Wish You Were Here

2010-12-20T17:33:00.005-05:00

New year

New blog

2010-10-24T22:11:00.002-04:00

2010-09-01T16:59:00.003-04:00

test

2010-09-01T16:39:00.007-04:00

An image of Ozone Park from my project on Queens has been selected by judges Stephen Shore and Harvey Stein for inclusion in the annual group photography exhibition at Garrison Art Center. The show will open this Friday, September 3, with a reception from 6 - 8 pm. The varying work should be interesting.

The exhibition will run through September 26, in the Balter and Gillette Galleries. Garrison Art Center is located at 23 Depot Square on Garrison's Landing in Garrison, NY. Gallery Hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. For more information please call 845-424-3960 or visit www.garrisonartcenter.org

2010-08-25T14:59:00.001-04:00

2010-08-20T01:28:00.004-04:00

NASA - Of Dust and Creation

2010-08-18T01:51:00.002-04:00

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA

NASA - Of Dust and Creation

Chicago

2010-08-05T01:21:00.005-04:00

2010-08-04T01:11:00.002-04:00

I have an image in Humble Arts Foundation's, Group Show 36. Check it out along with the work of many fine photographers.

© Louise Sturges

© Sean Ellingson

2010-08-03T16:04:00.013-04:00

I can't even explain how much I love postcards. So needless to say how great it was to open my mailbox and see this today! Such a nice surprise, especially since the only other things I got were a bill and a casino rewards flyer addressed to the previous tenant. Despite the recent NYC heat, it would be pretty nice to be there right now!

2010-07-30T23:12:00.005-04:00

Wow, I have been gone for a while. It has been one month exactly since my last post. July has been a busy, busy month... will be posting some new things soon!

Klea McKenna

2010-06-30T23:59:00.005-04:00

Klea McKenna was recently selected by Aperture's Lesley A. Martin, for the 3rd Curator's Choice Award of Jen Bekman's Hey, Hot Shot! competition. McKenna describes her recent project Slow Burn as "an ongoing series of experiments" which in my opinion results in some really beautiful work (that I had not seen before today). Instead of writing about it myself, take a look at what Ms. Martin writes here and take a look at more of Klea's work here (and be sure to read her excellent statement).

Photos © Klea McKenna

InOrbit NY

2010-06-22T17:28:00.006-04:00

Some of my Queens images are featured on InOrbit New York today. It is a great new site edited by James Turnley and Bryan Formhals featuring photography and other things about NYC. Be sure to check it out.

2010-06-16T15:33:00.001-04:00

This Thursday

2010-06-08T01:50:00.006-04:00

Will Steacy's show, Down These Mean Streets opens this Thursday at Michael Mazzeo Gallery. I have been a fan of his work, especially this project for a while now. This should be a great show - not to be missed.

Also, be sure to check out Summer Staged over at Foley Gallery (at their brand new location at 548 W. 28th, 2nd floor), which is also opening. Artists in the show include Tribble & Mancenido, Steven B. Smith, Amy Stein, and several others.

The 6th Boro

2010-05-14T19:09:00.003-04:00

New York-based photographers, Lou Peralta and Joe Howansky are curating an exhibition which will feature nine photographers' take on New York City. I don't know much about this, but it seems really interesting, especially since my most recent project is based on Queens.

From their website:

The 6th Boro is an upcoming exhibition showcasing 9 photographer’s contrasting views of New York City. Despite its solid façade, the city is an amorphously perceived environment. It’s natives, it’s transplants, and those who simply come to visit as tourists have disparagingly different perceptions of it. They therefore experience what could conceptually be considered entirely different cities: the spectacle, the ideal, and the “truth”. The 6th Boro presents artists who, through their photography, convey alternate perceptions of the city which the viewer might be unfamiliar with.

Submissions are being accepted (for free!) until June 14th.

See more info on their website.

NYPH 2010

2010-05-11T01:34:00.009-04:00

© Marcel Gahler

New York Photo Festival starts on Thursday! My schedule has been quite busy as of late, but I am hoping to make it to a lot of the events.

While browsing the participating artists, Marcel Gahler's work caught my eye. His work is part of the Use Me, Abuse Me exhibition curated by Erik Kessels, at Smack Mellon. Overall the festival looks like it will prove to be better than the last.

Also up during the festival is Full Frame, a group exhibition of work by Pratt Institute's graduating photography seniors. This year's class is much larger than mine was and the show includes a lot of great work. So be sure to stop by!

Full Frame: An Exhibition of Photographs by the Pratt Senior Class
111 Front Street, Suite 461
DUMBO, Brooklyn, NY

through May 15th

Gallery Hours:

Wednesday - Friday: 2pm - 6pm
Saturday-Sunday: 12 - 6pm

© Natasha Otrakji

Hey, Hot Shot!

2010-04-21T12:48:00.006-04:00

Have A Nice Day, 85th St., Hollis, Queens, 2008

I have been shooting Queens for almost three years now and since my most recent project is finally at a stage where I feel comfortable showing it to people and more tightly edited than it was in the past - I decided it was time try to make it a little more visible. While there are signs it is getting better, the current economy sometimes dissuades me from submitting work to competitions - that and the fact that I don't exactly have a lot of cash anyway, to spend on this sort of thing. However, since I really like what they are doing over there at Jen Bekman Gallery with 20x200 and other means of helping emerging photographers reach more people, I chose to enter this round of Hey, Hot Shot! And much to my surprise, there was a nice little write up of my work on their blog today!

Take a look at their post here

2010-04-06T18:24:00.003-04:00

The iPad was finally released this past Saturday (April 3) and I can gladly say my website is in fact fully functional on the newest Apple product. My images actually look pretty darn good on the thing too - but I still have to ask myself, is an iPad really necessary? I know that I will not be getting one any time soon, nor feel the need to own one. However, after being bombarded with posts from several different websites asking, "Is your website iPad ready?", I had to check it out...Not that I would have put making my site operational on it at the top of my to-do list.

Off Topic

2010-04-05T23:35:00.003-04:00

I am very excited to hear that one of my favorite hometown bands, The Ponys, who seemed to have disappeared after their 2007 album, "Turn The Lights Out", are releasing some new material. Their new EP "Deathbed + 4" will be out later this month in digital format and May 25th on vinyl. They will even be playing some shows!

More info, tour dates, and a listen here.

Article on their disappearance here.

2010-03-31T20:07:00.003-04:00

Glad to be back in the darkroom today! The negatives should be scanned shortly for real online viewing...

Updated

2010-03-20T20:02:00.003-04:00

College Point, Queens, 2009

My website is now updated with more Queens images and a side project based in Floral Park. More to come soon! Check it out!

NJ Numbers

2010-03-18T19:27:00.004-04:00

Tonnelle Ave, North Bergen, NJ, 2006

Another one from the archives.

2010-03-02T16:26:00.003-05:00

Woodside, Queens, 2009

The good ole website should be updated with some new(ish) Queens images in the next week or so. I will also be adding location titles, so they are not literally just "somewhere in Queens"... and maybe some work from new projects if I am not too nervous to share.

From the Archives

2010-02-25T17:52:00.004-05:00

Oh, Illinois

2010-02-24T21:10:00.011-05:00

Main Street, Chadwick, Illinois 2006 © Dave Jordano

When I checked my email today, I was greeted with my subscription from Culturehall. The current feature, Inside Out, curated by Tema Stauffer includes Juliana Beasley, Wayne Liu, Heather Musto, and Dave Jordano. While I have seen his photos before, I was struck by Jordano’s work this morning. I am pretty sure it has to do with the fact that I am originally from Chicago and his project, Prarieland, focuses on rural Illinois. While I lived in the city itself, I have traveled the roads and highways of rural Illinois quite a bit – as a child with my parents, road trips with friends, and photographing as an adult. Not that upstate New York can’t provide me with nature and give me a break from the always hectic city - Jordano’s images made me a bit homesick. Rural America often tends to have a similar feel, but there is just something about the Midwest that cannot be replicated, for me at least.

This also sparked a lot of thought about photography and things I have been reading over the past couple of weeks. Recently there has been a lot of discussion (on blogs and in person) on similar photographs/projects, etc. A good read on this topic is over on Conscientious, Jorg Colberg’s blog. I actually have no problem what-so-ever with similar work (within reason). There is obviously a line that should not be crossed, which to me is common sense – but I don’t really want to talk about copyright infringement and people copying other people’s work and so on. Instead, I have been thinking about various artists doing projects on similar, if not the same places, in similar styles, etc. I have heard people say, “Does the world really need another Stephen Shore?” or so and so place has already been covered by so and so photographer. But does this really matter? In my opinion, a different artist usually brings something new to the work and it is not the same as Shore’s or Sternfeld’s or whoever, because it is shot today, not in 1970 - whatever. Heck, I have been shooting Queens since I moved to New York a number of years ago only to find out a year and a half into shooting, that Queens College commissioned photography greats, Joel Sternfeld and Frank Gohlke to shoot the borough. Does this bother me? No. Did I ever think I would be the only one to shoot Queens? No. However, I feel the work is different enough, because I am seeing the landscape in a totally different way, as a newcomer, resident – culture shock from moving here from Chicago, etc. etc. At any rate, I think that it is somewhat selfish to limit the things/places we photograph (not that people do... and again, within reason) because there is a greater audience out there other than the photo/art world (that sees things completely differently and has way more exposure to different artists and work than the average person). What is overkill to one person is loved by another. But we already knew this.

Anyway, I don't usually write this much and I am rambling at this point, so I will stop. I hope all that makes sense. Until next time...

Post Valentine's Day

2010-02-15T18:40:00.004-05:00

(iPhone)

2010-02-01T17:45:00.008-05:00

© Bryan Lear

© Carl Wooley

Amherst, Massachusetts, Thanksgiving, 2008

I found the first two images while meandering around the Internet. I do not know either of the two photographers, but their work definitely deserves a look. I love that the images are all basically of the same thing, yet different, and it's interesting that each of us saw something compelling in what is otherwise just a generic grass island. The last image is a rough scan from a side project I have been working on rather slowly. Only time will tell where it will go.

2010-01-29T16:55:00.004-05:00

"Similar houses of a 'cookie cutter' suburban Queens neighborhood in New York City."
1935 LIFE Magazine

via Gothamist

Kodak Film Grant Recipients Announced

2010-01-17T18:43:00.010-05:00

Things have been quite hectic as of late (and not really in the good way). What I thought to be a brief break from posting suddenly turned into a two month hiatus. I have a lot of new things happening at once, including a new apartment which is the main reason for my lack of web presence. However, now that life has begun to calm down a bit and I am plugged back in - I should be able to run a tighter ship!

A while back I posted about the Too Much Chocolate / Kodak film grant. While the aforementioned busyness prevented me from making the deadline to enter the competition, it looks like the recipients (which were announced earlier this month) are a great group of artists and will make great use of the grant. The work of two photographers particularly caught my eye, possibly because I am a sucker for seeing images of places I have never been through the eyes and lenses of someone else.

Anna Beeke of Brooklyn, documents Amsterdam, NY.

"Anna’s project, Amsterdam, New York, is a photographic document of a town in decline, and the life that continues there. It is part topography, part emotional response, and part “portrait of a town” in the classic sense of the photo essay. Much of the project is about physical spaces, occupied and unoccupied: Beeke explores the contrast between Amsterdam’s living and dead spaces, how its residents relate to the physical space of the city, and how their lives are informed by the landscape in which they carry out their daily rituals."

© Anna Beeke

Susan Worsham's, (of Richmond, VA) project, By the Grace of God, "is a series about Worsham’s home, the South, that takes her beyond her backyard, following a southern road, and documents places and characters that she uncovers."

© Susan Worsham

I am excited to see more images from both of these women.

And then there is also Murray Ballard's (of Brighton UK) look at cryonics, which is a fascinating subject in and of itself.

© Murray Ballard

The complete list of recipients as well as more info on the whole thing can be found on the Too Much Chocolate website, or more specifically, here. Be sure to check it out!

Philadelphia, PA

2009-11-01T16:25:00.009-05:00

Some last minute plans took me to Philadelphia this weekend to see the viewing for the Modern & Contemporary Art sale at Freeman's auctioneers. Not really going to these types of things all that often since I am in no position to buy; it was really interesting see the great deal of work that goes into making it happen and how much things are selling for in the current market. The sale included work from the Lehman Brothers Collection as well as some beautiful Berenice Abbott prints which were roughly 8x10 inches each, sold as a set of 10 for $12,000.

© Berenice Abbott

To make the most of my short time in Philly I also stopped by a few shows on the great recommendations of Justin James Reed. One of the shows I particularly enjoyed was Personal Views: Contemporary Photographic Portraiture in Philadelphia, at Gallery 339. If you know me, it may not sound like a show I would like since my own work doesn't include people most of the time. I am frequently asked why that is and it really has nothing to do with me liking portraiture or not. I guess I would say that my interests seem to subconsciously shift toward the marks people make and the presence of people, rather than people themselves. However, some projects that are currently in the early stages (ie in my head) do include some people. So we will see how that plays out.

Personal Views runs through November 14 at Gallery 339, which has the friendliest staff that I think I have ever seen by the way - so check it out if you have the chance.

© Nadine Rovner

© Rita Bernstein

© Zoe Strauss

2009-10-21T01:41:00.004-04:00

Interesting story of photographer Vivian Maier, from Chicago. While not all of her photographs were taken in the Chicago, her images are particularly compelling to me since I am originally from the city. This one shows the former Woods Theatre on the corner of Randolph and Dearborn.

found on Barry Stone's blog

2009-10-19T16:44:00.004-04:00

The Return of Polaroid!

2009-10-14T01:04:00.005-04:00

Spectra Film, Expired: 2002

Thanks to The Impossible Project, Polaroid film returns in 2010!

I myself have a bunch in the fridge, and was waiting for the right time to use it...

More cameras too.

Top 10 Doctored Photos

2009-10-07T22:18:00.003-04:00

Matthew Brady / Library of Congress

Fascinating article from Time.

In other news today, Irving Penn has passed away...very sad...

2009-10-02T19:59:00.003-04:00

Since I have finally returned to the darkroom here is a new image...however, just a quick scan with next to no corrections...more soon...

01165

2009-10-02T19:05:00.003-04:00

Found on my hard drive...so many things to sift through...hard drive...negatives...contacts...

Maybe some new work and an updated website will be online soon...

Ryan Monaghan

2009-09-29T23:13:00.006-04:00

photo © Ryan Monaghan

Tonight was the Hey Hot Shot! Confab and Print Trade, which was held at White Rabbit on the Lower East Side. I just yesterday found out about the event and thought it was a pretty cool idea so I decided to see what print I could offer up. However, after a long day and being a bit tired I wasn't all that sure I wanted to make my way over there and spend the night in a severely crowded bar...and crowded it was. In the end I did make it to event and it paid off - I lucked out and now own a print of the photograph shown above by Ryan Monaghan...and to top it off it is an 11x14 c-print, when nearly all prints were 8x10! The image is from a series in which Ryan explores hunting culture. I first remember seeing his work on the HHS! blog and thought it was pretty interesting...I never would have guessed that a few months later I would be able to revisit it.

You can see more of Ryan's work on his website.

House Pictures

2009-09-18T18:31:00.008-04:00

Looking around online today I found myself doing a bit of reading about one of my old favorites, Henry Wessel. I won't go as far as to say he heavily influenced my work and when I shot these photographs I wasn't particularly thinking of Wessel - but when I was printing them he did come to mind. So anyway, I guess this is my nod to one of the greats (who in my opinion, is often overshadowed by bigger names).

Four houses in Floral Park, Queens
(from Somewhere in Queens)

Real Estate Photos by Henry Wessel
(from House Pictures, 1990)

Amy Stein - Domesticated

2009-09-01T17:45:00.005-04:00

photo © Amy Stein

An exhibition of Amy Stein's project, "Domesticated" opens on September 10th at ClampArt. I'll be there, will you? It will be a great show!

TMC + Kodak Film Grant

2009-08-24T00:05:00.002-04:00

"Too much chocolate is excited to partner with Kodak in offering its first-ever film grant program, with submissions opening September 1st, 2009. This grant will provide 10 non-represented photographers with the film needed to execute a new or ongoing personal project, to be completed during 2010. This partnership aims to recognize strong project ideas from talented and emerging photographers, allowing them to fully realize a body of work that may not have been achieved otherwise. At the start of 2011, the recipients’ final projects will be brought together and exhibited through a variety of online, magazine, and gallery showcases."

Read more here

Self Publishing with Beth Dow

2009-08-14T22:26:00.004-04:00

Some pretty great information from Beth Dow, the 2008 winner of Blurb's Photography.Book.Now competion. The interview is brought to you by the folks over at Hey Hot Shot.

Read the HHS interview here

Something Old, Something New

2009-08-11T18:49:00.005-04:00

Bush + Berries, 2008

I am just about done with the portfolio prints for my Queens work and now revisiting a past project and starting something new. So, needless to say, I am excited to get out of the borough of Queens! I will post some new work soon...

Tema Stauffer Interview

2009-08-10T18:31:00.003-04:00

In the early spring I conducted an interview with the talented Tema Stauffer for a class I was taking. I also had the pleasure of meeting her at the Pratt Institute Senior Thesis Exhibition in DUMBO, which I was a part of. If you want to check it out you can view it on her blog here...a lot of great information from a great artist.

Round Two

2009-08-10T18:03:00.003-04:00

So here goes my second attempt at a blog.... I can't promise this will be updated frequently, but we shall see what happens... In the next couple of days I will update with some fun things like links and such... and maybe a post or two...

Stay tuned...