Photography for Artists, fine art and craft photography, Arc Photographic Images

Diane Chester Demico

2012-01-31T15:20:00.001-05:00

I had the pleasure of working with Diane Chester-Demico a few weeks ago. Her work is always fun and she uses a lot of natural shapes and stone in her work which makes for an interesting combination. Diane is also the artist in residence at the Worchester Craft Center in Worchester Mass. Below are some images from our shoot.

Much of Diane's work has small stone accents like the one below that fit either under or next to the piece in little alcoves or balance on the piece in grooves.

These two images below are actually the same piece, in one configuration it looks almost like a bird's nest.

But turn it on it's side and it becomes a cliff wall.

Diane often plays with combinations of stone that she finds and glass, below two green "jewels" of glass are fused into the rock.

Here Diane has cut glass inserts into the rock and then reformed the rock back to its original shape.

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Fred Herbst

2012-01-24T14:01:00.000-05:00

I am a little behind on my blogging, Fred came to see me in December and I am just getting his images up now. I will blame the holiday's I think.

Sometimes it is the little extras in a work that take it over the top. Not only does Fred craft beautiful pottery, his handles and tops so well done add another dimension to the work like this one below.

The shape and colors work so well with together in this vase. You can see more of Fred's work here. Also check out his new website www.fredherbst.com.

These images are another example of how the little things can add to a work. Both the metal top on the first and the handles on the pot add just that little bit extra to the pieces.

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Lise Bouvet,

2012-01-09T09:28:00.000-05:00

I was working with Ithaca area artist Lise Bouvet a few weeks ago on some new work. I had a special treat because at the second session we got to try out my new black background for jewelry. Still a work in progress but I think it is coming along nicely and will go well with my clients who do silver in particular. You can see more of Lise's work at her website.

What you might not know about Lise's work is that all her metals are from recycled sources.

Below is the new black background I was telling you about, I think it will be even better once I get a spot light on it instead of a softbox but I like how it makes the twists and turns of this piece really stand out.

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to see more jewelry photography by arc photographic images click here

Gerald Bailey

2012-01-02T09:41:00.000-05:00

I'm finally starting to get back into routine now that the holiday's are over and my first order of business for this week was to add Gerald's work to my blog. This is the third time I've shot for Gerald now I think and he always brings me something interesting. Mostly we photograph wall hangings and my favorites are almost always like the first one below.

Nothing must ever go to waste in Gerald's studio since if the piece doesn't come out it gets broken down and reused on another one. I asked Gerald if he had to make pieces specifically to be broken but he said he had enough old work he didn't like as well to use as bits and pieces for his wall hangings.

This is one of a series of pieces, Gerald played around with different colors as well as geometric forms.

Sometimes it is the happy accident that helps a piece stand out and for me the large crack on the top and the two smaller ones on the sides only add to an already lively work.

While we were shooting Gerald wanted to know what each piece make me think of. He wanted to see if what he was thinking at the time was coming through the abstract nature of his work or if other's would primarily bring their own meaning to it. Quite a few times I thought just as he did, I can't remember if the piece below was one of those times but I'll tell you what I see, it makes me think of a nest of sea turtle eggs just after they have hatched. What about you?

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Josh Ries: Pennsylvania Glass Artist

2011-12-29T09:52:00.001-05:00

Before the holiday's I had the opportunity to shoot a full day with Josh Ries, he needed to put together a portfolio so we blocked off the day and got to work. Josh had a number of fun and interesting pieces including neon so there are a lot of pictures to look at. You can learn more about Josh at his website www.joshriesglass.com

This is a close up of one of several cane pieces that gave me a heck of a time.

I thought this was really clever, the eggs are separate from the nest so it took a little coaxing to get them to set in there just right but they look right at home.

I wish I had thought to ask Josh about the inspiration of this piece!

This is one of two similar vases we shot Josh said they are some of his best sellers and if you look at the detail below you can clearly see why I kept finding all kinds of things to look at in the design.

Believe it or not this is not the first high heeled shoe incorporated into a piece of glass sculpture that I have shot, I want to say this series was called "you can't take it with you".

A little neon spinning top, the tilt was an accident it was actually falling over as I took the picture and Josh had to catch it but I think the tilt works well given the shape of the piece.

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Thea Demitre

2011-12-15T16:22:00.001-05:00

Thea Demitre and I met at Corning where she has taken several workshops and I photograph during the winter and summer workshops sessions. She was in town (was it a month ago already) and called me to get some one on one time. We did a lot of work in a short period of time and she brought some great pieces and props which is always fun when shooting jewelry. You can see more of her work at www.theademitredesigns.com.

We started with fused glass pieces, you'll see a few more further down.

Not only is this my favorite color green but I loved that she brought this piece of granite, not only does it make the necklace stand out it looks good too and was fun to play around with.

We used a basic form to shoot a batch of necklaces, the form lets you can see how it will hang on a neck.

This is another fused glass piece. I think we shot this one rotated in all four ways, it looked different every time we turned it so I just kept taking pictures.

This reminds me of the holiday ribbon candy my great grandfather always had in a bowl around christmastime. It actually has a bowl shape to it which I tried to show byshooting it to the side. It's as if she weaved the piece together out of glass ribbon one strip at a time.

I am so glad dangling earrings are back in style I adore them, these colorful glass beads all in shades of blue make a beautiful pair.

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2011-11-28T20:22:00.001-05:00

Colleen McCall Ceramics

www.colleenmccallceramics.com

Colleen has been doing these wonderfully patterned and detailed bowls lately and I wanted to show off some from our last shoot. Photographing her work is always a pleasure. Each piece has three shots, the overview the inside and the bottom.

Check out the detail in the feet and rim of the bowl.

This detail in the underside of the bowl is a nice touch. It's like a little hidden bonus.

You can see more of Colleen work here and here too.

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Tom Ryder: Italy bound!

2011-11-20T09:28:00.001-05:00

During Tom's latest time on land we got together for a photo shoot. Below are just a few examples of his latest work. You can find more online at www.tomryderart.com. Congratulations are also due to Tom who is leaving for Italy to live and work with an Italian artist and his studio in December. I can't wait to see what he'll be making when he gets back from that trip. (I wonder if they have really good Pizza in Italy. What could be better than Atlas?)

The following two vessels use a marbleized technique, every angle you turn the piece you get a different look.

If you go back and look at some of my other blog posts about Tom's work parts of this piece will look familiar to you. The center globe, the leaves on the base and the cane work are all present in other individual pieces. Here he puts them all together for a fabulous platter.

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James Byrnes: Ornaments Galore

2011-11-16T08:33:00.001-05:00

Jim had so many great ornaments it was hard to pick just a few for this blog post. We shot 73 I think it was so he could put together a catalog of images both online and in print. Once we got a routine going it moved along quite nicely. You can learn more about Jim at his website James f Byrnes Blown Glass.

I wan't sure what Jim was doing when he brought out the bag of candy but it all soon became clear. Now this is my kind of ornament, so good you can taste it.

Jim used frit to create this colored texture around the center globe. I had to reach out and touch it. That is one of the perks of photographing art you get to touch the pieces.

A shot of the set up below. The shooting table works perfectly for these mostly translucent pieces and the two mini moles looking down on that pick up any opaque color in the design. Jim made the stand that the ornaments are hanging on just for this shoot.

Yes that is me, Jim grabbed a camera and snapped a few pictures. It's our action shot.

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Laurie Schutt - silver and gold has never looked so good

2011-11-04T18:40:00.002-04:00

Laurie's is doing her first show down in Orlando Florida this January and she needed some work photographed for banners for her booth as well as a few earrings to add to her portfolio. After working on these I decided to purchase a light tent as I found I was always making one anyway. Hopefully that will make her shoots go more smoothly right out of the gate.

This was the first time we did the earrings and necklace in the same shot too and I like the effect.

The necklace alone. You can see more of Laurie's exquisite jewelry here.

This is the set up for the above pieces. The necklace is hanging from a black matt board with an 8 x 10 opening and the piece is surrounded on all sides with white poster board.

The silver and gold reflect every little thing even the lens which had to be retouched out in photoshop. If you look very closely you can see four jelly jars holding up the matt board. Useful little things. White invisible quilting thread was taped behind the matt board to hang the earrings on behind the necklace.

The same quilting thread was used to suspend these earrings on and then removed in photoshop. Laurie came down on Sunday so we could get the photographs for the banners done on time, she usually puts her work in them mail to me and then I mail it all back to her so it was nice to see her and have her in the studio, she even had to rebend one of the earring posts. I now have a new use for sharpie markers, who knew?

I really like this set too, getting all those silver rings to point forward was a trick.

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2011-10-30T16:40:00.001-04:00

Colleen McCall Ceramics

www.colleenmccallceramics.com

Colleen's work has gained so much in color and detail since when we first met, her lines have expanded and I've even gotten to photograph some of her sculpture. It is so rewarding to watch an artist expand and grow. I can just see her bowls and plates on an open shelf in my kitchen, one of these days! You can see more of her work on my website here and here.

These are some shots from our latest shoot.

by arc photographic images

Becky Congdon: Don't miss her on the Naples Studio Trail

2011-09-30T18:17:00.003-04:00

Photographing for Artists is always a rewarding experience, I get to meet so many wonderful people and get up close and personal with their work. On Monday, Becky Congdon brought me some wonderful necklaces to play with. The first one always takes the longest, you have to get it just right, adjust the lights and play with the camera angle. Once you've gotten it right however it tends to go more smoothly from there. We started with the piece right below.

Becky is also a member of the Naples Open Studio Trail, going on October 1 and 2 from 10am - 5pm. If you are free go check out demos at her studio, her husband Shawn also got in on the act and had made wooden had mirrors with carved designs on the back.

You can see more of Becky's work in my Jewelry gallery

These are Shawn's mirrors that I mentioned earlier. In order to keep the mirror from reflecting everything above it Shawn and Becky had to hold a large silver reflector over the top and to the back of them until the mirror reflected nothing but the silver card and looked reflective without showing you the ceiling.

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Colleen McCall and hidden gems

2011-09-28T10:55:00.002-04:00

Below is some new work from Colleen McCall of Colleen McCall Ceramics With work up at the Handwork Gallery in Ithaca and Cappy's in Elmira her new kiln at home is getting quite the workout. Lately Colleen has been decorating the bottom of her pots as well as the inside which I find really cool so I thought I'd share some of those with you today. I like to think of them as hidden gems.

Colleen was excited about this piece, it is a whole new color pallette for her.

These are a new color and flower shape too, she calls them her pacman flowers.

Below is one of my favorite shapes that Colleen does.

Same shape different bowl from underneath.

you can see more of Colleen's work on my website

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Gerald Bailey - I can only show you one

2011-09-20T10:43:00.000-04:00

Gerald Bailey came to see me the other day. He brought several pieces although I can only show you one today as the others are waiting to be accepted into a book and they were supposed to be unpublished. I don't know if being on my blog counts as published but I didn't want to take any chances. The pieces were a combination of printmaking and pottery. Some from linocuts and etchings pressed into the clay then glazed.

The pieces in the center come from old pots that gerald throws into a bag and smashes with a hammer.

It looks like a colorful stream bed to me.

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Beth Hylen's Egyptian Inspiration

2011-09-15T12:46:00.002-04:00

I always enjoy getting a call from Beth Hylen of Hylen Glass, her sculptural wearable art are always a joy to photograph. So much so I think I might get carried away sometimes. The piece below was Egyptian expired and looked great no matter what I did with it. The only trick was to maintain the detail in the silver. The box in the first photograph below is the necklace's sarcophagus.

We did the piece alone on a piece of black velvet board. The board is much easier to work with than black velvet fabric as it doesn't wrinkle and gets much less dust on it.

Yes, this is Beth modeling her work. You'll notice in the photo above that the necklace is long yet not worn so. Beth explained to me that the Egyptians wore their jewelry halfway in front and halfway down the back. The piece is weighted just so and will stay right where she is wearing it. Despite it's apparent size it really isn't heavy when you wear it (I speak from experience as she let me try in on, I love my job).

Here is a close up to help you get a better look at the detail in the pendant.

We spent most of our session on the necklace in a variety of poses but we did get to this little guy right at the end. The silver disc flows in the shape of a waterfall and hangs by two little eyelets on either side.

This should give you a better look at it.

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Beth's work on my website

Sky McDonagh - the calm before the storm that is grad school

2011-09-07T16:57:00.003-04:00

Last week (or so) I spent a few hours with Sky McDonagh who was just back from Ireland. Sky is starting graduate school at RIT this fall and she wanted to have these pieces photographed before she gets bogged down with classes and students. I couldn't decide which photos to post so there are a lot more than usual in today's blog post. Check out Sky's website www.fahanskymcdonagh.com.

Below is a Sky's variant on the Pate de Verre technique.

This was a favorite on facebook. The swing seats are rocks wrapped in glass to attach them to the chains. The leaves came from outside CMOG.

The center of the tree is a rock wrapped in glass, the minerals in the rock changed color when exposed to the heat of being wrapped.

The bee guarding his honeycomb.

A good example of her wrapping of rocks in glass.

Her summer students were amazed by this, encased inside the tube are found objects, a robins egg, leaves etc. The trick was to encase it without setting the objects on fire.

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Laurie Schutt - re imagining a piece

2011-08-31T13:08:00.000-04:00

Laurie Schutt sent me a new earring and necklace set this week that she has been re imagining. The top photo is the piece as it originally existed. I think I photographed it in one of our first sessions at the beginning of this year.

This is the new necklace, you can see how she has reworked it but still contains the original elements. My photography has changed too. I switched to the anti-reflective glass set up over a gradient background since I shot the first one. That is what I like about being able to work with an artist over time. I get to see them evolve but I change too, learn new things, figure out better ways to show off their work. To see more of Laurie's work click here. Her work can also be found at wholesale crafts.

These are the matching earrings

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Mavin Ambrose - to feather or not to feather?

2011-08-30T16:23:00.000-04:00

These pieces are from Mavin Ambrose foray into Raku Pottery. They were done around the same time as her piece Torn, documented in a previous blog post.

The Raku firing proces can produce these shiny metallics in a range of colors. What Mavin couldn't decide with the piece below was to include the feather or not. Let me know what you think and I will pass it along to her.

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mavin ambrose - Torn

2011-08-17T12:52:00.000-04:00

This beautiful girl is called Torn and is new work in Raku by Mavin Ambrose

Last december I photographed Mavin's work at Exhibit A Gallery in Corning. She had both silk paintings and clay figures represented since I will be doing four more clay pieces for her later this week I think she is finding another artistic love in clay. You can see one of her silk paintings here.

The Raku process which creates this shiny shiny glaze, did I mention shiny shiny glaze is very cool and involves fire not just hot kiln but put it in a bucket of straw and set it on fire. I took a class with Chris Longwell a few summers agoand we had an absolute blast. Nothing I made came out anywhere near as good though.

I think I still have a cup around here somewhere.

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Laurie Schutt

2011-08-07T21:02:00.000-04:00

I love working with artists over a period of time because I get to see how they change and grow, what works for them and when they try something new. Below you will find new work by Laurie Schutt, I hear she is going to add rings to her collection very soon. I am looking forward to seeing them.

To see more of Laurie's work check out my jewelry gallery.

We started this shoot with this linked bracelet, this is the artsy version.

Below is a continuation of her nature series. The little pearl on the end of many

of her pieces is just one of the special little touches she adds to her work.

This is something new for Laurie, she is experimenting with stones,

this particular one is called hematite.

These are the matching earrings for the bracelet above, the

gold and silver really play well with each other.

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From the Top

2011-07-27T09:41:00.000-04:00

Since people seem to be interested in the behind the scenes shots,

I thought I would do a whole post on it. Colleen McCall dropped off a few pieces for me to

work on last week, the beautiful bowl in this set up is her work.

This is where I started, the gradient background in on the table and the medium soft box with grid is directly overhead.

The result is below. I didn't like the shadow, there was to much of it.

So I moved the overhead soft box forward and pointed it toward the piece to

move the shadows more behind the bowl.

That gave me the shot below which I like better but still a little heavy on the shadow.

The front details of the piece was also being lost in shadow.

So I added the second soft box as a fill light behind the camera and a white card to the left of the

bowl to help the shadows fill in more evenly.

That set up opened up the shadows and brought out the detail in the

front of the piece

Now that I had my lighting the way I wanted it I added the target

this helps get color and white balance right in post production.

Very handy little guy!

Now there was just one last thing to deal with. The glare on the back of the piece, scroll back up

and you'll see it. I had to get rid of that. So I used a GOBO. In the photo below there is a black piece of foam core taped to a yardstick. Looking through the camera I hold that between the light and the piece until the glare goes away.

This is the final result, shadows are soft, glare is gone and the detail

in the front of the piece is clear

Fun in the summer

2011-07-10T11:43:00.000-04:00

When I am not shooting work for local artists I like to do stock photography.

I thought I would show you a little of what I have done recently. The nice thing about stock is you get to have a little fun with some simple things whenever you want to on your own as you have the time.

The crop on this one could have been a little tighter now that I think about it but getting them to spin was fun.

Marc Alan Freedman - wood is putty in his hands

2011-07-07T18:54:00.000-04:00

I love to see Marc in my studio for one he is a really nice guy, two he brings the most interesting things (who knew wood could bend like that) and three he (like me) likes to have a little snack in the afternoon.

Below is just a small sampling of some of the work for our session.

For more info about Marc and his work check out his website.

I swear these two did a little dance on the table top.

This one lit up beautifully once I stopped trying so hard. It just needed one light from above and it was happy.

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Tom Ryder

2011-07-05T14:36:00.000-04:00

I usually see Tom every three or four months, when he gets back from cruising the world and gets a little time to get some work done we get together and photograph his pieces. This time is he is off to Barcelona. Who knew glass blowing on cruise ships would be so popular. I once asked him if the ship ever heaved while he had a piece of glass he was trying to work with. He said you just roll with it. No major catastrophes.

Below I have included a few shots from that session so you can see what he is up to these days.

His website www.tomryderart.com has more work including his ceramics and installation pieces.

These cactuses have a surprise. Flip them over and there is a geode like paperweight inside the bottom.

This waterfall has so much going on I put in a detail below so you could get a better feel of all that it is.

I am rather fond of these jaunty handled bottles.

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Certified at Last

2011-06-17T20:14:00.000-04:00

As of a last week I got my official documentation that I

have passed both the written and

image exams and am officially a Certified Professional Photographer.

Certification is offered through the

Professional Photographers of America

and requires the passage of a written exam and a submission of

20 images to a panel of judges.

My husband would not be surprised I passed

although he was not here to

see the official pin and "diploma" that is going up on my office wall

as soon as I get a frame for it.

He never had a doubt that I would pass.

For those of you that were rooting for me, thank you!

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"Purple Haze" at Sommerville Pottery

2011-06-14T10:54:00.000-04:00

I wanted to quickly show you some new work from Sommerville Pottery. They have perfected a new purple glaze that is just lovely. They are always working on expanding their color palette, I hear there is new green coming out soon too.

The above may need some explanation, the smiling cup on the left is actually an egg separator.

You crack your egg in the top and pour the white out the smile, very clever.

The plate is for baking brie and includes the knife and recipe card.

A casserole dish (ok, I knew you would know that)

and this is a very large platter.

What is always amazing to me is that these things are dishwasher/oven/microwave safe although I doubt that platter could fit in my dishwasher now that I think about it.

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Charles "Ty" Welles

2011-04-27T10:27:00.000-04:00

Mr. Welles is a marble sculptor and lawyer from Scranton PA whose work I had the pleasure of photographing last week. He is one of the founding members of the AFA Gallery in Scranton and brought me an interesting assortment of work. I'll give you just a little taste here. The piece below was a gift to his sister in law, he snagged it on the way to see me so it could be photographed.

This "styrofoam cooler" is my favorite. Ty does what he calls a faux series, everyday objects made out of marble. When he brought it in the studio I kept waiting for him to open it and take out the piece of marble but it was the piece of marble. He even managed to capture the texture of the styrofoam too. You can see more of his work at www.charleswelles.com and check out the AFA Gallery too!

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Louella Gilbert

2011-04-25T18:26:00.000-04:00

Before I went home for the weekend I had the opportunity to photograph two very different artists. The first was Louella Gilbert a painter and the second Charles "Ty" Welles a marble sculptor. (You'll see his work in an upcoming post.) I have to say that shooting painting's one day and marble another definitely makes for an interesting work week.

Louella teaches art in Athens and you'll be able to see at the Athens Art Fest this weekend which I hope to make it to.

Louella brought me a range of work some large some small some new and some old including the piece below that she did while getting her master's which she says she will never part with. Thanks to the magic of photography and the beauty of giclee prints she will never have to and she'll still get to share it with those who love it too.

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check out the blog here

Vani Akula - a celebration of culture and color

2011-04-19T09:06:00.000-04:00

This is Vani's latest painting of Ganesha.

Her work celebrates her culture and her paintings abound with depth and texture that no mere blog post can do justice to. I have said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again, the best part of my job is getting to see an artist's work up close and personal.

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The Paintings of Doug Wilkins

2011-04-17T20:22:00.000-04:00

Usually I meet the artist when I photograph their work, with Doug however I saw his work long before I met him. His first painting came to me in the mail on its way to the Franklin Street Gallery in Watkins Glen for a special show. That would be the mother and cub below.

When I finally met Doug he brought me the painting below to photograph. Doug has a close relationship with A.J. Foyt the Indy car legend and often paints him racing. In the painting below the four cars that A.J. won the Indy 500 in are ghosted into the side while the main car depicts Kenny Braack who won the Indy 500 racing for A.J.

The two celebrate together at the top of the painting.

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New Work by Laurie Schutt

2011-04-13T16:25:00.000-04:00

Laurie always has something for me that I just love and is at the same time really hard to photograph. This piece was well worth the time it took to get it right. The texture she gives the metal and the overall design really make her work stand out.

Here's the behind the scenes shot of the necklace above. The two notecards on either side are keeping excess light off the chain so that it wouldn't get to bright.

One step closer to being certifiable

2011-04-12T13:56:00.000-04:00

Just got the letter today, I passed the written exam for my Certification. Now for the image submission part!

Bonnie Scott - beads and more

2011-04-11T09:57:00.000-04:00

You've really got to watch me, I had so much fun photographing Bonnie Scott's latest batch of beads that she sent me I went a little overboard. I will only show you a few hear otherwise this would be a very long post.

I first saw this necklace on Bonnie, she was wearing it at our first or second session (perhaps both). This time though I got to photograph it.

I love all the detail in these beads, everywhere you turn them there is something more to look at. You could crop out a tiny section and they would make beautiful paintings too.

Just as a reminder Bonnie will be opening a new gallery and studio this spring. Joyful Adornments Glass Studio and Gift Gallery will open May 2011 at 534 Church St., Odessa, NY www.joyfuladornments.com

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I'm Certifiable - I hope

2011-04-01T12:48:00.000-04:00

Ok, that pun is a little much I know. I have recently started the process of becoming a CPP - certified professional photographer. I belong to the Professional Photographers of America and they offer an industry certification. First I have to pass an exam to prove that I am technically proficient and knowledgeable. Next I have to submit 20 images to be reviewed by a panel of judges. I have three years to complete (and pass) these two requirements. Frankly I hope to be certified by May but if I fail one of the pieces of the puzzle it gives me time to try again.

This past weekend my husband and I drove down to New Jersey for the annual regional photography conference. I didn't get to attend any of the speakers though because I was in the prep class and then taking the CPP test on Monday. I figured the best way to be sure that I passed the test was to take the class. It was a very tiring weekend, I think I haven't quite recovered yet. I hope to know soon if I passed or not. I guess I really had better since now I blogged about it.

Wish me luck everyone

Joyful Adornments: Part II

2011-03-21T14:58:00.000-04:00

As promised here are more images from my shoot with Bonnie Scott of Joyful Adornments.

Just so you know that silver shiny stuff on those glass hearts actually is real silver. I'll see if I can add a close up of that to the blog at some point the interaction is really interesting.

Bonnie is embarking on both a new phase in her career and in her artwork. In May will be opening Joyful Adornments Glass Studio and Gift Gallery located in Odessa, NY. In her new space she will be able to give Studio Tours as well as teach bead making classes. Her gallery will feature not only her own work but the work of area artists as well.

The second new and exciting thing is the work below.

This is a closeup of three bracelets made out of wine bottles. She calls it "Wear a Memory" - recycled wine bottle jewelry. It appeals to both the sentimentalist and the recycler in me. She got the idea when a special (to her) glass bottle that had belonged to her grandparents broke, instead of throwing it out she made a piece of keepsake jewelry from it. Brilliant!

For more information about Bonnie's work and the upcoming gallery check out the links and info below.

Joyful Adornments Glass Studio and Gift Gallery will open May 2011 at 534 Church St., Odessa, NY www.joyfuladornments.com Those interested in receiving an announcement and special offers about the Open House may sign up on the web page for the newsletter.

Hours of operation will be by chance or appointment. (607) 594-3016 or 1-800-517-6440, Bonnie@joyfuladornments.com

Year of the Rabbit

2011-03-18T08:25:00.000-04:00

This year is the Chinese Year of the Rabbit and lo and behold I was born in the Year of the Rabbit. I discovered this thanks to Nancy Hunt who made the cute little bunny below. She was taking a class at CMOG and making little bunnies for her customers. She is also a Rabbit so was able to tell me that my birth year put me in the Rabbit category. In Rabbit solidarity she gave me this little guy that i could wear. He really is quite little picture a penny next to him and that would be about right.

Being a Rabbit in a Rabbit year I am supposed to have good luck and fortune (I think) although no one had better tell my dog who is a retired racing greyhound that I am a Rabbit or I will be just another trophy on her collar.

New: Now Offering Notecards

2011-03-17T13:10:00.000-04:00

Recently I have been looking into expanding my services to give artists more of what they need. After much research and testing I am happy to be able to offer notecards. They come in sets of 25 at two sizes 4.5 x 5 and 5 x 7 and come in three paper options: linen, pearl and stock.

A set of 25 will cost $35.00 (4.5 x 5) and $43.00 (5 x 7).

Many thanks to Vani Akula who served as the test case for the example below. The linen paper gives a canvas look and feel to it which matches her original painting.

I will be adding these to my pricing and services page soon but until then please call me with any questions you may have.

Bonnie Scott of Joyful Adornments

2011-03-13T10:40:00.000-04:00

I first met Bonnie at The Corning Museum of Glass Studio where she was taking a class. I photograph the work of students and teachers there and she brought me these wonderful spool beads which I was fascinated with. Bonnie is also a quilter hence the connection for her. That lime green one in the front is mine now (well maybe not that exact one but you know what I mean.

I got to photograph Bonnie's work again this week when she came in for her free consultation to see if I could help her get some good shots for a brochure she is putting together for her new studio and gallery that will be opening this Spring. More on that later. We had so much fun we kept shooting for another hour. Below is my favorite of the images we created. You can check out more of Bonnie's work at her website joyfuladornments.com

All the pieces are buttons hung using "invisible" quilting thread. I may or may not take out the thread completely in photoshop, I'll be checking with Bonnie on that one. Take a look at the set up below. I never knew that a set of jam jars would come in so handy in photographing jewelry.

Douglas Wilkins

2011-03-10T19:56:00.000-05:00

A package arrived for me on Monday, it was a painting by Douglas Wilkins for the Mother, Daughter, Sister show at The Franklin Street Gallery. Doug paints a variety of subject matter from nature to A.J. Foyt the Indy racing driver. I'm looking forward to showing you more of his work.

Jennifer Seaman - chairs for charity

2011-03-10T09:29:00.002-05:00

In my previous post I may have mentioned that I am attending the Business of Art workshop offered by STEG and EARTS. It was through this group that I met Jennifer Seaman a local artist and art teacher who with any luck will soon be a fairly near neighbor. Her work below is for a Diabetes charity where artists were asked to take a chair and turn it into a work of art to be auctioned off. A very worthy cause.

Fred Herbst: wood, fire and ceramics

2011-03-03T15:22:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of working with Fred Herbst again last week. You may remember he uses a wood fired kiln in Corning that he helped build to fire his ceramics. (He also helped build one in France and will be returning there in the summer.) The results are often unpredictable and always interesting.

My favorite part is when he makes glass. Something about the interaction between the wood ash and the heat, I probably went on about this in my last post but it is still cool. He will probably have to tell me all about it again the next time I see him.

This teapot has great texture as well as form.

Fred said he hadn't done one of these baskets with the woven handles in awhile but I really liked it, not just your average handle.

Basic Tools

2011-02-25T13:09:00.000-05:00

I finished two presentation's on photographing artwork this week. No one threw fruit at me so I guess they went ok. Despite a variety of technical snaffus everything went off nicely although I may start carrying a white sheet and duct tape in my car.

As part of the presentation I tried to come up with the least you needed to have to start photographing your own work, I thought I would share that list with you now.

A digital camera that gives you control of :

- WB control settings

- ISO

- exposure compensation

- the ability to turn off your flash

- a timer or cable release.

- manual focus should also be here but I know that P&S’s don’t generally have that

A tripod

One large window and reflectors (or two studio lights)

Reflector: white foam core, matt board, poster paper, it can also be silver.

A Computer

Photo Editing software such as Adobe Photoshop Elements ($80 - $100) or something similar

Black Velvet – sold at craft stores by the yard (for jewelry and large 3d work)

A table and something to prop your painting or background up on

A graduated background (if you do 3d or jewelry work)

. . . . coming up I'll share more tips and questions from my presentation.

Kate Adams

2011-02-25T12:58:00.000-05:00

I had the opportunity to work with Kate Adams, a glass blower and a Senior at Alfred last week. Her work combines her love of the adirondack mountains (she is currently in the process of hiking every one) printmaking and glass. Check these out.

She etched the maps onto the glass, they have almost an inky quality to them

Working outside my studio

2011-02-16T20:08:00.000-05:00

I've been spending the week putting together my presentation for the Business of Art workshop and the ERAS group that I'll be giving next week. I keep waking up thinking "how am I going to make it all make sense".

They say that you don't really know something until you have to try to teach it to someone else. That has never been truer for me than with this presentation. I tried to address certain common mistakes I see among artist's photographing their own work and I tried to come up with a way that people could start documenting their work without breaking the bank. I kept reaching for things that I would normally use in the studio only to realize that it wasn't something my audience was likely to have on hand. I probably should have photographed the whole thing with my point and shoot camera instead of my professional one since that is what most people probably have.

Below is the set up that I worked out. My pergola outside my patio door got in the way a bit (that is what is casting that shadow) but I waited until the light was right and worked around it although I would have to say avoid window's with pergola's for a permanent set up. I used the same concept to photograph 2D work and jewelry.

The big window is on the left, the background is a small graduated background and it is bordered on the left and top by matt board white side facing my subject for fill.

This is the photo I took with the above set up

Business of Art Workshops: The Beginning

2011-02-09T13:23:00.000-05:00

Last night was the first meeting of the Business of Art Workshops sponsored by STEG and EARTS. There were 25 artists there, a really good group of people and we all made it through the first awkward introduction faze fine which is always a relief. It was so nice to hear what other people are thinking and going through. Working for yourself, by yourself and with yourself can be a little bit isolating after awhile and it is so nice to be able to talk to other people about what you are doing and hear what they are doing.

After talking with Vani last night I have been looking into offering more services to my clients like notecards and giclee prints. I still have a little more research to do in this area but her and others feedback about what they need was really helpful.

Next week I will be giving my presentation about photographing artwork and I have a few more topics to cover now so that is good. If this is how it is going to be after every session I am going to need a day after each one to work things out in my head.

I'll keep you posted

Photographing your artwork presentation

2011-02-03T14:31:00.000-05:00

Toward the end of February I am going to be giving two presentations on photographing your artwork. The first for The Art in Business workshops on the 22nd and the second for ERAS on the 24th at Chapel Park at 7 pm.

While I am used to fielding artist questions on how to photograph their work better I am wondering how to present to a diverse group of artist and hit all the necessary points. I think ERAS will be easier as I know the majority of them are painters so that will give me an area to focus on but the Art's in Business series could be a little different. Fortunately I will have one workshop to meet everyone and see who is there, that might help me narrow down my talk a little. Really I could ramble on forever if I am not careful.

The thing I need to do now is organize my thoughts and learn power point. I was embarrassed to learn that by 6th grade children are giving power point presentations in school and I have never ever done one. Haven't even opened up the program yet truth be told. I assume it can't be that difficult but you know what happens when you assume. So that is what I will be doing the rest of my afternoon before the art opening at the George Water's Gallery at EC.

I may start with my old fashioned notecards first though! I really like notecards.

Business of Art Workshops - I'm in !!!!

2011-01-26T12:21:00.000-05:00

I am very excited I just got word that I have been accepted into the Business of Art Workshops sponsered by STEG and The ARTS. The first session is in February, I am really looking forward to learning everything I can about running my business and helping others succeed too.

I am speaking at the second session on presenting your work. It will be good practice as I am giving a talk on photographing your work at the ERAS meeting two days later.

If anyone has any thoughts on what I should touch on, anything that has confused you or frustrated you in the past feel free to let me know. It would be good to get another perspective on it. As for right now my idea is to start with a piece of art, show how to photograph it digitally and what it needs in photoshop to be ready to be sent out.

Laurie Schutt - nurse, paralegal and jewelry artist

2011-01-24T15:47:00.000-05:00

It has taken me awhile but I have finally finished my latest project and can share it with you. Laurie Schutt brought me a case of beautiful jewelry to photograph about two weeks ago. 34 photographs later I am done and can finally show you her work. You can see her work in person at 15 Steps in Ithaca.

Laurie was shy about calling herself an artist, Laurie by the powers vested in me by myself I'm calling you an artist.

There is so much texture is her silver work . . .

if I were to show you all of the ways she used texture in her pieces this would be a very long blog post!

Now I am showing you the above piece for two reasons, first because they are a cute little pair of earrings which Laurie tells me were inspired by Patrick of Sponge Bob's fame and two because they are the end result of the set up I used in the outtake shot below.

The background is a graduated, the two jelly jars suspend the invisible string between them. The earrings hang on the string and the rest of the room is blocked out by white paper with a hole cut in it for the camera. All that for one little pair of earrings.

Call for Artists: Keuka Arts Festival

2011-01-19T13:41:00.000-05:00

Normally when I blog I tell you about artists that i am working with and show you photos from the shoot and the occasional outtake. Today however I received an email from Cindy Vaughan the Board Chair of the Keuka Arts Festival and she wanted me to remind everyone that they are looking for artists to participate in the 2011 Festival.

Cindy first contacted me last year to ask if any of the artists that she saw on my website might be interesting in applying for the show. I was afraid at first that she thought I was the maker of all the art on my website, (boy would I be amazing if that were true) but once we got talking I realized what she was looking for.

If anyone is interested click on the link below to check out their website, artist info and contact info are all on there as well as some photos of past events. I believe the submission deadline is March 31rst and it is a juried show.

Click on the link below to find out more information about the Festival.
www.keukaartsfestival.com

Lise Bouvet

2011-01-11T20:04:00.000-05:00

Lise Bouvet visited me recently and brought with her both jewelry and silk scarves, I was excited to see her scarves since I knew she did them but this is the first time I saw them in person. Turns out getting them to stay in a pleasing shape is quite the trick but I think the one below turned out nicely.

This necklace has wood pieces found from a wooded area near where Lise lives. The wood is a wonderful complement to the blue beads and the silver. I also liked the story she told about how she strings the wood on there. I won't give away any trade secrets here though you'll have to ask her about it.

Check out the wonderful texture and wrap in these earings.

To see more of Lise's work check out her website

at www.lisebouvet.com

The outtake from our shoot.

Below you can see how the set up for the earring shot. Those are two jam jars filled with coins and a piece of thread taped between them that the earings are hanging on. The thread comes out in photoshop.

Tom Ryder: he's in the Caribbean and we're not!

2011-01-06T21:58:00.000-05:00

I like to tease Tom about his cruise ship job a bit. I could say that I am jealous but the truth is I am such a creature of habit I always need a vacation from my vacations so I must leave the sailing of the world to him. Before he left though I photographed some new work for him.

The piece below you may never see again or perhaps I should say you will see it just in a different form. Tom is going to cut it up and make other things out of it. One day all that will be left of this piece is the photograph.

I wanted to talk about this piece below but I am at somewhat of a loss. The outside shines like metal but isn't, everywhere you turn it looks different. The roughish texture reminds me of the way ceramicists texture the outside of their work. (Turns out Tom's first love was ceramics but he found glass in college and never looked back). There is so much to look at and so many ways to see it and to see into it you'll just have to see it for yourself in person.

This is a good time to point out that when you take a 3 dimensional piece and photograph it you can't always get everything that it is into one photo. This is normal and to be expected when dealing with complex work. It is best to take a series of shots from different angles highlighting the pieces different aspects and if you have to settle on one pick the one that shows your favorite features.

I am really fond of this little guy, if you happen to see it in a gallery somewhere remember I got dibs. He is very much like his big brother above, the metal like surface, the texture, the inner squiggle. It may sound strange when I say that and I am sure there is some artistically correct term for it but there really is an art to the inner squiggle. You try arranging something random on purpose that looks visually appealing and by the way it is on fire, it is not as easy as you might think.

I am sneaking this one in from the very last shoot we did, it was a commission piece inspired by a kylie mynogue video called "all the lovers". I actually you tubed the video to watch it. Now it all makes sense.

Exhibit A shoot part two, Colleen and Mavin ride again

2011-01-06T18:51:00.000-05:00

I told you there would be a part 2 and here it is. I went back to Exhibit A on Monday to finish photographing what I didn't get to the previous week. Just so you know I managed to stay away from the candy this time. Well I did have a couple of hershey kisses but the pizza we had for lunch at Atlas really hit the spot. I don't know how Ann Welles does it, there is chocolate in the gallery and Atlas is practically right downstairs, I would be eating all the time and even worse than Hershey kisses are those big warm chocolate chip cookies from Atlas. This is why I can't leave my studio.

Enough already I really did shoot some art too.

This is one of my favorite of Colleen McCall's pieces, she calls it "Sweet Beast". Fortunately we didn't have to move this one to photograph it, it is big and beautiful.

This one is called "The Pint", when she first told me that I started looking for a beer but it is really a pint of ice cream right there in the center of the piece. I really don't know how we keep coming back to food.

Above is a clay piece by Mavin Ambrose with a very detailed dragonfly running up the inside of the torso in place of the spine. Check out the fabric she is sitting on below, so detailed! I meant to ask her how she did that.

Here is what I like to call an outtake from the shoot. We were shooting a piece of Mavin's, a large hanging piece made from cocoon's and it just wasn't standing out like it should so we decided to put it on a black background. Sounds simple only I had forgotten my gaffer's tape, so Ann lent us so painters tape and we macgyvered it. Since painter's tape doesn't hold quite that well it was a race to tape it up and finish the photo before the background started to fall.

Colleen McCall and Mavin Ambrose at Exhibit A - the shoot

2010-12-31T11:15:00.000-05:00

I recently had a new experience, I went to the artwork instead of the artwork coming to me. I packed up my studio (more or less) and took it to Exhibit A in Corning to photograph Flesh and Stone a show by Colleen McCall and Mavin Ambrose.

I had seen the show before but I think I never really see something until I have to photograph it. Then I see things that I missed the first time as I was walking around the gallery munching contentedly on the provided chocolates (big thank you to Ann Welles for both the show and the chocolates - I owe you a bag of hershey's miniatures).

Photographing outside my studio in the gallery setting was a new challenge and I enjoyed working through it. I had a lot of help, Colleen came with me to load and unload the equipment. Anne opened the gallery an extra 2 days so we could come in and shoot without clients although it was still very busy even closed. It was the most lively shoot I have ever been on, there were people stopping by to talk and candy (I mentioned that already didn't I), it was great. Usually it is just me, an artist and the artwork. I even had a moveable black background in the shape of Ann's daughter Ava (I hope I am spelling that right) who covered herself in my black cloth and held out her arms to become the background for me when needed. But enough about me, check out the work. This is only the first installment, part 2 comes next week.

This is one of Mavin's silk paintings, she paints on several layers of silk to create one image. Her technique gives great depth to the 2D piece.

This is a detail of another of Mavin's pieces. She recently took up ceramics and is adding a whole new dimension to her work.

This is Colleen's son Able. Her work from this show has a distinct and intentional feel of the classic sculptures of the greek's and roman's. I love that she used her family as the model's.

This is Colleen's daughter Olive. Both sculptures are hollow inside. Colleen explained to me that she used
paper clay to build the bodies which means that when they are fired the paper burns off leaving the clay only. This makes them much lighter than they would be otherwise.

Making a living doing what you love

2010-12-28T09:54:00.000-05:00

Awhile back I talked about an art and business lecture I attended at the Elmira Regional Art Society meeting. One of the recommended reading from that lecture was The Artist's Guide - How to make a living doing what you love by Jackie Battenfied. Reading it was a relief, artist's don't have to be broke, crazy, without health insurance etc. There are ways to make things happen for yourself.
She stresses this again and again throughout the book, no one is coming to save you or discover you. You must take your life into your own hands and take the steps to have a career.

Usually all you hear if you are an artist is how impractical it is or how it can never work or if it does it is only for the chosen few. But this book clearly outlines a career path for being an artist. She makes it sound so reasonable and sane, who knew.

I especially liked her chapter on having multiple sources of income. It was something I was beginning to see in my own business but I have a much greater understanding of what that can do for me now and how to encourage and grow different sources.

She really takes you step by step through both the business and artistic. From insurance to dealing with being alone and how to make connections with other artists. She tells her own story throughout the book as well so you can get a sense of where she is coming from.

After reading this I went back to the library (ok, really I went online and ordered the books there and picked them up later at Steele) and searched through their catalog for other related books, the other one I liked was the Craft Artist's Legal Guide by NOLO. That was all about business and I now have a few more questions for my insurance agent which is good because I find insurance to be the most troubling part of working from home. You don't want to find out when it is to late that you don't have the right insurance.

That being said for any of you trying to make some money from your artwork I highly recommend Jackie Battenfield's book as a resource and check out the library for other books that pertain to your particular medium. I check regularly for photography books, you need to make an effort when you are working alone to make sure you are up to date with your skills and who has the money to buy every book out there. I find the library very very useful both to my business and my art and just one of the ways I keep myself learning. You never want to stop learning!

Working and living in the same space

2010-12-19T20:01:00.000-05:00

My studio is located on the second floor of my home in Elmira, it was originally intended to be a bedroom but has been pressed into service as my studio. The plan is that when the kitchen gets updated my studio will move downstairs to a room off of it. Eliminating that flight of stairs and having a direct entrance will be nice, but for now I am working with what I have.

This is a photo of a set up I used for the shoot with marc alan freedman recently. If you look closely it is being held up by paint cans. That is one of the benefits of working from home.

Random things I have in my house can be pressed into service when I need them. In this case the table needed to be a foot lower than the supports I usually have it on and the paint cans were handy.

Marc had to give me a hand getting the paint cans under there. I always tell my clients they end up being pressed into service as I work so they can put photography assistant on their resume.

I hope no one minds coming to my house. What I save on rent and utilities by working from home makes renting space unaffordable right now. Who knows what the future will bring but for now anyone coming to my studio will walk through my living room, see the dog blocked off in the kitchen and head up the stairs to my studio.

Happy Holiday's everyone!

Marc Alan Freedman

2010-12-17T15:39:00.000-05:00

Marc's elemental wood sculpture's have such a fluid feel to them it is hard to believe they don't move.

I was amazed to know that none of his work is cut out, all the shapes are made by steaming the wood so it will bend the way he wants it too.

What I love about this kind of work is all the different forms I see when I look at it.

This one reminded me of a swan.

He also did several pieces juxtaposing round balls in with his curved lines like the piece to the right.

He uses a wide variety of wood from what he finds in back of his house near Ithaca to Zebra wood from Africa.

This is the last one I will show you from the shoot. There were so many interesting pieces it was hard to pick out a few for the blog.

Maybe it is because I have a very pregnant friend but this one has a mother and child kind of feel to me. I don't think I told Marc that while we were shooting.

Check out more of Marc's work at www.marcalanfreedman.com

Nancy Fobert

2010-12-14T15:36:00.000-05:00

I love it when art is born from reclaimed objects and Nancy's mirror's and wall pieces start with salvaged tin ceiling tiles, many of which came from local Elmira buildings. After a thorough cleaning she uses the tiles as the base for her work. Some become mirror's some wall hanging's and all have the history of the tile included with the piece so you know where it came from.

This was one of my favorite mirror's we did during the session although it was also the last so by that time we had gotten pretty good about wrapping everything the mirror could see in white paper so that was all that reflected in the surface.

Much of her work takes on an almost textile feel like the one below which is much like a quilt in its composition

Sky McDonagh - part 2

2010-12-14T15:15:00.000-05:00

These are from the final batch of Sky's work for her MFA application. Despite the weather she made it safely to me in Corning and with a little extra time we got everything done that she needed to complete her portfolio. I tell you it is like shooting someone's wedding, you know a lot is riding on it and not only do you not want to screw it up you want it to be wonderful.

The image below is a cloudscape. She first had to create a way to work the different colors of glass together. I won't give away any secrets here although in truth I doubt I could explain it to you correctly.

This is a detail shot just so you can get an idea of the variation in each cloud piece

This cup and saucer filled with rose petals was another eye catching piece from our shoot that day.

Becky Congdon

2010-12-14T14:47:00.000-05:00

I had to show you this necklace by Becky Congdon.

When she first put it down on the shooting table I had it angled and I couldn't figure out why the one side looked darker than the other. It was only when I turned it to directly face the camera that I was able to see how the one side fades to white while the other works it way to black. Very clever and delicately done Becky if I do say so myself.

For more of Becky's work check out her website!

Tom Ryder

2010-12-02T19:11:00.000-05:00

Just before thanksgiving Tom and I photographed a few platters. He was going to hand deliver them to his clients who were staying near his parents house over the holiday's. Talk about customer service.

I innocently asked Tom how he had come to make the random lines in the purple center. What he went on to describe to me was a detailed process which belied the gentle simplicity of the piece.

A detail of the lines and color of the platter.

Alicia Herbst

2010-12-01T09:37:00.000-05:00

Alicia came to me on the recommendation of her husband Fred and I am so glad she did. Her sometimes delicate and sometimes not so delicate mixed media art takes a variety of forms and uses a variety of interesting materials. Check out the image below. She uses the negative space of a hole in the paper to create the large deer shape and the wrapper of several tootsie rolls to create the border of deer at the top. The green "grass" is sewn on. We left some black around the piece to give more emphasis to the textural feel of the paper.

I was so taken with the deer on the bottom that I wanted him to jump right out and tried to light it from behind. The deer looked cool, sort of like twinkling stars but the rest of the piece didn't benefit from it. Sure enough by just letting the black background show through it stood out properly. Less sometimes really is more.

and now for something completely different

Like the deer in the above piece this beautiful group of butterflies hovering over a piece of wood is also made from something unexpected. I won't tell you what it is as I think you should try to guess but I will give you a hint and say that like butterflies they too have "wings".

Fred Herbst - continued

2010-12-01T09:08:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I showed you some work by Corning ceramicist Fred Herbst, recently he was back in my studio with more of his unique work. Every piece is truly one of a kind.

I still can't believe that all the variation he gets is the interaction between the clay body and the wood kiln. All the color all the matt, crackle and shine is from that process and knowing how to manipulate that process to your advantage. He had explained it to me before but I made him explain it to me again.

I think it is safe to say the next time he sees me I am going to have him explain it to me again.

Cheryl and Julian Gutmaker

2010-11-29T09:36:00.000-05:00

Cheryl and Julian Gutmaker are from Scotia, NY very near my old haunt in Albany, NY. I always enjoy their visits with me and getting caught up with what is going on with them.

I am was so excited for Cheryl as she told me she is getting her first solo show ever this year! That is a great accomplishment and so well deserved.

I had to throw in these doves too as I think they are just adorable. We did several sets of ornaments, it is the time of year after all but i just have a fondness for these little guys.

Chris Longwell

2010-11-24T13:06:00.000-05:00

Chris Longwell is an art instructor at Elmira College where I have been fortunate to take several classes with him including Raku pottery and printmaking. Lately he has been making these wonderful decanter sets that have really taken off and it is easy to see why.

I like the choice of and odd number of cups which he tells me is very japanese.

You can see his work in person at the State of the Art Gallery in Ithaca, NY
during the Invitational Show from
Dec. 1rst to Jan. 2nd.

Carlson Glassworks

2010-11-21T11:24:00.001-05:00

Last week I photographed a piece of two for Kurt Carlson at Carlson Glassworks.

Kurt is one of the lucky glass artists that spent 3 months in the Mediterranean on a Carnival Cruise ship blowing glass. Of course maybe it sounds more wonderful than it really is (I think not, it sounds great!)

Kurt and his wife Linda run Carlson Glassworks in Middlesex New York. You can see more of their work on their website Carlson Glassworks.

art and business

2010-11-14T18:06:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday I attended a presentation by Denny Smith and Diane Janowski at the Elmira Regional Art Society's monthly meeting called Art Essentials. Denny and Diane talked about the often forgotten art of running a business as an artist. From artist statements to approaching gallery owners they covered a lot of ground and from the questions at the end of the presentation I gather that they could have continued on a while longer.

It reminded me, well to update my resume for one, but more importantly of my own learning curve when I started my own business. Ironically photographing art is the easy part, it is the business aspect of things that I knew little to nothing about. I read a lot, from business plans to marketing to figure out what I should be doing, the library was a big saving's here.

There is still a lot I have to learn but I thought i would share some of my favorite finds. Two books by John Jantsch sit on my book shelf the first is "Duct Tape Marketing" and the second is "The Referral Engine". I have learned a lot from both. One of John's main points was that your website is the main hub of your business, everything should point your clients back to that. My website was built by Julie Burgess, she did a better job than I ever could and handles all my printed material too. It is a client's first impression of me and as such is very important. He also stressed the importance of sharing what you know with people so I am currently working on a DIY brochure for those that would like some help photographing their own art. There are many more great tips so for anyone who is interested here is a link to John's blog.

I only recently started blogging, I am not entirely sure what focus it will have although after Diane and Denny's talk sharing what I have learned about running a "creative" business for lack of a better word is a topic I will def. come back to in the future. I like the flexibility of the blog and I'm using it to promote my clients and ramble on a bit.

One last thing, I have found a lot of useful information in the magazine Craft Report http://www.craftsreport.com/ their focus is on the business aspect of things which is different from the how to (do some kind of art here) aspect that you usually see in art related magazines.

Fred Herbst: wood fired ceramics

2010-11-11T10:10:00.000-05:00

This lovely little cup comes to you from Fred Herbst in Corning. The variation in the color you see on its surface is the result of the firing method he uses for his work.

Believe it or not there is no glaze on the piece only the ash from the wood fired kiln he used. It is a very interesting process and each piece is unique since you never know exactly what your going to get when it goes into the kiln.

The piece below was fired in the same way but has a copper top. I like the combination of the metal and clay working off each other both in color and in texture.

Tom Ryder: man of international mystery

2010-11-06T10:28:00.000-04:00

Tom is an accomplished glass artist and one of the lucky glass blowers that sails the seas on the Carnival cruise ship. He disappears for three months at a time and reappears in Corning with new work. Next time we work together he has promised to bring me pictures from his recent trip around the Mediterranean. You can see the influence in some of his recent work below.

One of the guys he works with calls these attitude vases after the jaunty feeling of the handles. I do keep expecting them to sashay off the table.

Looking for a Photographer - 5 tips

2010-11-02T16:51:00.000-04:00

1. Ask to see their portfolio of art work. Do not give someone your money unless you have seen what they can do with art work. Senior portraits and weddings don't count.

2. Don't forget the commercial photographers, they have experience with objects and still life. It is the same set of skills that go into art documentation.

3. If you find someone don't just give them your piece and leave. Talk to the photographer about your work and what you would like to see in the photographs. Ask if you can stay during the first session and work with that person to get the image you want. A collaboration between artist and photographer usually produces the best results.

4. Don't be afraid to look outside your immediate area. Shipping your work safely is often possible.

5. Call your local arts groups and colleges and ask for a recommendation. Chances are good that someone will be able to point you in the right direction.

DIY? Here are 5 helpful tips

2010-11-02T16:49:00.000-04:00

1. For 3d objects invest in a gradient background. The white to gray to black is the go to classic and they come in several sizes to fit your work. The only downside is they scratch very easily but you can retouch that in an image editing program. Place your piece on the white area, let the gray be your middle and the black the top.

2. Buy an inexpensive tripod, it will help you frame up your shot better and keep camera shake to a minimum. Use your timer to trigger the camera's shutter even when it is on the tripod.

3. Shoot at the highest resolution your camera offers and the lowest ISO (100 or 200 will work fine). These photos act as an archive, when you work on them save as a copy with a different name so that you always have your original to go back to just in case. Every camera is different so check your camera's maual to find out how to change your ISO. If you don't have your manual you may be able to find it online, many manufactures keep pdf copies on their websites.

4. With a point and shoot camera it is better to be a step or two away from your subject (depending on the size of your object) and zoom in to fill the frame than to position the camera right on top of your art work. Having the camera to close can create wide angle distortion as most point and shoots have a really wide lens as their default setting.

5. Turn off the on-camera flash. It's no more flattering for your artwork than it is for people. Light from the side and or top. A large window on one side and a reflector on the other is usually a good place to start.

Colleen McCall and Mavin Ambrose at Exhibit A

2010-10-24T22:04:00.001-04:00

If you get the chance check out the show opening this friday at

Exhibit A in Corning. Artist Colleen McCall and Mavin Ambrose have put together a great show and I encourage everyone to go and check it out.

My secret love

2010-10-24T21:01:00.000-04:00

I just have to say this, I love grover! He has been my favorite muppet since I was a kid, I have a stuffed super grover, my favorite super hero of course. I always wanted to work on Sesame Street, I have this total fantasy of people hanging out with a bunch of colored felt and googly eyes laughing and making puppets and creating skits. These must be some of the most creative people on the planet, I am in awe. I am also laughing. What a beautiful gift to be able to create laughter in others.

Sky McDonagh - part 1

2010-10-16T09:42:00.001-04:00

I must be a glutton for punishment but I like shots that require a little setting up. If there is any chance I am going to have to macgyver something I am a happy camper and last nights shoot with Sky was one of those times.

Her first piece was a large mobile a good five feet wide I think. The "table" that the shattered pieces are on beneath the mobile are cardboard boxes covered by the backdrop. The real trick was finding some way to hang them. Fortunately a stick and a few light stands worked out and they hand on aluminum hooks which it turns out are extremely bendable. It all went together very well although we had a few hmm moments.

Each section depicts a different possible family unit, a subject very close to Sky's heart, with shattered glass and broken family members below. The small photo here hardly does it justice but I am going to show it to you anyway. I know it wasn't necessarily a happy piece as it speaks as much about what doesn't work as what can work in a family but I have to say the more I worked with it the more I was reminded how people can come together to make a family, in the end I felt uplifted by it. I'm not sure what Sky would think of that but there it is.

below is a detail of the ones that didn't make it

Sky is working on her grad school portfolio so in December I'll see her again to get that finished up. I am looking forward to it.

An Offering by Vani Akula

2010-10-01T18:56:00.003-04:00

Below is the painting entitled Offering by Vani Akula. She asked me photograph it for entry into an international competition. It features Ganesh behind an offering of detailed and flowing flowers.
Check out the detail shot below to really see the texture and brush strokes in her work.

For more of Vani's work go to her blog at http://vanisdailypaintings.blogspot.com or stop by her studio during the Elmira Open Studio Tour going on this weekend. Ask her about the dancers series, it is one of my favorites!

Offering by Vani Akula

detail of Offering

Congratulations Heather Joy!!

2010-09-19T18:24:00.002-04:00

Congratulations Heather Joy !!!!!

Heather Joy Puskarich was recently named one of 20 Women of Power by Maniac Magazine in Pittsburg.

Heather Joy specializing in Photographic Imagery in Glass. Her work consists of a combination of traditional experimental darkroom photographic techniques and contemporary glass processes such as photo resist sandblasting, decal work and metal blasting. Here are some examples of Heather Joy's work and you can see more at her website (which is where I got the above blurb about her work) www.heatherjoy.com

The not so easy black background

2010-09-14T19:35:00.001-04:00

My new toy in the studio is a piece of black acrylic that I bought for my shooting table. I have been playing around with it just a little, I love the reflection that you can get with one of these but I don't think it is going to be the easiest background I have ever worked with. It's worth it though for those reflections.

My lighting setup will have to be changed for starters. The big softbox that I have directly overhead shows up so well I can read the manufacturer's name on the side of it. It also attracts dust worse than my TV. When I removed the protective coating from one side every spot of dust in my studio got up and floated over to land on it. Maybe they just like looking at themselves in the mirror like surface. It looks so delicate that i didn't dare wipe it down to hard so I got my mom's lamb wool duster to clean it gently. Mostly it just pushed the dirt off to the side which was fine by me.

I'll be playing around with it for awhile longer, seeing which subjects and lighting set ups work well with it and which don't. I already found a few that don't. Isn't it always the way.

Hylen Glass

2010-09-06T19:01:00.001-04:00

I want to show you this work by Beth Hylen.

By the way Beth I hope you are feeling better (she had a cold when we got together recently).

Not only does Beth do beautiful mixed media pieces but (and this is the really cool part) within each of her pieces is a smaller piece that can be removed and worn as jewelry. In this case it is the silver feather in the bird's nest. She's brought together not only glass, wood, metal and an actual bird's nest but beauty and function all in one.

As I am writing this I realize that I should have taken a close up of the nest. Hindsight is always 20/20.
I am going to write that down for next time.

check out more of beth's work here
www.hylenglass.com

9-15-10
here's the close up, Beth had me back in for a few more pieces and we were able to get the close-up.

sommerville pottery

2010-09-05T21:58:00.000-04:00

I had my first look at the new red glaze from Monica and Ray at Sommerville Pottery this week. They brought me 10 or so of their functional pottery pieces to photograph for their website. I may be to partial to red as I was married in the color (I must have a picture of that around here somewhere).

www.sommervillepottery.com

testing out video

2010-09-05T18:46:00.000-04:00

I just read the most interesting article about the use of video in product photography by Steve Meltzer (I mentioned him in an earlier post). He is doing a series of articles in Craft Report magazine about the use of video for recording artwork. I am very much looking forward to this as sometimes it is just impossible to capture all the great things about a piece in one photograph. Granted juried shows won't take them (yet) but it would work really well for ceramics and other 3d work on a website. The above it my experiment with video from the little point and shoot camera. I wanted to make a welcome message for my website since for some reason I don't want to have my picture taken, go figure.

The white background

2010-08-30T10:00:00.000-04:00

I realized I have left out the plain white background the one most people usually try to start with in the first place when photographing their own work. White poster board from the craft supply store in a cheap and easy place to start. It has both a shiny side and a matt side. I prefer the shiny side myself. Set it up as a sweep. To do this place a box on a table and rest the poster board on it and tape down the bottom end, it will be a sort of loose L shape. The raised part becomes your background.

Place your object down on the flat part of the white paper, start with your light overtop for an evenly lit area and then add a side light for definition.

The great thing about the white poster board is it's easy to replace and inexpensive and works well with a variety of subjects. You can even dump yogurt on it if you have to. It also comes in a variety of colors if you want to experiment. Although basic white like basic black never goes out of style.

Photographing Arts, Crafts and Collectibles by Steve Meltzer

2010-08-21T18:54:00.000-04:00

I wanted to tell you about this book by Steve Meltzer. It is one of the only ones I have ever found that deals with the subject of photographing art work and it is an excellent resource. People often ask me how they can take their own photos at home and I have been looking for an answer.

This book is the closet I have come so far. I found it at my local library, an awesome place by the way. So you can read before you buy. Read it and see if shooting your own work is something that you really want to do, if it is this book can help you. You can also buy it on Amazon if you are so inclined. But if you are interested in photographing your own work def. check it out.

Photographing Arts, Crafts and Collectibles by Steve Meltzer

what else i am working on

2010-08-21T18:48:00.000-04:00

Today I am just going to ramble on about a photograph that i am getting ready to enter print competition in the winter. I am going to do four this year so i figured i had better get started now. Last year was the first time I entered PPSNYS print competition, I was to intimidated to do it before and while I didn't merit I came close and having gone through the process once I feel much better about it so I am actually looking forward to it this year. This is the first print that I am going to enter, I have to put it on a 16x20 board and it doesn't fit that so there will be a black background around it which isn't bad. I would have preferred this image without it I think but it is what it is.

I took this image years ago with my d70, I was just wandering around elmira and found this door. Fast forward a through years and I had some fun with it in photoshop and I am really happy with it. I like the punchy color and the creepy vines and the unrealistic look to it. I don't know if anyone else will like it other than my husband but I have learned sometimes you just have to trust yourself. If it doesn't merit it is ok and I like it anyway.

here's another that I have been playing around with, this one is being printed for the Elmira Regional Arts Society. I will be hanging in the arnot and I wanted something new to put up. Hopefully I will be as happy with the print when it comes. I find I like making the realistic unrealistic. Maybe because I spend so much time trying to faithfully reproduce the texture and detail and color of the art that I am working with professionally when I go out to play on my own I head toward the abstract and the odd. Maybe one of these days I will show you the collographs I have been working on. They are tons of fun.

Easy Black Background

2010-08-10T10:47:00.000-04:00

My last post got me thinking about other backgrounds that I use. A solid black comes in very handy.
I use Denny Photo Black as a background for large objects and black velvet from the craft store underneath the piece when I am worried about getting the background dirty as it has to be dry cleaned. A little photoshop work and the blacks come together nicely.

The easy at home version is to use the black velvet for both the background and underneath your object. It comes 1 yard wide from the craft store so depending on the size of your object you might have to have a couple of pieces to put together. The best thing you can do to get a solid black background is to keep as much light off the black as possible. It just makes your life so much easier. Hang a piece (or two if you need to) of black velvet on a wall behind your set up. Put another piece of black velvet on the table you will put your piece on. Pull that table away from the background so if there is any spill it isn't very much, a foot or so is all you may need. Or you can block the spill from the lights with whatever you have handy just make sure it isn't in your picture and doesn't catch on fire if your lights are hot.

The black that your object is sitting on can't help getting illuminated as you light your piece, do the best you can to minimize any unnecessary spill and then a little retouching in photoshop will bring it together. Or you can leave it alone to create depth against the solid black of the background. Just be careful to smooth the wrinkles out of the velvet before you shoot.

The nice thing about this set up is that you can replace the black velvet underneath your piece with black plexiglass for that cool reflective look. Try other surfaces underneath your piece with the black background and see what you like and what works well with your own work.

The Amazing Gradient Background

2010-07-27T19:33:00.001-04:00

I do love the gradient background, it's not that I don't like the reflective black plexiglass or any other color but there is something so clean about a white to gray to black background. Sure there are times that it just isn't right but it is like that little black dress, something that should always be in your closet.

I use two different ways to get the gradient, at the studio that I rent for my glasswork they have a plexiglass table lit from beneath. You get more or less gradient depending on how many lights you have on underneath the table. This is a great way to light glass in particular, the light from underneath just makes most pieces glow. here's what one looks like

On the other hand when I am doing pottery I like to use a pre-made gradient purchased at B&H photo (fairly inexpensively I might add.) They give me the gradient without blowing the bottom of the pot or vessel out. They are extremely easy to scratch though and you can spend more time retouching the background even right out of the box than anything else but it really does look good. They come in several sizes and color combinations and I have found two manufacturers, one called Flotone and the other made by Calumet. They are an easy way for those of you photographing your own work to give it a professional quality look. gradient background

Copyright Information

2010-07-19T20:43:00.000-04:00

Clients often have questions about copyright when dealing with photographers. Until recently I had only verbal agreements or discussions with my clients. After the last PPA conference however I decided to start using a written unlimited licensing agreement. In a nutshell it states that my clients can use the images however they need to while I retain copyright and get photo credit whenever possible.

Some people wonder how a photographer can have copyright over another's artwork. To gain a better understanding about copyright issues with art documentation I spoke with the copyright office at PPA. A very helpful woman explained it to me as follows:

Whether you are photographing fine art pieces or commercial products the copyright of the images you create belong to you.  This is not to say that you have any ownership in the piece or product that you have photographed but, rather the final ”fixed expression” you have captured in your camera. 

The same would hold true for portraiture clients. The subject posing for the image does not come into copyright ownership simply because they appear in the shot or may have suggested the wardrobe.  The copyright owner is always the person who has captured what the law defines as “the fixed expression of a fact and/or idea.”

Working with your photographer

2010-07-07T19:46:00.000-04:00

I believe that photographing someone's artwork is a collaboration between the artist and the photographer. People often say to me you are the photographer you know what to do and to a certain extent that is true. But you are invested in your work, you might have a particular part or feature that you want to convey to the viewer. I have found that working with the artist always gets the best result and that my clients are happier this way.

You won't need to tell your photographer how to light something but talking with them about your work, showing them the parts that you want to focus on and what your hoping the image captures is an important part of the process. You shouldn't be afraid to talk about your work and you do get to have a say in how it is shot. If you have questions ask them, there may be a reason the photographer does what they do and your understanding of that will help you both achieve the result that you want.

Finding a Photographer who does artwork

2010-06-30T20:54:00.000-04:00

Here is a good starting point for looking for a photographer in your area:

Start with your local phone book and look through the list of photographers, check out their websites to see if there is a section of their portfolio that deals with artwork. Don't overlook the photographers in the Commercial Photography section, these are people that are more likely to have experience with this kind of work since they often do products and still life set ups. The only caveat is that they can have a different pricing structure where you pay by usage rather than by the hour. Remember that not all photographers do works of art or do them well so it is important that you ask to see examples of the work that they have done before you pay them any money.

Try contacting any art instructors or art groups in your area and see what contacts they may have. Remember that depending on the work you do you may be able to ship your work to a photographer outside of your area.

I'm still trying to find a good way to search online. art documentation is one search term I've used with some success but you don't get everything.

looking for good photography anyone?

2010-06-20T10:02:00.000-04:00

The inspiration for this blog was two conversations that I had with two different artists. One had a professional photographer photograph their work and they weren't happy with the results and the other had attended a talk by a curator who stressed the importance of quality photography but wasn't able to tell them how to get that desired result. I would like to address some of these issues in this blog. For those of you who are looking for a photographer my next post will be tips on how to go about finding one and how to maximize that relationship. For others who need to photograph their own work post your images here and any problems you may be having and I will give you whatever help I can.