Showing Improvement

In my previous post I mentioned that every winter, in which there are usually periods of photographic dormancy, I consider the possibility of changing the direction of my work. In a similar vein I also review how and what I present at the various art fairs and shows throughout the year. I don't do a tremendous number of shows, mainly because of personal time constraints. But I am very critical of myself. I did not start my art fair participation with a large investment, so it is a gradual process of improvement for me.

Here are a few things that I will be working on for this year's shows:
- Better quality of frames
- Better selection and presentation of notecards
- Better method of transporting prints and frames
- Better signage
- New images

Each item is pretty self-explanatory and is geared towards either making my shows a better success financially, or streamlining the set-up/breakdown process without risking damage to my product.

In addition I have changed my schedule from previous years. I have kept the shows that have performed well for me and I have replaced the rest with shows that I believe will be a success.

This is a never-ending process. The art-fair circuit is becoming more difficult every year, with entrance fees going up and attendance (generally) flat or going down. And 2008 promises to be a rough year with the economy hitting a rough patch. We have to constantly look for areas of improvement. Unless an artist is very successful we cannot simply repeat the same process every year.

Getting Back Out Again

Winter was a little disappointing this year (so little snow), so I am very glad to see spring arrive. While I sat inside, doing very little photography I contemplated many things. As always I think about going in a different direction with my work. Over the course of a few months I view hundreds if not thousands of images, online and in print. I am constantly impressed by the originality and quality I see in other people's work. My tendency is to get a feeling of mediocrity, especially since I am unable to do much work for myself.

Although someday I will probably take a course change, I still feel like I have a lot of work to do on my current course. In my resurgent years of photography, starting about 5-6 years ago, I was enamored with digital equipment and relied on my own innate ability to make nice, technically acceptable photos. For much of that time I was merely producing a lot of "pretty pictures". It is only in the past 2-3 years that I think I have moved past that phase, albeit at a slow pace, and begun to challenge myself to make images that are many things: pleasing to look at, technically superior, and meaningful at some level. So for this reason, and others such as the fact that I really enjoy outdoor scenic photography, I will continue for some time perfecting my skills in the same arena.

The following image was made this weekend at Ralph Stover park in Bucks County. I am really pleased with the composition, the shapes and forms of the moving water, and the color tones. When I arrived at the park around dawn the hills around the creek kept the surroundings in flat, uninteresting light. When the sunlight began to hit I was rewarded with some beautiful tones and colors. Enjoy.

Single Snowfall

This winter has been relatively mild in the Philly area. Temperatures have dipped below freezing a few times, and we have gotten some rain, but the combination of cold weather and precipitation has been few and far between. So I could not pass up the opportunity to try and capture some compelling winter shots. Since we're almost into March I don't know if we'll get another significant snowfall this winter.

The "ideal" winter conditions are often hard to come across, especially for part-time photographers with day-jobs. If it's a weekday then after shoveling the driveway I'm off to work. By the time I get the chance to grab the camera and get out and shoot more often than not the snow has blown off the trees and/or rooftops, or the sun is out causing super-high contrasty conditions.

The other problem is simply one of mobility. I like to capture the scenes when they are mostly un-touched by man, wind, whatever. But that means getting out soon after the storm ends, but the road conditions are usually less than ideal and the plows are still roaming, causing additional headaches.

Yesterday there were only a few inches of snow so the road conditions were not that bad. The sky was still overcast, creating even light, but there was a light rain most of the day. That did not affect the snow too much in the scenes, but it made my job harder by trying to keep the camera and lens dry.

I did manage to capture a few nice shots, like the one below. Before long it will be spring and the snow will be a distant memory, unless you have a nice snow scene hanging on your wall.

Philly Oasis

On a short photo trip in Philly last weekend my first task was to find parking. I always avoid the parking garages because I know there are a lot of parking meters in the center city area. But in the area I was interested in, the historic "Old City" area north of Market Street and east of 8th Street (I don't really know the boundaries but this is a good approximation), I was having a hard time that day. But after driving in circles for a few minutes, and accidentally taking a short round-trip to New Jersey across the Ben Franklin Bridge, I found parking in what I call a little "oasis" in this area.

Now for people who live in that area I'm sure this is no surprise, but it was for me. This area is clean, not very busy with traffic, and with a bunch of free parking. The oasis lies between the Vine Street Expressway and the Ben Franklin Bridge, between 6th and 2nd Streets. Check out the Google Maps view of the area.

This beautiful historic church, the St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church, is the main icon in this area, although there are a number of other churches in this small area. There are lots of cobblestone streets as well.

It's a little tricky navigating this oasis because of the surrounding major roads and the one-way streets, but once you get familiar you can get through with few problems.

Newtown Study

I have a confession to make. I live near Newtown, Pa, a quaint old town in the middle of Bucks County. It has a lot of historic buildings and a nice main street. A great place to live.

But I simply cannot get inspired when I attempt to photograph this town. I often return to Newtown with the intention to overcome this deficiency of mine and to make some great images. But I usually leave disappointed. I don't want to simply document the historic buildings - I want to create interesting and unique compositions. I believe the town is so simple (not a detriment) that it does contain many eye-catching features that can be used as main subjects.

The following series of photographs are from a recent shoot that I think yielded some nice results. One feature that I have always like, even though it is not viewable along the main street, is the rear of the Newtown Hardware store. It is an old brick building with a rusty old fires escape and a smattering of windows. When I visited Newtown on this trip the sun was setting and it produced some really nice colors and shadows on this building.

I hope you enjoy them.

A Little Different

It's January and without snow this time of year yields few opportunities for scenic images, at least in my part of the world. The trees are bare, the skies are often dreary, and there is little color anywhere. Let's just say it is a "challenging" photographic environment.

I was out a week ago on the Washington Crossing bridge in the pre-dawn hour on a chilly morning. I was hoping to catch some nice morning light along the Delaware River. The cloudy skies worked against me, but as I walked along the bridge I was taken by some of the nuts and bolds holding this old bridge together. I liked the simple forms and shapes. And with the frost adding a bit of interest I just couldn't help making a few images of these things.

The image below is one example that I particularly like. It's nothing that I expect to sell (I may only make a print for myself) but I think it is a good example of simplicity that is so important in photography. The main subject is obvious, and I worked to get the threads in focus while throwing the background out of focus, since the background included the metal grating of the bridge's roadway.

From Then to Now

Below is a new image I made this weekend. When I go into Philadelphia for a shoot I have to think a little differently than when I shoot nature and scenics. In a city I am looking for compositions that include the architecture (almost impossible not to) but yet either tell a story or create a mood. This often involves making the image B&W, including people, or other techniques.

In this image I see something a little deeper than my usual compositions. As my son and I were standing near the Liberty Bell, trying to stay warm, and me realizing that the day's light was quickly waning I saw a few people make their way past the softly lit historical icon. I liked the way the bell was lit, and I also saw the potential for the effect of motion of the people near the bell.

A day later I see much more than just the bell. I see the old bell in a modern glass building. Above the bell I see the mid-section of very modern office building. Above that is the reflection of Independence Hall, clearly a piece (and place) of American history. (Also a key element of the movie National Treasure, of which the sequel is released a few days from this writing, and which my family and I greatly enjoy).

And to add to all this is the American flag, in its own little segment of the image.

So this one image encompasses historical American elements and modern-day architecture, all interacting.

Last Show of 2007

Now that I have participated in my last show of the year I would like to thank everyone who has either made a purchase or felt compelled to stop and take a look and possibly engage me in conversation. Although I hope that every "looker" results in a sale I realize that the purchase of a print must be made on your terms, to fill a need of yours and possibly to fill a space on your wall. If you don't think one of my prints will work for you then I am still glad that you took the time to flip through them anyway.

And it's the conversations and exchange of anecdotes that I enjoy very much. I meet a lot of people who have a connection to either the subject or location of one or more of my prints. (That is an advantage of selling locally.) I gain a greater appreciation for my own work when I learn more about the places that I have photographed. So again, even if a purchase is not made, I feel like I have gained something from the interchange.

If you are interested in making a purchase for the holidays, as a gift or for yourself, you can either go through my main website or you can visit the following store: The Unique Boutique in Yardley, Pa. The store has a large selection of unframed prints, and a small number of framed prints.

Colorless

So it looks like the fall foliage season this year will be a bust. The trees in the area of the Delaware Water Gap are still green, but turning pale. The lack of rain this fall will make it hard for the colors to appear. In a way I am not disappointed. I am trying to make my compositions stronger, not simply including brilliant color for the sake of it.

Below is a recent image from the Gap, in an area I've frequented before. One particular stream seems to yield numerous possible compositions, some I've dismissed before but as I persist I discover them over time.

Drama

Try as I may not to, I sometimes find myself getting into a photographic rut. I fear this happening again as the fall foliage season approaches (it is very late this year, due to the warm weather). It is very easy to go out and find beautiful color all over the countryside. Simply snapping photos of this color can yield many "pretty pictures", but making "pretty pictures" is just not enough. In fact when I hear the word "pretty" spoken during the shows I attend I cringe. When people see my photos simply as "pretty" then I think I have under-achieved. Anyone can create pretty pictures, but I want my portfolio to ultimately contain something a little deeper.

So in the limited time I typically have available to make images, I am more and more likely to try to think outside the "pretty" box. Maybe create a little drama. Try something a little different. In the image below I purposely grabbed my camera while heading out to work one morning, seeing the skies begin to clear from a few days of much-needed rain. I drove over to a local park and managed to catch a little drama in the skies. The image may need some more work but I am very happy to have created something that will elicit more than just the word "pretty".