This Friday is shutter.stories|2012. I’m excited to share my work with you all! shutter.stories|2012 will be hosted in the lobby of HKS Dallas. It’s a great space for a photo showing. So come out and enjoy the photography, photo booth, music, food, adult drinks, and good company! 6pm, June 1 at 1919 McKinney Ave in Dallas. Be there!
This year photos will be for sale. The proceeds from the sales will benefit an organization I love and think is doing some real good around the world, Living Water International. So, know that if you buy a photo you are buying more than just an image for your wall! If you see something you like please find one of my friends in red shirts to inquire about a purchase. Photos will be in three different sizes: 5x7s ($20), 8x12s ($40), and 14x21s that are mounted/matter ($120). Cash and check are appreciated.
But, regardless of whether you find a photo you have-to-have or not, I’m thankful for your support and hope you enjoy the evening of photos and their stories!
A quick note about parking: if you are an HKSer, please park in the garage if you can and leave the motor court for non-HKS guests. If the motor court is full (off McKinney Ave at our front door), go around to the garage entry on Harwood between McKinney and Cedar Springs. Pull a ticket to get in. Find one of my friends in red shirts for a token to get out when you exit!
Star trails are a bit of a time phenomenon in many ways. First of all, what you see in the image is something you’ll never see in reality. They are reflective in that they capture a period of time into a single image-moment. And, they are also reflective in that the light they are capturing is millions of years old from stars farther away than we can actually comprehend. Photos record time, but in the case of star trails photos they are recording a moment in time of light from a moment long, long ago. Whoa. Really, whoa.
On the subject of time, I had a conversation with a group of dear friends last night about the present-past-and-future. Well, actually, we talked about reflection of the past and capturing life by journaling, but appreciating the now as well and not dwelling on what was. So, what about the process of recording moments and reflection? Some of us talked of writing down thoughts from a moment for the sake of getting it out and processing, some talked about writing for keep-sake purposes, some talked about writing for remembering and some of us talked of letting go of what we’d written before. It was fascinating to me as a writer, a photographer (i.e. moment capturer), and just plain ol’ human being. I’m not much a writer for the sake of writing (i.e. getting it out) or photographer for the sake of images (i.e. pretty pictures). I like to remember and record this journey we’ve been given, because, darn it, it’s worth remembering, all of it. Maybe that’s why I write about my photos or take photos to go along with my writing – they supplement each other and help record and remember a moment better together than either could alone. For me I like being able to return to my images and blurbs and to remember moments. Sometimes I do return to things I’ve written, and I learn from them. I learn about myself then and now.
What spurred the conversation a bit was a part of a book we’re all reading that had a letter in it. The main character wrote a letter to himself that he could read in the future, to remember that very moment he was in. It was great. It reminded me of a letter I wrote to myself a long time ago. My 8th grade teacher had our class write letters to our 12th grade self. Four years later the letter arrived in the mail. Wow, it was surreal. In the letter I talked of things I wanted to do and what I wanted to be. Lucky for me, my 12th grade self would have made my 8th grade self proud. What a interesting thing though. Reading that letter was like capturing a star trails photograph. What’s there has already happened and is happening at the same time.
This photo is another special one to me. As far as the image goes, I love the water reflecting the sky, as if the pond is a mirror for the stars – helping them see who they are. Reflection is very, very important. And, memory is a special gift He gave us, I can’t imagine life without it.
You have plans on Friday, June 1, 2012. Your plans are to be at shutter.stories|2012 at the lobby of HKS at 6pm for my photography showing. Food, drinks, music, the photo booth and photography will all make for a great evening. Photos will be available for purchase and the proceeds will benefit Living Water International (www.water.cc) Come out and help turn some photos into clean water.
I know I’ve been showing you a lot of guitar photos lately and I’m going to add to it today. I just happened upon a store a couple weekends ago that sold mostly used guitars, so I couldn’t help myself, I had to take photos. This one is fun to me because they are all lined up just waiting for someone to take them home! Long live guitars.
If you haven’t marked your calendars yet, then do it now! The showing is coming up in about 3 weeks. Everything is coming along and will make for a great evening. This is your invitation. You’d be nuts not to come. (ha, pun intended!)
shutter.shutter|2012
Friday, June 1 at HKS on 1919 McKinney Ave in Dallas at 6pm
Benefiting Living Water International
Yesterday I had the chance to take senior portraits for some family friends. I think they turned out pretty good. Clint did a great job in front of the camera and just being generally handsome. I took these near Turtle Creek, so they we destined to have a nice background. Happy Tuesday, everyone.
Not bad for iPhone photography, eh? Snapped these with my trusty iPhone 4s at Guitar Center, while wandering around the store learning about guitars. You see, I’ve always wanted to build a guitar. I think I mentioned a while back how I used to make guitars when I was little out of kleenex boxes, rubber bands and cardboard. Well, while at the Guitar Festival a couple weekends back I talked to several people who teach guitar making, otherwise known as luthiery (who knew??) The dream of making a real guitar is becoming more and more of a craving lately. But, I’d like to learn a little more on my own, before I drop the several, many, many, lots of hondos to have someone teach me in a workshop. Hence the wandering around GC one night. But, even while wandering I couldn’t help but remember that other passion of mine, photography, and had to snap some pics with whatever camera I had handy.
So, these little iPhone photos, I decided to print them as 5x7s for my showing and they just came in the mail. The 5x7s rock! I’m pretty happy with the quality of the image and the printing. It’s been a little sluggish here on the blog as of late I know. But, I managing many projects with the showing and what not. So hang tight, and come to the show if you can! It’s going to be a solid show this year. I just counted up all that I will be showing and it’s well over 150 images in different sizes and styles. I cannot wait for another great event. I will tell you, all the prints have come in and many are in presentation-ready mode. You’re going to love this year’s show. The biggest task that is ahead of me in the coming month is preparing the “stories”. That was a special part of the showing last year, and it will be this year too. Like I say, “every photo has a story and stories should be shared!”
I can’t wait to share my stories with you!
Remember the photo showing last year? Well, it’s time for another one! In a month from now you’re welcome to come see my new material at shutter.stories|2012. This year the event is hosted at HKS on McKinney Avenue. Prints will be for sale and the proceeds from the event will be donated to Living Water International. (check out www.livingwater.cc) There will be drinks and food and the ol’ photobooth too. So go ahead and mark your calendars for Friday, June 1st, 2012.
This is a five-string bass guitar made of all wood (which fascinates me). What also fascinates me is that it’s in limbo in a way. It’s five strings. When I think of a bass I think of four strings. And when I think of a guitar I think of six strings. So, this five-stringed bass guitar had me cocking my head. I’m curious how one goes from playing a four-string bass to a five-string bass, I would think one string makes a big difference. Who knows, regardless, it’s a beauty.
Here’s a close up of the neck of a guitar (I guess you would call it the neck). I enjoy this one, hope you do too! My favorite part of the guitar is where it says “electric gypsy.” Indeed it is.
late revision: thanks to Pete Stintzi’s musical knowledge I now know the top of the guitar is called the headstock.
