NOLA Photobooth

I get there late, the damn plane broke down, where am I. The gear I have never used; borrowed from generous local photographers “what is all this stuff?” The light is set with one  honeycomb, the  4x5 locked and loaded; no light meter… guess test… on my mark, ready to fail, ready to succeed… My fumbling is my fortune; the line is growing; let’s take some damn portraits… I was asked to setup a photobooth at the recent Slideluck show in New Orleans I gave away each of the Polaroid prints, but kept what was thought to be the negative. It turns out it was just a backing paper with a slight image ghosted on. I decide; f#$%^ it scan em. I have what I didn’t; reminders of a moment alive in their imperfections; the way the world is; the way I see...

Thanks For having me all...

S I L E N T M O A N: A VISUAL EXPLORATION

Well I have just returned from an incredible weekend in New Orleans! The opening of the show the Gala and artist talk, were some of the highlights that I expected. The true highlight though was being with family & friends and meeting new ones.  The photography community that New Orleans has built is incredible, I have not seen another one like it that is so enthusiastic and supportive, it truly is a unique time and place that is happening there. I am so honored to have been part of it. If the exhibition get’s one person that wasn’t excited about photography on board with us, then we have succeeded in sharing what we love. I also learned that my true love for photography can come at times of complete isolation so far from a busy gallery opening, weeks before in the basement of my old farmhouse. The walls are vibrating with music, it’s 3:30 in the morning… I have not slept; it was whiskey for dinner and selenium for dessert. I stare down with a weight on my eyes at the floor, step back from the piece I have been working on for 30 hours straight… It is finished, created from a dream of realizing this dusty floor can be used as a developing tray along with mops from home depot. I have just finished my first 50×58 in Selenium Toned Silver Gelatin Print. It lies there glowing in it’s own beauty and I realized at that exact moment I can say wearily “there is no one else in this world doing this in a basement in the middle of nowhere; it is my catharsis, it is my lift away.” It was so great meeting everyone, thank you so much for coming out and supporting Photo NOLA and what we love so relentlessly,  our medium...