DC Shot List

Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall

fotomaven — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 08:21:42 PDT

A Confession to Make

Lowes Wharf in St. Michaels, by Betsy Spruill Clarke

Shot a party the other day with the theme Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall and I thought it would make the perfect title to kick off this part of the year in blogging the DC photo world. Of course, my deliberate theft of another person's title is not the confession I have to make. My carefree neglect to this blog, however, is.

I thought, back in June, that I would be able to blog more, since photo jobs and more tend to thin out over summer. And I would be partially right, except for one thing that I never saw coming...the very fact that my husband needed a vacation. And therefore, I would also need a vacation.

Working in a creative department, he puts in long hours through the spring and into the early weeks of summer. And, much like any human, he was going to crack if he didn't get a little air. So, I started focusing all of my energy into two things...his sanity and renewing my portfolio.

When August rolled around, I figured that I would take the month off, since it seemed that most people would be getting in those last weeks of vacation anyway, and jump back in this month. But, alas, I am jumping in a little later than I wanted.

I apologize and I confess, I got carried away with the summer. But, while we're on topic, here's a summary of our two big trips: we went to St. Michaels and Rehoboth with Mom and Dad Clarke and we went to LA to see one of the final NIN concerts and visit with our friend Diamond Dallas Page (DDP).

The St. Michaels and Rehoboth trip was awesome and ended with a delicious crab feast/birthday dinner for me. Southern Maryland is fantastic and has so much to offer--relaxation, shopping, much to photograph.

El Lay, what can I say...first time for both of us and the opportunity to see one of the final NIN concerts before Trent had to take a few sick days was...well...sick. Plus, it was fantastic getting to visit with our friends DDP and Angela and getting to try out some new moves (quick background on DDP - former pro-wrestler-turned-fitness-guru; creator of a brand of power yoga called YRG that Adam and Betsy swear by).

There were some pretty nice activities going on here, too - SynchroSwim being my fave - WPA rules! The DC Photography community also had to say goodbye to good friends and fellow talent - Stirling and Rachel Elmendorf, who have pulled up roots and moved out west. And, while working on my portfolio, I did get some portraits and interviews of local photogs Megan Nadolski and Michael Domingo, so please stay tuned for that as well!

Of course after such a busy month or two, my husband says "You know, you really haven't put anything in the blog lately." Argh. The reality that you have wronged someone...or an entire community...is a lot to take.

Let's kick this off right and get this engine up and running...

So, tell DC Shot List - you know the drill...in photo...what you did for the summer: foto.maven@gmail.com

And for goodness sakes, please tell us that you met the DC Fotoweek submission deadline!

Flaunt Fashion Show Scoop

fotomaven — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 09:33:26 PDT

Flaunt Fashion Show, A Sold Out Success

Article and Images by Shawn Duffy, http://shawnduffy.com

Undeterred by traffic and closed streets, hundreds of people in DC's art community descended on the Honfleur Gallery Saturday night to participate in the culmination of the "Flaunt: A Photography & Fashion Collaboration" exhibition.

Flaunt launched at the Honfleur Gallery on April 25 and features the collaborative work of local photographers Meaghan Gay, Joshua Yospyn, John Ulaszek, and Steve Goldenberg, along with DC fashion designers Taimur Baig, Lara Akinsaya, Dana Greaves, and Will Sharp.

While the exhibition had already proven to be a success, Flaunt organizers Ten Miles Square and Project Beltway, took it up a notch by producing a full-scale fashion show on Saturday night.

The runway show featured work from the Flaunt exhibition designers while the Flaunt photographers enjoyed a front-row seat.

The featured photographers were some of the only people sitting, however.

Since the show had sold out by Friday afternoon, gallery was standing-room only by the time the first model hit the runway a little before 9:30pm.

After viewing the great photos and fashion, each of the show's attendees must have left Honfleur certain that DC's fashion scene is just as vibrant and full of talent as anywhere else.

Congratulations to the designers, photographers, models, volunteers, and organizers for a truly memorable show!

ABOUT SHAWN DUFFY

Shawn is a freelance photojournalist based in the Washington, DC Metro area, who has traveled and shot in locations such as India, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Ireland, France, and DC.

Currently pursuing projects in the Washington, DC area, Shawn plans to be traveling again to Israel/Palestine in mid-2009. Though he finances all of his own projects and travel, donations to assist him in his work are greatly appreciated.

For more information or to contact Shawn directly, please visit his website at http://shawnduffy.com.

Domesticated at Transformer

fotomaven — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 05:02:41 PDT

Masculine Art by Amy Elkins

Image: Amy Elkins, Kyle, New York, NY, 2008. Courtesy of Yancey Richardson Gallery.

I have been wanting to expand DC Shot List interviews into the collector sector and just this past Sunday, I had the good fortune to be invited over to Dr. Fred Ognibene's residence to view his art collection! In an informal get-together, he was hosting his students who, up until the Washingtonian article, had no idea about his passion. So, not only did I get a great afternoon of art viewing and a great interview with Fred, but I also got to chat with these students, too.

I promise that this interview will be up in the next few weeks. One thing to mention now, though, is that in his collection are two pieces by Amy Elkins, who's works are on display at the Transformer Gallery as part of the show "Domesticated: Men and the Domestic Interior."

From the description of the show, it certainly seems like it is exactly as the title promises. Featured photography by Amy Elkins, Yolanda del Amo, Dru Donovan, and Jamil Hellu depicts men in domestic interiors, "capturing moments of complex masculinity that can only occur behind the closed doors of the home."

Now, the opening day has already passed, but don't despair! On June 20th, at 2pm, they are having a Closing Day Curator & Artist Talk. Definitely worth going to. And, of course if you can't make it, you have until then to drop by for your own viewing!

For more information, please contact Victoria Reis or Marissa Long at info@transformergallery.org or 202.483.1102.

Please see Transformer's website to download a full press release with more information on the artists and curator: www.transformergallery.org.

Heather Goss Flaunts Photography & Fashion

fotomaven — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:50:29 PDT

Discover Amazing Photographic Art Work Through Ten Miles Square

Article and Photos by Betsy Spruill Clarke

The Managing and Arts Editor for DCist is a busy woman. Just earlier this month, Heather Goss, opened I'm With The Band at Dahlak, featuring the concert imagery by Kyle Gustafson (shown in image to the left), Nestor Diaz and Martin Locraft. (And if you haven't been yet, you have till May 3rd, so you better get crack-a-lackin if you want a tasty combination of rockin' photography paired with an Eritrean dinner and washed down with a $3 Stella). And, this Saturday night, Heather does it again with the opening of "Flaunt: Photography & Fashion Collaboration," at the Honfleur Gallery.

Produced in association with Rachel Cothran's Project Beltway, Flaunt features four outstanding photographers--Joshua Yospyn (shown on the left in image on the right), John Ulaszek, Meaghan Gay, and Steve Goldenberg--paired with four local fashion designers--Dana Greaves, Taimur Baig, Lara Akinsanya, and Will Sharp--creating an ultimate combination in the visual arts. This exhibit also appropriately includes a fashion show on June 6th, so mark your calendar.

Because of people like Heather, Rachel, as well as Philippa Hughes (The Pink Line Project), DC is discovering how rich it's art, fashion and photography scene truly is and many local, up-and-coming artists are finally getting the platform and exposure they deserve. Not to mention, those who would love to indulge in the hobby of art collecting, now have a true starting point.

Having covered visual art in DC for DCist, since 2006, Heather also created and now organizes their annual Exposed Photography Show, which has exhibited at Warehouse, Civilian Art Projects and Flashpoint. Through this experience, she discovered an opportunity. Recognizing the amazing amount of unknown talent in DC, Heather created Ten Miles Square and uses an unconventional formula that appeals to present times: promoting local photographers through independent businesses, while fostering a new generation of art collectors by offering genuine pieces at affordable prices--a similar method that also works for Philippa Hughes (shown in photo on left).

Even though she doesn't market Ten Miles Square as a mentor program, she often finds herself treating it as a mentorship. Pricing, for example, can be quite a mystery for many a modest artist. Heather encourages pricing to sell, but discourages undervaluing, as well. This basis for pricing speaks more to the reality of today's economy, rather, than the opinion of the art peice. "It's not a discussion of how great your work is," Heather explains.

Heather's efforts show that it's not necessary to spend $10K, say, on a work of art, just to be a "true" art collector. However, spending $50 on a framed photo at Pier 1 or IKEA doesn't count, either. Going to these artshows and exhibits is a great way to find out what moves you, meet the artists, visit with other art collectors, and maybe even get something original and meaningful to you at an affordable price.

Many who want to start collecting are intimidated, at first. They are often a bit worried about what others may think of their opinions, tastes, etc, when, in fact, that is not the case, at all. "It's good because you say it's good. It's good because you bought it," advises Heather.

As for artists who are interested in working with Ten Miles Square to showcase their work, Heather suggests getting out more often and going to these and other shows to discover more work, get your name out there, visit and network with other artists and find inspiration in their work. She also advises shooting often, while keeping an eye on what you like. Finding the niche, so to speak. "Take one picture that you like and find what you like about it and keep shooting like that."

Plus, she says getting on Flickr and contributing to things like DCist is also a great way to get noticed. One of the reasons why Heather is so great at what she does is her visual memory and she browses Flickr, all the time.

Heather admits that she is also a photographer, but not to the degree of the photographers she represents. When asked what her niche is, she laughs and says "My niche is to organize these shows!"

Let's not forget that her niche also includes writing about art, which she loves to do and it shows.

Heather's experience puts her in a prime position to advise both artists and collectors. Considered one of DC's top experts in photography art, she has been a guest on the Kojo Nnamdi Show, speaking on the topic of art in the metro area and, in addition to DCist, her writings have also appeared on the Washingtonian web site. Most recently, for the first annual FotoWeekDC contest, Heather was chosen to sit on a jury panel that included Pulitzer Prize winner Deanne Fitzmaurice and Joyce Tenneson, who is the 2005 Fine Art Photographer of the Year. Top all of this off with a day job working as an attorney at a large law firm in downtown DC, and you have what could be one of the busiest Washingtonians of today.