Charles Porter is a cardiologist who takes photos in his spare time. He and other professionals will display their art as part of a fundraiser for the Hyde Park Pilgrim Center.
Charles Porter is a cardiologist who is also a photographer, and he is now exhibiting his artistic side.
He and others like him – such as a surgeon, computer engineer, psychiatrist, lawyer and real estate developer – are displaying their paintings or photography in Midtown.
The highlight of their Alter Egos exhibit is an artist reception on first Friday, Sept. 6.
The free public party at the Buttonwood Arts Space, 3013 Main St., will run from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and includes music by the Mike White Quartet (White is a lawyer who plays the saxophone).
The exhibit that began Aug. 6 and runs through Sept. 27 is a benefit for the Pilgrim Center, which is dedicated to improving the quality of life for Midtown residents. Half of the proceeds from sales of the artwork go to the center.
Porter’s pictures vary from those in exotic places worldwide to a black-and-white shot of Loose Park after an ice storm.
He generally shoots outdoor or urban landscapes with people in them – what he calls a mixture of the unique individual in a shared place.
He tries to evoke “a feeling of commonality even in a place that’s not common to you,” he said.
The doctor at Kansas University Hospital sometimes gets opportunities to shoot exotic pictures while on medical missions to developing countries.
He bought his first camera the same year he started medical school in 1974.
“Analytically, getting the big picture fast and anticipating what may ensue is needed for both (cardiology and photography), he said.
Physically, he said, the ability to get up early, be on your feet all day and stay up late helps in both fields.
Porter also shot the lush photographs for a book by Kansas City Star columnist Charles Gusewelle called “A Gift of Wings.”
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