Jane Plus Neal images

Jane Yost grew up near Tasmania.

Neal Palumbo was raised in West York.

Elena Jasic was born in Croatia.

The trio will join forces at Jane Plus Neal Images, a new gallery and studio in York.

They bonded over photography - something each found separately.

At the age of 9, Yost begged her parents for a camera. At first, they said developing film was too expensive, but then they caved. Ten years later, Yost attended the Melbourne School of Photography in Melbourne, Australia.

Palumbo started snapping photos in 1976. He got some tips from York photographer Bill Schintz of Schintz Studio before heading to Utah and Wyoming to shoot skiers, bikers and extreme athletes.

Jasic caught the photography bug from her mother at the age of 13. A short time later, her mother and stepfather gave her a Canon Rebel XTi.

Then, the three shooters found each other.

About 25 years ago, Yost moved from Colorado to York County, where her husband's family lived.

Palumbo moved back home in 1990.

The two met on the slopes of Ski Roundtop, now Roundtop Mountain Resort, where Yost worked as a ski instructor and photographer after the millennium.

Palumbo shot high school sports for a website and photographed weddings on the side. He kept trying to convince Yost to break into the wedding photography business with him.

"It's kind of like a proposal," Yost said with a laugh.

Palumbo pointed out the advantages to having two shooters at a wedding - varied perspectives and less stress.

Yost had to admit that he was right. She took him up on the offer and a year ago, they were attending wedding expos to study trends and prices.

Around that time, Jasic's work caught Palumbo's eye.

Jasic, now in ther 20s, immigrated to America in 1997. She took some photography classes at Cedar Cliff High School in Camp Hill and then began to freelance. Her work landed on the cover of Philadelphia Weekly and in a few Serbian publications.

Palumbo knew he wanted to help Jasic get more attention, but first he needed a gallery.

He and Yost began to hunt for spaces in York.

The former home of 9 West Café - 9 W. Philadelphia St. - caught their eyes. Its 14-foot ceiling, ample wall space and proximity to downtown draws, including Central Market, were ideal. After a trial period in the fall, they made it the home of Jane Plus Neal Images.

"The light in here is incredible," Yost said on a recent afternoon.

They plan to use the space as a studio, consultation office and gallery to showcase up-and-coming local artists, the first being Jasic.

Her first solo exhibit kicks off in the new gallery Feb. 4.

Jasic said she came up with the theme of vanity as she looked at her work from the past two years.

The collection, which consists of fashion, beauty and nude photography, is unlike work shown in other York galleries, Jasic said.

But, after Palumbo took her on a downtown tour, Jasic is convinced that's a good thing.

"We both decided that York needs something different," she said.

emccracken@ydr.com; 771-2051