating compositions and patterns."

Other Femmes exhibiting works at Bouras are Patricia A. Bender, Berendina Buist, Marilyn Canning, Pam Greene, and Judith Snyder.