I Married a Photographer

About a week ago, Dean mentioned to me in passing, that the Degenstein art show was coming up soon.  After all of the normal life events, we’ve been busy organizing and cleaning at the house along with working 40 hour weeks.  So, yes, it slipped my mind.  One morning, while I was at work, I had a chance to research the artist submission dates. One day, we had one day. Ugh!

Luckily, I don’t go into panic mode very easily. I called the usual suspects, to see if I could get some last minute matting to enhance the photos.  Of course the only day I need it, is the day she happens to be closed. In a moment of clarity, I thought that maybe we should just take what we have, re-mat and ref-frame some pieces and submit them. Since last year, Dean has done a lot of different works such as, the abstracts and the vehicle HDR’s, most recently we’ve been working on night photos playing around with the lighting.  Until we get some actual studio equipment, using just the SB-800 is tough.  We’ve found that in most cases that one flash simply does not do the trick.  With that said, we concluded to submit, “Enlightened”, “Cracked Stone [ala Brett Weston]” and “Union Tree”.  At last year’s competition, a photo of a sepia tree won first prize, Dean and I figured that we couldn’t go wrong entering a tree, a wall and one that sends a bit more of a message (please read the chalkboard).

I chose the matting cleverly, using colors that enhanced the images.  For the “Cracked Stone” piece, I used a sharp looking, satin-like, black mat which really made it look even more moody.
Thursday evening came, we went to the artist’s reception saw lots of photos of birds, bees and flowers.  One of the other artists there has kind of the same feel as Dean’s photos, subject moody, dark, interesting.  Her image was very well processed, and cleanly framed, she was awarded first place in the advanced photography, rightfully so.  Second place was a Hallmark looking image of a book and lantern on a window sill with a lighthouse in the background, honorable mention -a staircase.  Ugh!  That’s really all I can say.
Now I do agree that not everybody has to have the same taste in art but I suspect that some of the chosen winners had a relationship with the society or the judge.  I am not certain if the artist’s names were made known to the judge but I have a hunch that it was common knowledge.  With all of that said, I think we’ll lean toward larger prints and maybe a more dramatic frame, next time.

After a long hiatus of not reading for leisure, more specifically, not reading anything interesting for leisure.  My husband bought me a book on our recent trip to California.  I like reading and I enjoy it even more when I can commit to completing a book.  I used to read all the time, I always had a book in my hand.  After passing my boards, I would look forward to pouring myself a glass of wine, spending the evening on my bed or futon and diving into a good book.  Since Dean and I have been married I think I finished one book (In Cold Blood by Truman Capote),  just measuring a milestone to a milestone.
With all of this being said, my writing skills are severely crippled.  When I don’t read for a creative outlet, I cannot write with much of a flair it becomes clinical and concrete.  When I was a Chemistry major at Bloom, I had to take a few gen eds my first 2 semesters, one was Comp 1.  I found that when I applied myself to the topic, I did very well at expressing how I felt and why I felt that way.  It became a great tension release, eventually I found that I somewhat relied on my writing to help me work through my problems.  So let me give it a whirl again.
On a Summer morning, one of the Pennsylvania summer days where at 9 am the weather is that cool muggy feeling.  You walk outside and you can feel the layer of  humidity stick to your skin.  I zipped up the lap-top bag and walked out the front door.  Running over The Checklist.  I have this tendency of doing the check list before I leave the house, fridge door closed tightly, toilet running,  stove off, iron unplugged, doors closed, windows shut, etc.  Really the way I was raised, this list could go on forever. I reached to my ears, slipping my earrings on while getting into the passengers side of the car.  Though on the drive we had light conversation about the future’s events, I ran through how and when I should approach people when I am out; and one thing I make a point to do is wear something memorable.  Identifiable.  For example, when Dean and I decided to go to the Children’s Miracle Network motorcycle ride at Quaker Steak and Lube in Bloomsburg, I had starfish earrings on and my hair styled in pigtails.  That should be easy to spot, right?
As the morning progressed, the sun beat down hard on our shoulders and noses forming beads of sweat that no matter how often you wipe them off, reform in the same spots seconds later.   We approached the entrance gate where a woman stood, wearing a baseball cap and a bright orange or yellow vest, as if we’d all have a hard time seeing her without it.  Dean, wearing one of his tie-dye shirts, grabbed his camera equipment, strapped it on him and away we went.
Lined on the south by the river and the north by the edge of town, the open fields of the airport were a welcome setting for a car show.  We entered the grounds and turned left toward an open macadam lot where, in clear view, were the hangars.  After zigzagging through  the crowd of people and beautifully shiny chromed-up cars, trucks and bikes, we were  fortunate to find a ton of friendly people who permitted us to take photos of their vehicles.  I remember thinking that by 1130, the sun was so bright and unobstructed that I could barely look at 50% of the vehicles. Much too too shiny and clean!  Ouch!  We made it a point to give out as many business cards as possible, meet and mingle with as many people as we could and really sell our idea and skill.  Looking back, I think that it was a great marketing move.  Word of mouth is still one of the best forms of advertising out there and when people can put a face to it, how can we go wrong?
Well, I’ll tell you how.  The evening before the car show, Dean and I were playing around with the flash on the camera.  Trying  different lighting techniques, etc.  As one of the settings on the camera changes the white balance to compensate for the different lights one can shoot in. The entire collection of photography taken at the car show was done in an incorrect white balance.  Now thanks to technology, all of those types of errors can be corrected through a few different programs.  I can’t recall the software that he did end up using but thankfully, he could correct them.

Some people just think too much and others, not at all.  You can never have an opinion anymore without it offending someone or some thing, causing some sort of personal uproar.  I like opinions, I enjoy that each of us can contribute our life experience to bond and appreciate one another for what it is or isn’t and live.  With that said Dean and I had a new experience this past weekend.

We met new photography clients (this part of photography is what I really enjoy)!  This particular family heard about us from a co-worker.  After seeing Dean’s photos, in the locker/break room at work she asked about us.  Presentation  in this case is important but not so much so that we really have to ‘sell’ our product.  In this aspect, we can let the product speak for itself.  Our focus was more on capturing the personality of the family and really having shots that express them.  So in our meeting we focused on what they like, which setting would make them comfortable, etc.

By Saturday, I was nervously excited.  I knew that Dean was getting into his groove.  I called to touch base with the client and make sure everything was still a go for the day.  After meeting them, Dean guided them to just be themselves.  They played a game of dominoes on the floor as Dean was clicking away with his D300.  We shot for about 1 and a half hours, took about 350 photos and came out with some really beautiful shots!  With permission, we will eventually post them but for now you’ll just have to imagine how spectacular they are!

Now we’re on to our next big endeavor!

Will post later, start thinking . . . stay tuned.

Near the Loyalsock trail

Driving up to World’s End State Park was a smidge longer than what I expected.  Referring to good old Google maps on my iPhone, I estimated about how far we’d need to travel. In any event, we eventually arrived. A brisk, windy day we unloaded the car at our first stop; an overlook with a view into the valley. It was what it was, simple, green and pretty but not breathtaking.  And so we moved on, heading to our next destination in the park.  It seemed like we drove for miles and miles before finding the perfect space to capture some nature shots.  From what I can remember, we set up shop near the Loyalsock trail where Dean found a nice waterfall and natural surroundings.

Though artists hit creative funks like everyone in life, sometimes it is just a matter of sliding into hip-waders and trudging through the s**t. This particular day Dean was not feeling creative, nor was I.  Hiking a few thousand feet through the forest wasn’t highly inspiring.  What it all came down to was this odd feeling in the woods.  Only after hiking did Dean make the observation that there was no sign of wildlife.  No bunny, deer, snail, chipmunk, squirrel. Nothing.  Not a thing.  Not even a bird!  How peculiar! A state park with no animals!  I think that aided us into not feeling inspired, it was so boring the animals left.  Bizarre!  In any event, we happened to get some images that proved to be useful.

To better describe this image, I stood in the woods and looked down to see an intense shade of rust in a linear form with multiple striations but not much movement. It was called mineral creek. What Dean captured here was part of that rust colored formation along with many shapes.  I was drawn to the color but seeing this same image in black and white forces your eye to appreciate the forms. What Dean can find in situations as I explained, is what sets him apart from many photographers.  Taking a unique view and making it his.

There are times in life, when events just fall together.  Those times leave me feeling somewhat uneasy.  I’m a realist, logical, level-headed a bit of a concrete thinker.  I have a plan for almost every situation, hence why Dean is so interesting to me.  On occasion, I have a difficult time reading him and where he is taking things.
Yesterday we were out on the dreaded house hunt, driving around the school district, keeping our fingers crossed for that house we can call home.  In our unplanned path, we found a familiar road that led us to a one room schoolhouse.  It wasn’t boarded up or in terrible shape.  Dean grabbed his camera and told his model to take her place.  Inside the building were about 6 desks, in various stages of destruction, a stripped hard wood floor accented with three busted windows on either side.  The walls were painted bright green which hadn’t seemed to dim since the original application of the paint.  To the front of us was the wall-O-chalkboard and behind us was a rusty sink, counter top and drawers.
What Dean captured there was a juxtaposition of ideas.  A lonely girl sitting at her desk, learning.  Written on the board “Fuck the Rulez”.

Visiting Eastern State penitentiary (ESP) is a sort of overwhelming experience.  Like any tourist attraction, there are guided tours, headsets with an at-your-pace tour narrated by Steve Buscemi, or the freedom to roam about the premises as you wish.  After we paid and received the fashionable headsets we strolled through the massive abandoned structure.  I began listening to the headset tour while keeping an eye on Dean, stepping onto the yard before we even entered the first cell block was overwhelming.  I was surrounded by these immense structures that represent penitence and suffering, it was palpable like a lump in my throat.

From a photographic standpoint, Dean really couldn’t take a bad shot in the entire place; so much history, lives changed.  Listening to the recorded tour became lame to me.  I enjoyed the history but found it somewhat canned and I like to imagine what may have happened years ago in Capone’s cell.  This particular prison opened in 1829, closed in 1971  and held 1,700 prisoners at one time, originally it was built to hold only 250. 

Among the peeling paint, crumbling walls and rusted metal bars, we captured a ton of photos.  Unfortunately, there wasn’t much we could do about the point of view we took the photos from.  The photos that Dean did take represent his artistic expression and the overall feel of the  prison. A lot of the areas we’re blocked off, so I felt limited, I could only imagine how Dean felt.  He wanted to capture the dark, moody feel of the old prison so he used the ever so detailed HDR technique.  The results turned out beautifully, showing lots of amazing detail and color.  We had the chance to look at some other photographs that were taken and we think ours have a bit more flair.  They can all be viewed on Dean’s Flickr page, the bigger the better.

Oh yeah, then we bolted off to see The Dead! Whole other topic!