Winding Down the Year - 2022

     So my very significant other mentioned to me, " Do you realize that your last blog post of the year will be published on New Year's Eve? No one's going to read it." My response, " Meh, they'll have something to read while they're in recovery mode the next day."

My showing earlier this year at the Taren White Gallery 

    It's been an amazing year for me. At the beginning of the year, my resolution was to get my pictures out there. In my opinion, it's far too easy to say, "I just take pictures for myself."  For me, the whole point of making visual images is to share my view of the world with others. I mean, if I can't do that, what's the point of making them in the first place? Although I had displayed my photos at a few pop-up art and craft shows in the past, I wanted to make an impact that lasted a bit longer than a simple one or two day weekend show.

    With that in mind, I booked a showing at the Taren White Gallery here in Paris. https://tarenwhitegallery.com/  and, later in the year, enjoyed an exclusive showing of my work at the Dog-Eared Café also here in town.https://www.dogearedcafe.ca/  While I did enjoy some success selling my pictures in these venues, (Hey, it's great to make some bucks!) The real benefit for me was that they established my presence in the local arts community. And what an awesome community it is! I subsequently attended shows and gallery exhibit openings from artists and photographers as diverse as artist \ photographer Dean Ellis (my photographic soul brother), the incomparable Amy Walsh-Harris, the awesome Kaitlynd Wilson, street and travel photographer extraordinaire Monique Campbell and many others. I've attended showings at venues like the Taren White Gallery, The Dog-Eared Café, The Paris Bohemian Gallery, the Tom Robertson Fine Arts Studio and Gallery,  the Art in the Workplace Exhibit at McMaster Innovation Park and the Art Gallery of Hamilton. 

Members of the Paris Photo Collective at the opening of 
my show a at the Dog-Eared Café      

    The biggest lesson I learned this year is this. Social media (Facebook, Instagram etc.) is great. But, if you really want to get "social" about your media, print out some hard copy of your work and get it hanging in a public venue. I've been astounded by the kindness and support that I've received for images that I've loved to create! It's been a truly humbling and gratifying experience.

With photographer / artist Dean Ellis and photographer 
Joe Johnson at the opening of Dean's show at the 
Tom Robertson Gallery 

    Speaking of "social", This was the year that the pandemic restrictions eased up enough for members of the Paris Photo Collective to resume meeting up face to face. In June, we started meeting again at the picnic shelter in Lion's Park. We've since met a few times on the back deck at the home of one of our members and, for the colder months, we moved to a heated loft above the garage of one of our members. I kind of dig the fact that we don't really have a permanent meeting spot. Hell, this is a group that has had informal meetings in the parking lot of a donut shop! We don't stand on ceremony.

With artist Amy Walsh-Harris at her summer art show

    What can I say about this group that I haven't said already? https://refractivereasoning.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-camera-club-that-isn-paris-photo.html Since starting the group back in 2019, the Facebook page now has a membership of 82 members. But, it's the ten or so members that regularly come out to meetings who are really the heart and soul of the group. Photographically, these people are my tribe. We get together and talk photography (a lot!), We laugh and joke around with each other (a lot!) We share some crazy stories about our experiences. We try to help each other out with some mild critique and helpful advice. What holds it all together is a common love of the photographic craft and a strong sense of friendship and respect in our pursuit of it. I've always said that we may be the craziest little photo group on the planet, but we crank out some damn good pictures!

    So, as I said at the beginning of this post, I've had an amazing year. All I can think of is thanks. Thanks to all the patrons who have liked and purchased my pictures. Your kindness and support means a lot to me. Thanks to the gallery owners and curators who work so hard to keep art and good photography in the public eye. As a photographer, I couldn't get the work out there without you. Thanks to the members of the Paris Photo Collective. You guys are a constant source of laughter, encouragement and inspiration. I am a member the best photographic family on the planet! Thanks to all my friends and family. I truly appreciate your tolerance when I want to take "Just one more!" Thanks to everyone who reads this blog. Thanks to a community that accepts and encourages my urge to share my visions of life captured in fractions of a second.

     It has been a great year and I've already got some ideas and plans for the new one. Stay tuned. Things could get interesting!

Happy New Year to All!

       ...more later