I began my journey in photography nearly 20 years ago as a thought experiment that…
Gallery on the Green, Pawling
I have two simultaneous gallery shows running this month, and with the Acadia workshop in between, I’ve not had much time to mention them here.
Gallery on the Green
The first is at the Gallery on the Green in Pawling NY, a really quaint town just 50 miles north of NYC. Owners Jay Morales and Michelle Farnum are great supporters of local artists, and when they invited me to show my work months ago, I immediately agreed. The show opened Oct 5th (the day before I left to Maine) with a great reception, and the prints will be on display until Nov 1. There are 15 prints in the show, three on canvas, and the remainder matted and framed, all around 24 x 36.
Hudson Beach Glass Gallery
The second show opened this past weekend at Hudson Beach Glass in my hometown of Beacon, NY. They have a beautiful gallery space on the 2nd floor of their building, and so I prepared 16 prints, three large canvas prints around 30 x 45, and the rest matted and framed— 28 x 38. The owners also happen to be good friends and great supporters of local artists.
While some of the images overlap in each of the shows, most images are unique to each gallery. I printed virtually all of them on Canson Baryta paper using a custom profile on my Canon iPF8100 large format printer. The exceptions were one or two that were printed on Canson Rag Photographique, also with a custom profile on my 8100.
In general I choose papers based on what’s most important in the image. When I want detail, shadow depth and detail, richness of blacks, I know these are all things the Baryta does exceptionally well. It’s a little fragile, so that means the surface is prone to scratching if you’re not careful (a large working area really helps.) But that aside, it’s my paper of choice these days.
When I want a little more subtlety—a painterly look with softer detail or don’t need very strong contrast, then the Rag Photographique is my favorite. For instance, forest scenes in fog are a great example where I’d use this matte paper.
I print, mat, and frame all of my work, so I was very busy the week before my trip to Maine. But the opportunity to show and sell my prints is worth the effort, and I also learn so much in the process. Selecting images that complement each other as a body of work is an extremely valuable exercise, and I always learn so much when I’m forced to make these tough editing decisions. For me it’s a theme—light, drama, serenity, and beauty, all found in nature.
Finally I just want to say something about how important it is to specialize when and if you’re ready to show your photography. Both of these galleries contacted me specifically because they wanted to show a body of work, not just a collection of non-related images, regardless of how strong they are. And when you’re active in your community, there’s more opportunities for exposure, press, and recognition. I always say start on your street, then your neighborhood, then your local community, and expand from there.
When you’re shooting for yourself, there are no boundaries or rules, so have fun. But when you want to work with others, be it galleries, buyers, collectors, etc, then narrowing your focus really does make a positive difference. Your work becomes more mature, improves, and is easier to market and sell.
A big thank you to Canson-Infinity for being part sponsor of these gallery shows. Without their help. I wouldn’t have been able to do both shows. Would I still use their paper if they were not involved? Without question.
Any questions or feedback, let me know -thanks for reading!
Awesome!