Slowing Do..w...n....

There won’t be many new photos for a while. I’m deep in the thick of teaching 5 different classes, and it’s hard to find the time to think about making photos. I’m still working on submitting my work to shows and other self-promo such things; I just don’t have the time to be making new work.

So this blog will be taking a little hiatus. It should be back in the summer. Until then, you can check up on some athletic progress of mine. I’m training for an Ironman Triathlon in September (and I’m still figuring out how to turn it into a photo project). So, until this blog starts up again, take a moment to check out my Triathlon Blog.

Work Up Around the U.S.

If you are in the right neighborhoods around the US, stop in and see my work. I currently have work up in the Wellington B. Gray Gallery at the East Carolina University in Greenville, NC; and at the Buddy Holly Center in Lubbock, TX.

I have 2 prints in the “5th Photographic Image Biennial” in North Carolina:

Mark Klett, photographer and writer, was the juror for the NC show. I'm a big fan, so I was thrilled to have him look at my work, and more thrilled to have him choose 2 pieces of mine for the show.

And I have 1 print in “Illuminance,” a biennial photography exhibit in Texas:

Let me know if you can see either of these shows. I won’t be able to, and I’m curious as to how my work looks in relation to the rest of the show. Thanks!

Teaching: The Great Equalizer

Last week, CVA held a faculty / staff mixer at the Town and Country Club along the Mississippi (oooohh...ritzy!). It was typical: there was the faculty member who couldn’t stay awake during the presentation, the staffer who maybe had a bit too much to drink, and the flirtatious couple who is married (but to other people who weren’t there).

OK, so maybe just one of those 3 are true.

Earlier that day, I was able to meet the new folks teaching in the Photo Department. CVA now has a GREAT mix of people teaching photo classes. William Clark and Terry Gydesen are co-teaching a “professional practices” style class. Students will get great instruction from someone in the fashion / studio photography life, and from some doing street / documentary photography. Also Melody Gilbert, who has produced some VERY interesting documentary films, is teaching a digital video class.

I was sitting across the table from some GREAT artists, but 2 of them had NEVER taught before, and it had been 4 years since the other had taught. They were asking me for advice; I was preparing materials to send to them; we discussed student issues that were bound to come up.

We were equals. It was amazing.

Here’s to a great Spring Semester.

What NOT to Wear

(To coincide with Mr. Blackwell’s list that has just come out for 2006)

I was beginning to feel a lot of self-pity because of the lack of new work I’ve created over the past few months. When I heard about a “Sportsmen’s Show” coming to the area, I thought I’d go check it out.

I had forgotten one of my cardinal rules to making photographs: “Always dress in the manner of those to be photographed.”

I stood out like a bloody, swollen, sore thumb. This was a Sportsmen’s Show. Sportsmen. Think olive drab. Carhartt beige. Camo jackets with matching pants, gloves, hat, and boots.

That was not me today.

I was wearing a striped lime green polo shirt, which was bad for 2 reasons: 1, I stood out too much; and 2, it’s not nearly my favorite shirt in the closet, so I wasn’t 100% comfortable in it.

I spent half the day there, but only used my camera once. It wasn’t a great day. I talked to a lot of people, but I forgot that I am not able to work as slowly as I was during my residency. Oops. Too many new friends, not enough work to show for it.

That makes 2 lessons learned today: wear the right clothes, and get out the damn camera.

This is all I’ve got.
Too cutesy, I know.

Portfolio Review at MCP

Near the beginning of December, I received an e-mail from Jes at the Minnesota Center for Photography (MCP). It read:

“Thanks for your interest in MCP and our exhibition program. We have many artists seeking spots on our walls, and far too few opportunities to serve them all. However, after an initial introduction to your work, I would like to get to know a bit more about you and your art in a half-hour print review session here at the Center. I can’t promise that anything will result from the meeting in the short- or long-term, other than some intuitive feedback and increased familiarity on both sides of the table—mine, with your photography, and yours, with MCP and my take on your work. It is these kinds of interactions, though, that for me build over time into more thoroughly considered senses of one’s art...” Blah, blah, blah...

I thought Jes (who I knew from the U of M) put in a good word for me, which led to a review. I didn’t send them anything, and I didn't express "interest in MCP and their exhibition program.” Regardless, I didn’t care how it was arranged; I was just happy to get some face-time in at MCP. So last night, I got all gussied up, and headed to Minneapolis with my portfolio.

Looking smug in the MCP restroom

When I walked in, I ran into Beth Lehman, who was a Post Bac student while I was a Grad student at MCAD. She’s volunteering there, and she renewed my membership. Then I had my meeting with George Slade, the artistic director at MCP. It turns out that I DID express "interest in MCP and their exhibition program.” He had a packet that I had sent to MCP early in 2003, before I started Grad school about 4 years ago. I think they were just getting to my name down the list of photographers that have sent them work! I was almost embarrassed by the work that I had sent 4 years ago - so much has changed.

George had some nice things to say about my work; he had a very poetic way about him. He recognized some of the work from other contest winnings, McKnight entries, etc. I think my work made a good impression, and it was great being able to spend a half hour with George. Thank you, George, for your time and for the feedback you offered me. I’m ready to hang in the Minnesota Projects Gallery whenever you need me!

Embarrassing

This weekend, I’ve been working on cleaning the room known as “the guestroom / Steve’s storage room / Steph’s room.” I stumbled across my resume and artist’s statement that placed my work in it’s first official show - it was a show in a small gallery in Northfield, MN. My “Achievements/Awards” section of my resume consisted of these 5 things:

• a gallery showing (which was not a juried show; anyone who submitted work got in)
• teaching (voluntarily) an art class in my old middle school
• an academic scholarship
• being a Sunday School teacher
• being inducted into the National Honor Society

AND, to top it all off, my 8th grade teacher was listed as a reference at the bottom.

Good times.

Divine Intervention??

This morning, I posted how I was questioning the way I divide my time - wondering if I was spending too much time teaching and too little time making photos. Well, on my way home from a spinning class (yes, I’ve been known to go to spinning classes now and then) I caught the tail end of a story on Minnesota Public Radio about National Geographic photographer Jim Brandenburg. I don’t really care for his work, but I always like to hear from photographers regarding their opinions on the current state of photography as well as their random photographic stories. Even though I’m not a fan, I think we have a lot in common: we both photograph Minnesota (albeit much differently), we both could be more articulate about our work.... well, maybe that’s all.

Anyway, fate stepped in after I had been listening for just a few minutes. Jim was talking about the changing scene of working as a photographer for National Geographic (a very different world from the one that I work in, but there were still connections). I listened to what he said while parked outside my house, and then ran inside to write it down immediately:

“Just take pictures for fun, folks. Don’t try to make a living at it. Trust me. Trust me.”

Now I’m not saying that I’m throwing in the towel. I’m not done making photos. I’m still going to play this balancing act of teaching and shooting. I’m just as confused as I was a week ago. But the interview and the words that were spoken felt timed too perfectly, as if someone wanted me to hear them. Interesting...

Random Thoughts of Late December

If you haven’t noticed, I haven’t been making much work lately. Well.... I haven’t been making any work lately. I’ve been sending work out, applying to contests, etc, but I haven’t picked up a camera in a serious manner since my residency in Red Wing.

And it’s going to get worse before it gets better.

Spring semester I’m signed up to teach 5 DIFFERENT classes. It will help with the hope of a new home for Sarah and I in the next few months, but it won’t help my photo life. Or my sanity.

Don’t get me wrong - I really like teaching. I initially went to graduate school with the intent of teaching afterward. But now I feel like I’m not doing my photography career justice. I feel like if I could devote more time to making and promoting photos, I could go somewhere with my work instead of using my work as a way to get teaching jobs. But spending much more time on my photo career could be a pretty big gamble, and for how open-minded I am, I’m still a realist. And the realistic part of me says “Don’t squander your time away making pretty pictures.” I don’t know.

Speaking of making lots of work, check out Alec Soth’s photo blog. And, go get his (fairly) new book, Niagara. His work is great, and he’s simply a superb fella.