I thought I’d been down most every country road in the small town of Ladysmith. I was wrong. Tucked away along Countyline Church Road there sits a hidden gem. A beautiful garden of bonsai trees, a koi pond, sculptures, fountains, and two artists who cultivate natural beauty with artful hands, knowledge and patience. To be granted permission to take pictures in this sacred space was an honor.
Here’s something I love about film . . . green is always green.
That might not seem like a big deal, but WOW, printing photographs, especially to render colors accurately is an art form all its own. To prepare for Slow Exposures, I ordered test prints on seven different papers from MUSEA Lab. And those subtle differences mattered. Then for the portfolio review, I tried archival pigment prints (giclee prints) versus plain old lustre photo paper. I’ve ordered some contact cards and postcards to leave behind with reviewers, and every step of the way has been marked by do-overs and corrections and reconsiderations. It’s a big learning process. I’ve let go of trying to get things just right and decided to enjoy the whole process, even the mistakes.
Oh, and I’m sending out a big thank you to the fine folks at picturehouse + thesmalldarkroom for developing and scanning all of my images with impeccable quality and precision. My work is mostly film these days and they are making me look really good!
When I asked my husband what he thought of the picture of the floating log, taken from the pier over the Rappahannock river, his answer was “meh.” He couldn’t really tell what it was a picture of (even though he was standing beside me when I took it). But he loved the photo of the old El Camino. And it’s okay that he doesn’t like or understand every picture I make.
Maggie Smith’s Pep Talk was just what I needed.
“You’re not for everyone. Your work is not for everyone. So be it!
Whatever happens to your work when you send it into the world, with its sometimes treacherous landscapes, is none of your business, really. You made the thing, and now people can make up their own minds about it. Will everyone love it? Probably not. Will everyone hate it? Also, probably not.
But do you love it? Are you proud of it? Do you stand behind your choices? Have you made something uniquely yours?
Be for you first. Create for you first.
You’re not for everyone, but the people you are for will find you. Just keep going.”
It is an absolute truth that when I am bored and don’t know what to photograph, I almost always take pictures of fruit. In a garden, an orchard, a field, a farm, a bucket.
As I was taking the picture of the mashed blackberry on the dirt path at Snead’s Farm, a little girl walked up to me and politely asked what I was taking a picture of. Her mother was nearby and gave me the go ahead to engage in conversation with this curious 7 year-old. I explained that I was tired of just taking pictures of blackberries and trying to come up with a new way to see the berries. I told her that the squished blackberry reminded me of the very best part of summer—the hot, sticky and sweet part. She agreed and went on to tell me that she had a camera, too. Her two little brothers joined us and we all took turns taking pictures with my camera. It made my day to share something I love so much.
There was a bumper crop of blackberries this year. And the figs are just ripening. The peaches have been mostly picked, and what remains is the sweet mush for the bees.
