Organic Photography

I received a shipment of books today for a column that I am writing for a Photographer's magazine. I am a little concerned about where I am going to store all of the books that will be coming should the column be successful. (This first one is a trial run.) Some of them are lovely. I'm excited about the opportunity and the books themselves, just worried about the space constraints of our already full condo. Hmmmm. What is a girl to do?

It has not been an easy few months. When I decided to return to photography after six years in a relatively lucrative corporate position I knew it wouldn't be. Everything that is worth doing is worth struggling for, worth whatever heartache, obstacles, and pressures come your way. Getting this MFA was worth doing. Despite the long and hard academic road, the trials and tribulations of living 200 miles from my husband, the financial hole I dug for us - despite all of that, this road was worth taking. I will never look back at my choices and think "what if." Never. I pursued my dream and it has gotten me here. And here seems to be acknowledging my struggles. I have now had three articles published, two about well-respected photographers and one about me. Three more are in the queue with various publications to be published soon. I was just recently asked to join Photographer's Forum magazine as their book reviewer and will be starting a position teaching photo...

I know I haven't written for a while. That would mostly be because I was concentrating on the show, the defense, and the culminating document. All of that is completed, now. I finished the remaining requirements and as of December 6 th I am officially a Brooks MFA graduate. The ceremony itself was held on December 21st and my immediate family and some professors were there to celebrate. There was a small snafu with the actual hooding process as Dr. Anderson had trouble getting my hood to open and accusingly uttered "Did you sew it shut?" as he frantically tried to pull the edges apart, but aside from that the ceremony went off without a hitch. Now the real work begins. I have been applying to jobs and seeking out opportunities since April of last year, but in many senses I have given myself leeway for not having found work because I was still "in school" despite the fact that classes themselves stopped meeting in August. Now, though, I have to find a job ...

I realize it has been a while since my last post. It has been a hectic several months full of ups and downs. And this is why. This short video documents the culmination of my last three and a half years of education. After this, who knows what will happen . . . Video

Okay, now I have that song in my head. As well as images of G.O.B. and his dance to the song from "Arrested Development." Ah, yes. So much fun. At any rate, that is hardly the point of my blog. I have been having trouble as of late finding the motivation to work on my final document, to shoot the remaining images that are milling around in my brain, and to continue down this path to my final destination - that of graduating with a terminal degree. For some reason, this weekends class lit a fire under me. The class itself was brief, but we got some very important information that we have all been waiting for and needing for a long time. We now know when the shows will hang, who will be hanging when, and what the final criteria are for finishing out the program. I will be hanging with some phenomenal photographers at the end of September, with an official gallery opening on the first Thursday of October. Two and a half months away. This is it, people. This is what it ...

I have now officially been published in a real, live magazine. Lifelong goal, accomplished. You can read the entire article, and see the images, here . YAY!

I just found out that I will be published in the PIEA journal, the first and only (to my knowledge), peer reviewed journal about photography. It is easier sometimes to recognize when everything is going wrong rather than when something goes right. I am not an optimist, so when things do pan out well I usually write them off or underplay them. But I am trying to change my outlook. I am trying to be a better proponent of myself. This is a win. Getting an article published in Rangefinder is also a win. I still have a lot of things that I have done that have not gone anywhere, not received note, merit, or award, but now I have two wins. So all of the effort I have put forward hasn't been for nothing, hasn't been a waste. My networking, my hard work, my attention to my writing has paid off. In one of these two cases, that will be literal. I think it is important to list the wins. I think it is important to understand that progress has been made in order to continue to make...