Since the Mixtape show I have started to explore different images and methods of printing in an effort to create a new project that will ultimately be a large series of images, a body of work on it's own. Many of the images have a worn quality that I'm liking for the series, very dreamy, albeit a bit strange in some cases. This is a portrait I took of Bradley in a costume he made. The outfit was based on the idea of a steampunk astronaut, but also had a very 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea quality to it. I'm still experimenting with these images, the top is a little lost, but I like where it's going. I would like to make a fairly large print as well, the details on the helmet are beautiful, a lot of gauges and tubes. It is a collaboration for us in a way beacuase the image is very much about the attire.

Anatomy of a Show

It's been a very busy couple of weeks and I am working on so many exciting things including preparations for the show "Mixtape" which is opening at 717 Studio tomorrow night. Laina Karavani, Graham Slick and I have joined our curating efforts and managed to organize 28 artists for this show. The most difficult part of this process was completed last night: hanging the show. Hanging and placing the work with the artists present inevitably becomes a scenario of "too many cooks in the kitchen". In many instances the artists want what they consider to be the prime and most flattering spot for their work, which is understandable, but it misses the big picture which is that a group show isn't about the individual, it's about collaboration. The geography of displaying diverse work from so many artists has to allow a certain flow and for work to compliment each other, not compete against each other. As an example, there is a light piece on one wall near the corner and on the perpendicular wall three framed pieces had been hung so the light was creating a lot of trouble with viewing these pieces through the glass. When I suggested we swap them with something else I was met with much resistance, maybe because some simply didn't want to re-do this area or maybe they were focusing on their own work. In the end, I gave a convincing argument and the framed pieces traded places with my own work in the show (a photograph printed on canvas) and as a result, the framed work can be seen clearly and rather than the light creating conflict in viewing my photograph, it illuminates it beautifully. So, after 6 hours of hammering, drilling, and litigating, we have produced a collaborative show that we are all proud of. The music for the show is made up of compilations or "mixed tapes" by each of the contributing artists. In addition, we are very excited that "Mixtape" has been chosen as a pick of the week on artcards.cc . If you are in the NYC area please join us tomorrow night at 717 Studio, for information click on this flier or go to www.717studio.net .

Windmills and a Car

It was almost 50 degrees here in NYC yesterday and it inspired me to do a little pre-Spring cleaning. In a box that I have been moving from apartment to apartment over the last 7 years I found an old high-8 video camera and decided to review the tape inside. There was footage from a road trip I took from San Francisco to South Florida. I remembered that passing the windmills near Palm Springs was an impressive sight and while we were driving through this area we passed this amazing old car and the juxtaposition of the windmills, car, mountains and power lines was so surreal to me. I was in the passenger seat and grabbed the nearest camera, which was the mentioned video camera, and recorded the scenario thinking I could later print still images from the video tape. Well, it's been more than 7 years since that trip and I am yet to make these prints, but I still like the idea. As a preliminary experiment I set myself up in front of the television and shot off the screen. Here is a sample of a still image from this.

Wyatt Siplak Peterson

After spending a long weekend in Pittsburgh with my brand new nephew Wyatt, I wouldn't dream of letting anything or anyone else be featured today.  It is very different photographing a subject who has no vanity whatsoever, it doesn't happen very often with people. Everything he did was amazing and he didn't even know it. I couldn't keep track of  how many squeaks he made or how many minutes I spent listening to him breathe. I spent more time with the family and holding him than taking pictures, but I'm excited about the photos I took. The most extensive photo shoot was during his bath time. It wasn't his favorite thing but I think he felt pretty good when it was over. After he was rinsed, Mommy (Sarah) and Daddy (Scott), put him on his plush towel and together they gently rubbed him with apricot oil. This photo shows Wyatt getting a post bath baby massage by both his parents during which Sarah lifted his little feet so I could get a good look at those toes.

The Portrait

So far, I've been lucky enough to work on many different jobs and projects with varying subjects and situations. Sometimes the subject is jewelry, or fashion, sometimes food, finials, or handbags, and it's all been a very good way to discover what works and what I enjoy. While I continue to work in several genres, I love fashion and beauty, one thing I have discovered is that I will always feel that taking a portrait is like home. There is nothing that compares to getting an honest moment from another person whether they are a friend or a stranger, although with a friend there is already a sense of trust and ease. This portrait is of my friend Chelsea, although we were just getting to know each other when this was taken. This is one that has been waiting patiently on my G-drive for a year.

After plenty of inner debate about the self indulgence of starting a blog, here I am. I thought that with a website (and a second site in the works), Facebook and MySpace profiles, Flickr, Snapfish, and Photobucket accounts, I had enough cyber real estate. However, one question I always get regardless of my publicly posted information is, "What are you working on?". I seem to have come to a place where I am only sharing work as it is completed or published and the truth is, I'm constantly working on projects that may not go in my portfolio and so they sit in the wings indefinitely. I always have a camera with me and with an archive of images growing by the day, I thought I should start somewhat of a journal. Goodness knows I don't need to carry another book around with me so, for now, this will be that journal.
I hope to use this not only to share random photos and explorations but also as a place to post the workings of some projects, for example my cookbook. Today's photos of thistle were taken during a walk in Frick Park in Pittsburgh while visiting during Christmas. It was overcast, fresh, cool, and peaceful.