The College of DuPage Annual Juried Student Art Exhibit closed on Sunday, and I went over there yesterday to pick up my entry. I was very excited to receive an Honorable Mention for this work, titled "Prairie Power: Winter's End." Presented as a 24x36 canvas wrap, this was one of a series that I created for my Color II class last spring, a celebration of the power and endurance of prairie flowers over the harsh midwest winters. Happily, spring has finally arrived in the Chicago area, and I love seeing the beautiful colors of the tulips, daffodils, and budding trees. At the same time, I miss the stark shapes of bare trees and dried flower remains from the winter. Congratulations to my fellow students in the Photography program, Charles Loggins III for his 1st place and Gabriela Guganovic for Honorable Mention. I am in good company. For more information on the exhibit, see the blog entry in Silicon & Silver.
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Sometimes things don't go according to plan. but the outcome can still be a pleasant one. I like to call these "happy accidents." These cute little turtles illustrate what can happen when you have an open mind. My husband accompanied me recently on a visit to the Crabtree Nature Center in Barrington, part of the Cook County Forest Preserve. Able assistant that he is, his job is to carry the tripod, "hold this" and keep an eye out for anything interesting. There were lots of seagulls, ducks, and geese; but no egrets to be found. He was the first to spot the turtles, and I chose these two, who seemed engaged in private conversation. So, fellow photographers, when you go out on a photo shoot, do you have a specific subject, mood, or setting in mind? Or do you just go exploring, to see what is out there? How often do you find something unexpected that you like, perhaps, even more than your original concept? Now that I am on my way to being organized (more about that later), it is time to move on to the business of being a photographer. This is probably the most difficult aspect of transitioning from hobbyist to professional, but it is essential. There is so much to learn and think about: marketing, promotional materials, website building and management, financial, taxes, and more. While it is challenging, it can also be fun and creative. Did I really say that? Yes, I did; and here are a few examples. Check them out for yourself, and let me know if you did or did not find them to be informative, inspirational, and helpful in any way. Online Webinars / Seminars / Podcasts / Audio Resources Creative Live - One of my favorites. They have a regular schedule covering a variety of topics relative to photography, business start-ups, and other peripheral topics of interest to entrepreneurs, artists, and others. Recently they have completed or scheduled several topics related to startups. They deliver live content, with interactive chat rooms; all free for the watching. If you missed it, they will do free re-watches. People from all around the world are listening in and participating. The courses can also be purchased, usually for under $150, some as low as $29. Discounts are given if you purchase during the live broadcast and for a short time after. Courses usually last anywhere from 1 to 3 days. For example, Jasmine Star ReSTARt http://www.creativelive.com/courses/restart-jasmine-star (3rd and final session will be on March 6). In January, Creative Live topics included Building a Profitable Portrait Studio with Bambi Cantrell, the Right-Brain Business Plan with Jennefer Lee, and many others. Kristen Kalp Brand Camp http://www.brandcampblog.com/ I just started following this, seems there are a lot of spin-offs with good information. Sarah Petty’s The Joy of Marketing http://www.thejoyofmarketing.com/ Sarah Petty has great ideas and her enthusiasm level is tremendously uplifting. There are lots of resources available on the internet, facebook, Youtube, etc. Many of them can be found just by checking out the three examples above. Hands-on / in person If you prefer hands on, in-person, there are lots of opportunities in the local Chicago area. Local Colleges: Chicago has many of these, with some great photography programs. I am currently taking classes at the College of DuPage. (A great bargain tuition-wise, and a great staff in the Photography Department). Here is a starting point: http://www.cod.edu/photo/ In addition to a variety of technical courses, there is the Professional Practices course for Photographers. This semester, there is a Career Boot Camp, a 5-week intensive class jointly sponsored by the Photography, MPTV departments. These classes include guest speakers, many of them alumni of the program, and always actively pursuing their craft. There are field trips, lots of homework assignments with specific and practical applications, and great networking opportunities. Conferences Self Employment in the Arts (SEA) - http://www.selfemploymentinthearts.com/. This weekend, February 22 and 23, is the 13th Annual SEA Conference. Hands-on practitioners in Performing, Literary, Media and Visual Arts fields will share their knowledge and experience during this 2-day jam-packed conference. Topics include finding clients, alternative income options, crowdfunding, networking, financial management, and many other subjects of interest to those wishing to pursue a career in photography or other artistic areas. SPE (Society for Photographic Education) This year’s SPE conference, the 50th, is being held in Chicago, at the Palmer House, from March 7 - 10. https://www.spenational.org/conference. While the focus is not on the business aspects of photography per se, this is a great place to network, meet other professionals and students, and learn from many educator/practitioners. In addition to individual presentations, panel discussions, and caucuses, there are exhibits and portfolio reviews. Filter Photo Festival The Filter Photo Festival http://www.filterfestival.com/ also deserves mention here, since it provides a connection point between producing art and presenting it in a public way. This is a ‘community’ whose mission is to “connect emerging, mid-level, and professional photographers from across the country with gallerists, educators, curators, editors, and other elite photo professionals, focusing particularly on those of the Midwest.” Coinciding with the SPE conference, the Filter Festival is running the exhibit Archetype Drift, from March 6 - 23; opening reception on March 6. Covering new methods of photography-making, the exhibit is held at Johalla Projects on Hubbard Street in Chicago. The Filter Festival website explains “Johalla Projects was established in the fall of 2009 by Anna Cerniglia as a venue for emerging and mid-career artists.” This weekend, offerings include Thursday, February 21, at the Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP) where Curator Allison Grant will give a guided tour of original landscape photography from the MoCP permanent collection; including works from Ansel Adams, Robert Adams, Terry Evans, Mark Klett, An-My Le, Richard Misrach, and Eliot Porter. Other events include exhibition talks on Friday, February 22, at the Milwaukee Art Museum and reception for “Subway” series at the Kasia Kay Art Projects on Aberdeen Street in Chicago. If these are too ‘short-notice’ for you to participate, mark your calendar for the annual Filter Photo Festival event in downtown Chicago on September 25 - 29. This includes workshops, lectures, tours, panel discussions, networking events, and portfolio reviews - all designed to help emerging photographers get to the next level. One final thought - there are many ways to learn about photography and the business of photography. Just as we can learn from teachers, peers, professionals, and others about what makes a “successful” image, we can learn from associates, professionals, entrepreneurs, and even clients about what makes a successful photography business. What worked for someone else may not be the thing that works for you, but there are plenty of ideas and techniques out there to choose from; and there are plenty of generous people in all of those categories who are willing to share what they know and have learned. How about you? What are some of your favorite resources for getting your photography business on a path towards success? I have this fascination with shooting the moon; specifically the full moon. My vision is this outsized orange globe emerging from the horizon, complete with craters and pock-marks that suggest the “man in the moon” face. I want the scene that takes my breath away; the one that makes all other moon shots pale in comparison. Unfortunately, reality is a far cry from the vision. My plan requires the perfect location + perfect weather conditions + my availability during that half-hour period between sunset and moonrise on the night of the full moon. Despite some careful location-scouting, I have not found that ‘perfect’ location - the one with an unobstructed view of the horizon, which has an interesting compositional element, and one that allows access after dark. Having missed several full moon events due to cloudy weather or afternoon/evening meetings, November 28, 2012 seemed to be my best opportunity in quite a while - I decided that one of the local forest preserves would do. My target shooting location was close to the parking area, which was close to the exit; essential criteria considering that closing time is an hour after sunset. That should provide plenty of time to see the moon rise, get my images, and get out before the gates closed. At this location, I liked the unobstructed sight lines and the possibility of reflection off the water. The landscape was pretty wide open, giving lots of room for error in judging where the moon would emerge (one of my weaknesses in prior attempts). The first hint of the rising moon was a very deep orange, large in size; but hidden behind the stand of trees off in the distance. By the time it cleared the trees, it was considerably less orange and somewhat diminished in size. Shooting on a tripod, I was taking bracketed images that included 30-second exposures on the long end. I selected two of the final images of the shoot - before the moon rose high enough to cast its reflection on the water, and just as I was being asked to leave (a good twenty minutes before the official closing time). With some post-production compositing to merge the two exposures, further adjustments to enhance the mood, and with a little help from another of my many moon images, I came up with the result shown above. Not what I envisioned, but I kind of like it. Needless to say, there will be more scouting for locations, and definitely more attempts to shoot the moon. Any takers? ~ Joanne Dried Flowers at Cantigny, Wheaton Illinois Over the weekend, most of us in North America, Europe, and a few other areas of the world received a gift of an extra hour of time as a result of falling back from Daily Savings Time to Standard Time. So, did we really get an extra hour of time? And just exactly where did we get it - e.g. staying up an extra hour on Saturday night, getting an extra hour of sleep, or having an extra hour to do things on Sunday? Come Monday morning, did we still benefit from that extra hour, or are we just as confused as my dogs are about what time it really is? My personal opinion is that the hour is more psychological than real, in that I know I have an extra hour so I will use it well. I did stay up Saturday night longer than I normally would have, and I did get up on Sunday morning earlier than normal; but most importantly I was determined to make the best use of that extra hour. So the time switch was a mental booster to get organized and get things done. Ripping through my To Do List, here are some of the things I accomplished:
While it is possible that the extra hour was taken up by changing all the clocks back, I prefer to think I used it to get organized, be more productive, and renew my energy to focus on my photography. Now if only I can figure out what happened to October... What about the rest of you - how did you spend your extra hour? I am very excited to announce that my first solo exhibit "Spring Ahead ... Fall Back” is now on display at the Roselle Public Library. Twenty-four images are presented in a continuum of pastels through vibrant colors and ending in more muted tones commonly found in our local area before winter sets in.
For those in Roselle and surrounding suburbs, I hope you will have a chance to stop by at some point over the next several weeks. Drop me a line and let me know what you think. The Roselle Library is located at 40 South Park Street (South of Irving Park Rd and a couple blocks east of Roselle Rd). Hours are Monday-Thursday 9:30 am - 9:00 pm, Friday & Saturday 9:30 - 5:00 pm, and Sundays 1:00 - 5:00 pm. To satisfy Patsy Davis’ request to document 11/11/11, I selected four images. These first two were taken of the Bloomingdale VFW, who obliged my request to photograph their Veteran’s Day ceremony. I quickly settled on the gentleman in the motor cart. At exactly 11:11, he sat waiting patiently for the ceremony to begin. He had a pleasant smile and peaceful manner, but also a wistful look, perhaps in memory of days gone by. I was particularly touched by his careful and devoted raising of the flag. The next image also spoke to days gone by. This house was scheduled for teardown, and had been used for practice by the local fire department. They were allowed to chop holes in the roof and walls, but were not allowed to set any fires due to EPA regulations. Within a week, the house was completely gone. Perhaps next year, on 12/12/12 I will have an image of its much grander replacement. My final image pays tribute to mother nature, and her ability this year to hang in there with luscious colors. Welcome to my website and my first blog. I am having a great time exploring the world through digital imaging, and I am very excited to share my work with the you.
Speaking of excitement, Mother Nature has put on a spectacular display this year - the colors are amazing, and I have had a great adventure capturing the colors, the changes, the beauty. It has been the perfect palette for creativity, expressiveness, and fun. That is important, because I see photography and fun as two sides of the same coin. Whether it is trying out new techniques with the camera, combining existing images together, or experimenting in post-production, it feeds my soul and brings me happiness. I hope that my images will strike a similar cord with you. |
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