Fotoweek DC, 10 years on.

As winter sets in and the pandemic marches on, I’ve found myself missing personal connections, especially those involving the photography community.

When I moved to D.C. in 2010 I didn’t know a single photographer. To soften my landing I started volunteering for Fotoweek DC, a (you guessed it) photography festival held every November. With countless exhibitions, speaking events, portfolio reviews, competitions and parties, it was a celebration of everything I love about the medium. I started volunteering in the summer of 2010 and in a few weeks turned it into a paid, (albeit temporary) position. Managing the photographic coverage of the festival gave me an insider’s view of the weeklong event and helped me to build connections in the region. Looking back through the images I see friends and peers both as subjects of the photos and in the background. In many cases I didn’t actually get to meet them until years afterwards.

While the festival is no longer an event, I hope 2021 (or 2022) brings a return to this kind of in person community. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Theo Adamstein, the founder and force of nature behind the event. He brought the passion and personal connections together to make an annual event that is still remembered fondly.

Click for full image. All images © me.


Behind the Scenes, Between Acts

In addition to my photography workload, I am part of Missing Link, a start up podcast media company. One of the shows under production is an audio theater podcast called Between Acts. Here’s a sneak peak behind the curtains from some recent recordings made at the Little Theatre of Alexandria, in Northern Virginia.

To keep things interesting, I used a variety of subtle (and not so subtle) styles of shooting and post production as a nod to the various genres of plays that were performed.

Documenting Public Art Installations

Sometimes art is a physical endeavor. While a google search for “art” reveals an overwhelming bias towards two dimensional art, we all instinctively know that that the art world encompasses so much more–it is not just a labor of love but often a labor of the hands.

Public art is just starting to get recognized in its own right. I’m not talking about Banksy, but ways that communities and neighborhoods can really demonstrate their own unique personalities and make statements about who they are and the values they hold. Last week I had the pleasure of documenting the installation of two pieces of public art in Wheaton, Maryland as part of Picture Wheaton project. Rather than just share the finished product, I wanted to acknowledge and celebrate the physical work that is required to make these pieces a reality.

On a Monday I made some images of the installation of the final two 7’ mosaic medallions on the former Wheaton clock tower. This wraps a four year project by local non-profit Arts on the Block, which saw the creation and installation of 44 smaller medallions, as well as the four large medallions on the historic Wheaton landmark. The second installation began promptly at 4 am on Thursday. I assume it was prompt, because I arrived at 4:25 and the damn thing was already in place. I slept in (3:55 am) and missed the money shot. Beginning a shoot in darkness and watching the sky very gradually brighten as a fog rolls in is the kind of situation I’ve missed documenting since COVID came to town. Just being up, focused and present, as something unfolds is addictive. Big congratulations to artists Adrienne Mounin, Eric R. Ricks, and Nori Sato, as well as the Metal Arts Foundry in Lehi, Utah and thanks to the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County for supporting the arts.

A community lives with its public art. And, just like living partners, they make impressions on each other over the course of time–wearing, inspiring, smoothing, informing–all while evolving and growing together. I am excited to document these pieces of art together with the community they live in.

The Boys of Summer

With all of the ills that have befallen the world this year, it is more important than ever to remember the simple joys of getting outdoors and discovering. From the coast of Maine to the Washington Monument, with some model rockets, creek wading, and a BLM demonstration thrown in, here are the (my) boys of summer.

[Click each image for details.]