Change of pace

Sea Horse. Found object, Grand Marais, Minnesota

Things have slowed down for my photography as I work on painting my house in advance of my daughter’s upcoming wedding reception. I decided to paint her old bedroom a neutral gray and turn it into a headshot studio. I have a much larger space in the basement to use when needed, but the ceiling is lower, which makes it hard to get my key light as high as I want when using larger modifiers.

I’ve been filling my creative time by taking some street photos, mostly in local coffee shops. (You can see a selection above.) The clientele at these neighborhood hangouts differs markedly and is ripe for documentation. I’d love to produce a book on the cafe culture of Minnesota. We’ll see. But given my current level of distractedness, it probably won’t happen.

Meantime, I decided to enter a juried photo contest at Praxis Gallery. I managed to get one image in the show, which runs through July 13 — the date of my daughter’s reception. The range of images in this juried show is impressive and inspiring. I am posting all of my entries here. If you have followed my work you may recognize them.

I have decided to throw my ego to the wind and entered another of the juried shows. This one is titled, “The Shadow Aspect.” It appeals to my love of chiaroscuro, especially that of the Dutch master painters. In a similar but inverted way, I love the use of empty space in Chinese and Japanese paintings. The contrast creates a penumbra transitioning between light and dark, absence and presence. It would feel great to have one of my images selected for this show but I’m not counting on it. There are so many great and creative photographers.

Generally speaking, I move on after I finish editing a photo. I suppose it’s a good thing to be compelled to take another look at my own work, and to see the work of others who tackled a similar theme. That said, it’s important to remember the wisdom of the Desiderata, especially this passage:

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. — Max Ehrmann, c. 1927