Ellen Feldman is a fine arts photographer whose on-going emphasis is spontaneity. This is reflected in her street photography and her long-term project photographing a dancer.

A series of her images, A Dancer in Her Studio 1986 – 2011, is featured at The Griffin Museum at the Cambridge Homes, 360 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA, March 5 through May 20. An opening reception with the artist is March 12, 6-7 p.m.

“Nicole Pierce, modern dancer and choreographer extraordinaire, has been a favorite subject of mine for over 10 years,” says Feldman. “I photograph her on Sunday mornings every few months – sometimes more frequently.

“I’m free to shoot while Nicole puts together her weekly dance class at Greene Street Studios in Cambridge. She doesn’t stop to pose for me, so in a sense my process is the same as when I am photographing in city streets, “ Feldman adds. “I like the spontaneity of the ever-changing present, never quite sure what the next instant will bring.”

All the photos in the exhibit are black and white digital prints, originally from negatives, slides, or a digital source.

Feldman, of Cambridge, MA, has studied photography at the Maine Photographic Workshops, Fine Arts Work Center of Provincetown, and the Photography Atelier, Lesley University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in music from Barnard College and a Ph.D. in Cinema Studies from New York University.

Feldman is the photography editor of the Women’s Review of Books, a monthly journal published by Wellesley College, and a member of the Cambridge Art Association, and ‘soupgroup,’ an ongoing collaboration and critique group.

She is also a film scholar. Her paper, The Conversation: A Study in Surveillance, was awarded third place in the 2006 National Paper Prize Competition sponsored by the University Film and Video Association

Feldman’s recent work includes photographing toy characters in urban settings. She also has three self-published books, Les Mysteres de Paris/Paris Mysteries, A Week in Prague: Wall People /Street People; and The Dancer as the Invisible Girl.

The public is welcome to view the exhibit Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please check in with the receptionist.