Just because you didn’t get to go to that awesome photography conference doesn’t mean that you can’t learn something from the pros! Occasionally, we’ll be featuring a recommended photography lecture or interview on Phototuts+.

Deborah Willis, chair of the Department of Photography & Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, speaks about Dawn's Early Light a new exhibition in the Carl A. Kroch Library at Cornell University. The exhibition explores the first half-century of photography in America, from its invention in Europe in 1839 through the 1880s.

If you happen to find yourself in Ithaca, New York, the exhibition is open until May 4, 2012. You can learn more about Dawn's Early Light at the Cornell University website. You can see some of Deborah Willis' work at debwillisphoto.com.