photo52

How many people out there dream of just doing their own thing? Being your own boss. Make the photographs you want to make. Wouldn’t that be nice? Well, in an effort to make that happen I’ve decided to give this a try. I will be selling my archival photographic prints at the Portland Art Festival on August 28 from 9-4 along with about 300 local and regional artists. I’ve enjoyed printing my work and I’m excited to show it. The goal here is to have some fun, see if this could be another outlet for my work and of course, another source of income. Here’s a preview of the prints that will be on display. All of the photographs will be from my personal project on Water.

Images from Maine, Virginia and Mexico.

If you’re in the area on the 28th, stop by and see me!

The Potomac River at Sunrise.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer and have been able to witness beautiful sunrises like this one.

Get out of bed, you won’t regret it :)

A sunken boat rests in the marshlands of Tangier Island.

This week I ventured out to Tangier Island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay to see the place that Captain John Smith named in the 1600’s. Long before Smith “founded” it, the island was home to a large population of Native Americans and you can still find arrowheads there today. I didn’t,  but they say you can. The island is really made up of several small islands or marshlands that are connected by small bridges and most people get around by golf carts or bicycles. Fishing is certainly the main industry and the region is known worldwide for their production of soft shelled crabs. I found the place pretty surreal. It could have been in part to the overcast day and the golf carts everywhere. As I walked around I couldn’t imagine living there year-round like 600 people do. It’s pretty remote. Quiet. Maybe a little lonely. Isolated. Then again, everyday a few cruise ships drop off passengers for a few hours and the town becomes an interesting mix of tourists, golf carts and the locals…

Hoistin's Bridge was a traditional spot of couples to court. Etiquette said that only 3 couples could use the bridge at one time.

Another view from Hoistin's Bridge.

Colorful crab pots waiting to go back out into the Chesapeake Bay.

I'll be honest. I have no idea what these are. Anyone?

A typical street scene on Tangier. I love the NASCAR driver on the Coke machine.

Boat moorings at the edge of town and yes, another golf cart...

A Tangier Island landscape.

Occoquan Reservoir #3, 2010.

I love every aspect of this personal project. It gets me back out on the water, which is where I naturally love to be. It’s ingrained in some way. On the water. Near the water. With the water. In the water. It has also helped to give me a little more focus on what my photographic purpose could be…

With all of the horrifying news coming from the Gulf of Mexico these days, I feel that this project is even more important than me getting to play in a kayak. It’s made me realize that I’d like to take it a step further and do some good. Make a difference. Educate people and help fund conservation projects. Because we humans need water. Clean water. As a photographer, I’ve been searching for that cause, that purpose for years and it was right in front of me the whole time. This cause is a natural fit for me. So please, if you have any suggestions or places that you think I should check out, let me know. This project will be long term.

For now, I will be donating a percentage of my print sales to help clean up the gulf.

Let’s hope they can plug that hole soon….

Occoquan Reservoir #2, 2010.

Occoquan Reservoir #1, 2010.

Lake Champlain #1, 2010.

Lake Champlain #2, 2010.

Here are a few more images from my Water & Light project. Enjoy!!

An early spring day at the Occoquan Reservoir

Balance.

If I’ve learned anything in the past year, it’s that running around doing work all the time is not conducive to having a clear, creative mind. When I have a To-Do list a mile long, there’s little chance of me creating new, interesting work. My mind just isn’t in it.

So, how does one deal with the pressures of life and still produce good work? I’m not really sure, but my current game-plan is to find balance on a daily basis. Some ways I’ve been doing this is getting up a little earlier to practice yoga and meditate in the morning, playing with my dogs when I get home, and leaving time before bed to read my book. Today I explored a new park with David and the two pups, which is where I took the photo above. It has helped. Tremendously. It sounds so simple, but finding time in your day to clear your mind is difficult, at least for me. But it seems to be necessary in order to approach your work life with fresh ideas and positive energy…

I’m always up for suggestions, what do you do to balance work and life??

Press Release:

“EMERGING”

Exciting new works by seven Maine women will be presented at the CENTRAL MAINE ARTIST GALLERY in Skowhegan located on 72 W. Front Street.  The opening reception will be held in February on Friday the 5^th from 4-7PM and Saturday the 6^th from 2-6PM.

The theme “Emerging” will be interpreted and explored by each individual artist and expressed through her chosen medium for this show.  The participating artists are, Kathleen Perelka, pastels;  Mary Burr, mixed media;  Hannele Lathi, photography;  Pam Ellis, watercolor;  Neiley Harris, oil painting;  Penny Hall, sculptures; and Jan Royall, glassworks. The show will run from February 5^th to March 27^th.  The winter gallery hours are Wednesday thru Friday 9-5 and Saturday 9-2.

To continue on the “favorites” theme, here are some of my people photographs from 2009.

Samba dancers at Artomatic in DC

Bonfire in Takoma Park, MD

Demolition derby driver: Michael Howe

Horse caravan in the Grand Canyon, AZ

Ice cream social

Summertime in Maine

Demolition Derby driver: Christopher Knight

A waiter on a New Orleans street

A rainy night and the demolition derby, Maine

Walking the dog

Girls fishing on the boardwalk

Donald Robertson showing off his home-made shotgun

Well, I can not believe 2009 is over. The year went by so fast it’s hard to remember everything that happened. So, in an effort to remind myself what I did this year, I decided to go through everything and pick out some of my favorite photos.  I’ll post several for the next few days so be sure to check back and let me know which one is your favorite!

Here we go:

President Obama's Inauguration

On the canal in Georgetown

The Red Rocks of Sedona, AZ

Prescott National Forest Park, Arizona

A rusty, antique car in Jerome, AZ

Meditation maze in Georgetown

Gold King Mine owner, Donald Robertson

Dog fight in a Cleator, AZ bar

Street light in Arlington, VA

Early morning snow in Tennessee.

Last weekend, when we picked our new pup, we were able to enjoy a few inches of snow in Tennessee. While friends and family were calling us about driving safely home, I was out early for a little photographing. It was a great way to start the month of December and the holiday season! Too bad it melted away so quickly…