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During lunch, on a bright sunny day, I went for a walk through Edmands Park with camera in hand.  Inspired by Ansel Adams, I decided to shoot in black and white.  I’m quite excited to see how the pictures come out.  Mr. Adams was on my mind because of a recent blog post I’d read about some of his photos held at the National Archives.  In 1941 he was commissioned by the National Park Service to create a mural  that exemplified nature in the national parks.  When the U.S. entered World War II, the project was halted.  You can read more here on the National Archives website.  The following picture in particular lit the creative spark in me.

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I’m trying to learn more about black female photographers.  So far I’ve found the following resources.  Any other sites or sources recommended?

Blogs

carlagirl

Individuals

Zanele Muholi whose “work represents the black female body in a frank yet intimate way that challenges the history of the portrayal of black women’s bodies in documentary photography.”  Her “Being” series I found especially powerful.

Organizations

Sistagraphy an Atlanta-based collective of African American women photographers

The Exposure Group a thirty year old association of African American photographers in the Washington, DC area

Given that March is Women’s History Month, I thought I’d highlight some of my favorite female photographers.

Margaret Bourke-White

“Flag Making” Brooklyn, New York, July 24, 1940

Julia Margaret Cameron

Cameron portrait of Julia Prinsep Jackson, later Julia Stephen, Cameron’s niece, favourite subject, and mother of the author Virginia Woolf.

Dorothea Lange

Mississippi Delta Children


Hmmm.  I don’t think I’m being curmudgeonly or old-fashioned but … really … does every movie under the sun have to come out in 3D and be organ-rattlingly loud?   Where does cinema and the entertainment world go from here?  Perhaps back to the basics.   Here’s my two cents:  I think the next cinematic revolution will be silent, black and white films.  Unless there’s such a thing as 4D programming.  Is there?

I was surprised to see, after a cursory search, that there’s still quite a bit of activity around silent films.  There’s Silent Movie Mondays taking place in Seattle, and there was a silent film festival in Kansas this past February.  And here’s the blog for Ben Model a silent film music accompanist, and his 2010 road schedule.  And here’s a neat blog called The Bioscope “reporting on the world of early and silent cinema.”

Some of my favorites:  Son of the Sheik with Rudolf Valentino, The Hunchback of Notre Dame with Lon Chaney, anything with Charlie Chaplan and anything with Lillian Gish.

Want to know more?  Here’s a good jumping off point:  Silent Film Wikipedia entry

An Orchid in Back Bay

A Magnolia Bud in Central Square

A Squirrel Along the Charles River

Right now I am stuck in a wonderful creative space pondering portraits.  Not so much traditional portraits, though with the help of friends, I do enjoy challenging myself in that arena to capture the uniqueness of individuals.  Here’s a friend and her daughter.

But what if you can’t photograph someone’s face?  Maybe the person is shy.  Maybe the person has passed away.  Using photography, how do you present a picture of that person to the world?

A 2-Chipmunk Day

On the way into work this morning I saw not one but two chipmunks.  They raced along a stone wall surrounding the school where I work.  I just stood and watched them for a bit.  No reaching for the camera.  I’ve learned I have limited skill and luck in taking pictures of chipmunks.  Though I did have this lovely moment one autumn.

Here are a few fun chimpmunk facts from National Geographic.

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/chipmunk.html

March Updates …

Hi, all. I’ve been struggling with writing this month’s update. Not sure if that’s because I’ve got too much going on or too little. In any case …

Ordinary Beauty

Lately, I’ve been enjoying photographing the mundane. The absolutely ordinary. The every day items surrounding me at home. Like a stamp or a ball of yarn. How beautiful it has been!

Upcoming Exhibits

  • Riverside Gallery @ the Cambridge Community Center: I”m honored to be exhibiting at the Cambridge Community Center, located in the historic Riverside neighborhood of Cambridge, MA. Gallery curators seek to use the space to serve and connect the community. Opening reception is Saturday, March 6 from 4:00-6:00 pm. More details to follow.
  • Somerville Open Studios 2010: Preparations for SOS 2010 are heating up. Organizers are seeking volunteers. If you’re interested, you can find out more information here.
  • I’m seriously contemplating submitting an application to ArtBeat 2010 which takes place in Davis Square, Somerville, MA in mid-July. The event theme is Water and if you’ve perused my website at all, you know how much I love water images. The deadline is end of the month, so I’ll let you know in April if I get the paperwork in on time. 😉

New Opportunities

Based on a young friend’s suggestion, I’ve created a Just Postcards section on my photo website. Fairly unique postcards available for purchase for just $2.25. As the title suggests, they are images only available as postcards. My goal is to continue adding new images to this section, approximately once a month.

Submit!

Well, this past month I hunkered down and identified a bunch of online and print literary and consumer magazines open to freelance photography. I’ve sent off over a dozen new submissions and received only two rejections so far and one “maybe.” The list for March is just as long so … we’ll see. 😉

Write, Write, Write

I think it’s helped that it’s been so cold that I needed to stay inside. I’ve dusted off some old manuscripts and begun to rework them. I’ve pitched a few new article ideas to magazines and literary magazines. Most have to do with my family and close friends, aka the people who inspire and support me most.

My Current Inspirations are slave narratives, bookcases, kitchen tables, magazines I can’t really afford and cacti.  What’s inspiring you right now?