I always find it interesting to look back at the work I’ve done over the past year.  Each year brings new adventures and opportunities not to mention meeting and working with new people.  I’ve always said, and it remains true that the best thing photography and the arts have brought into my life are the people that I have met.  I’m always inspired by others and learn from them.  To a large extent this was a year of change for my work.  While I still love figure photography and will continue to do it I felt that I needed something else to expand my vision, something that offered new learning experiences and challenges.  I think I’m still searching…..

I was introduced to light painting or light sculpting as we like to call it late in 2010 and managed to put some more work into it in 2011.  My abilities and skills remain in their infancy but I’m enjoying the journey and have more planned for 2012.  Back in August I signed up for a workshop in the landscape in Lubec Maine with Harold Ross.  Harold is a local professional photographer with well over twenty years of light sculpting experience.  The thirteen hour drive to Lubec Maine was an adventure in itself as it rained harder than I’ve ever seen almost all the way up.  I’ve driven to Rockport Maine three times in the past but Lubec is considerably further north and east.  I have a new appreciation for just how large the state of Maine really is.  Have a look at a map and you’ll see just how far it is.  The experience was worth every ounce of angst I experienced.  Spending a week with others totally emerged in creativity was an unforgettable experience.  We photographed in the landscape at night and processed our images the next day under the tutelage of Harold and his assistant Roman Coia.  We had a chef come in everyday andprepare lunch and I have to say that these were the best lunches I’ve ever had at a workshop.

I was arm twisted by the wonderful folks over at the Chester County Art Association into participating in the first annual Plein Air Brandywine Valley competition.  At first I avoided it as I’m not big on competitions.  I don’t feel that art should be about competition and the best works selected by  a few.  I prefer that the consumer of the art decide if he or she likes it.  So off I went to photograph some beautiful and interesting locations in and around the Brandywine Valley.  One of the attractions of this event was the ability to have access to locations and places that are rarely if ever open to the public.

Many of us photographers have used Polaroid cameras and or film over the years and of course Polaroid is no longer making the wonderful instant films that have been so popular and interesting.  There is now an organization, The Impossible Project, that is making some very interesting films that work in the old Polaroid cameras.  I was given a few old 600 series cameras and decided to have a go with the Silver Shade film.

As I mentioned above I’m still searching a bit but I always enjoy portraiture and this year my focus has been on what I call “Uncommon Portraits”.