The week of April 25th was a good week for me regarding photography. It started out with an email from the Chromatics Gallery in Nashville letting me know that my photograph had been chosen to be in their next show. The show theme is “Signs of the Times.” This will be my second gallery show!
My Second Gallery Showing
I had a hard time finding something in my portfolio that I thought would fit the theme. I settled on a couple of photographs I thought would work. I was not sold on any of them until my wife picked one. After doing some research, the picture she picked started to make sense. The building pictured below is the photograph that will be in the upcoming show. It reminds me of a time long gone when companies were local and situated near railroad tracks for immediate shipment. Farming was the way of life for most. This local produce company is now replaced with major grocery chains and local farmer markets as we know them today.
Yesterday’s Farmers’ Market
Columbia, Tennessee – Olympus OM1 / 28mm f3.5 / Ilford Delta 100 / Film Box Lab
The other event that I was highly anticipating was downloading my scans from 3 rolls of film developed by the FINDLab. I had 1 roll of Kodak TRI-X 400, 1 roll of Fuji Superior 400 and my very first roll of Ilford HP5 Plus 400. Like I have mentioned in the past, it is like Christmas Day when I get that email saying my scans are ready for download. The roll of Superior 400 sat around since last year. I forgot what was on the roll. It had been several weeks since I completed the other two rolls so I was very excited to see these. Out of these 3 rolls, I created 11 blog posts. They are listed below. Click on the title to go to the post. All shots were taken with my Olympus OM1. The film used is noted next to the title.
Around the House – Fuji Superior X-TRA 400
Smile – Nashville Streets Part 2 (1 of 5) – Kodak TRI-X 400
Hopefuls – Nashville Streets Part 2 (2 of 5) – Kodak TRI-X 400
Smashville – Nashville Streets Part 2 (3 of 5) – Kodak TRI-X 400
Hanging Out – Nashville Streets Part 2 (4 of 5) – Kodak TRI-X 400
No Rhyme, No Reason – Nashville Streets Part 2 (5 of 5) – Kodak TRI-X 400
A Foggy Start – Ilford HP5 Plus 400
Alone – Ilford HP5 Plus 400
Music City Marketing – Ilford HP5 Plus 400
Conversations – Ilford HP5 Plus 400
Random Street 5/9/16 – Ilford HP5 Plus 400
Also that same week I was asked to donate one of my photographs for a cancer auction. The person who asked me knows my work and told me to choose the picture. The only stipulation was that it had to be something that was from the local area, preferably something that was recognizable to most. It also had to be signed by me. I knew the perfect picture. I would bet that everyone who lives in the area has been to the Montgomery Bell State Park. One of the icons of this park is a little church. It is still used for Sunday services and weddings are performed there. Below is a picture of the church.
Little Sanctuary
Montgomery Bell State Park – Dickson County, Tennessee – Mamiya 645 1000S / 80mm f2.8 / Kodak TRI-X 400 / Film Box Lab
A picture of the church would have been a great recognizable image, but many people have taken this shot. I wanted something unique, something with my touch. Therefore, I chose a shot I made on the inside of the church. This church is open to the public whenever the park is open. I often go inside the church to reflect and of course to take pictures. Two of my favorite pictures from the church interior are below.
Dark Pew
Montgomery Bell State Park – Dickson County, Tennessee – Olympus OM1 / 28mm f3.5 / Kodak TRI-X 400 / Film Box Lab
Piano Praise
Montgomery Bell State Park – Dickson County, Tennessee – Olympus OM1 / 50mm f1.8 / Kodak TRI-X 400 / Film Box Lab
I chose the piano to be my donation. Of all the shots I have seen of this church, I have never seen it from this perspective. Chromatics made the print and my wife put together the frame. All I had to do was sign it. I love black and white photographs on a white matte and black frame. This presentation is classic and looks great hanging on any wall.
Olympus E520 / Sigma 30mm f1.4
Olympus E520 / Sigma 30mm f1.4
Olympus E520 / Sigma 30mm f1.4
There is a side story to the cancer auction. The person who asked me to donate the art work actually put a $100 bid on my picture. When she made the bid, she did not use her name. She did this because she knew people would recognize the name and not bid against her. She wanted to get as much money for the auction as possible. Well it turns out that on the last day of the auction someone made a bid of $115. She lost the auction. She told me that she wanted the picture because she was going to give it to her sister-n-law who is a music teacher. You see, the lady who lost the bid was married in the church pictured above. The piano in the picture is the same piano that played the music at her wedding. Her sister-in-law played the piano during the ceremony. When I picked this picture for the auction, I did not know that it would have such sentimental value. The story doesn’t end here. As faith would have it, she announced her retirement. What would be a nice retirement gift? You guessed it. I made another print and my wife put together another frame arrangement. I gave it to her on her last day of work. She was surprised and I could detect some emotion as I handed over the frame. I don’t know if she will give it to her sister-in-law or keep it for herself. Either way, it is always good to help make someone’s day.
If any of you are in the Nashville area within the next 3 months, drop by the Chromatics Gallery. My picture will be on display until September 1st. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog!
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