Breathe
I realized yesterday that I am constantly just this far away (I'm holding up two fingers to show a small amount) from ripping the head off of anything that irritates me. Just this morning I have already cursed out a bar of soap and a box of tissues. Nothing good came of that. I read an article yesterday that described my state as "languishing". In fact, if someone asks me how I am, rather than saying that I'm "fine", or "doing well", I am supposed to say "Honestly, I’m languishing". I'm not sure who that is supposed to help, but there you are.
I need to breathe!
All winter, the Covid Winter, I had been trying to cope and remain creative by just trying to accept where we were and make some art. And remember to breathe through it all.
I have put together a gallery of the work here. I want you to click that now and breathe with me. There's nothing profound there. Nothing challenging. No irritating tissue boxes. Just some images that I made and that I hope will help you breathe with me.
If you missed the link to the gallery, click here.
Alone Together - the show
The Atelier show at the Griffin Museum of Photography, in which I was honored to have my work appear along with the work of some really amazing artists, closes today. I talked about the show in my last post, mentioning the challenges that the Griffin had to deal with because of the pandemic. If you haven’t seen that post, please do. I am truly grateful to the Griffin, and to Meg Birnbaum, who led us through those weeks of on-line sessions and, who together were responsible for making an in-person show at the museum work.
I have created a gallery here on my web site that contains all 20 of my images for the first time. You can see it here: https://adrienbisson.com/alone-together
Please feel free to send a comment to let me know what you think.
Alone Together
Long, long ago, in December of last year, I signed up for a workshop/class at the Griffin Museum of Photography, in Winchester, MA. I have been a member at the museum for a number of years and have taken several short workshops during that time, but I had always wanted to take what is called the Atelier, a 12-week portfolio and project building course. I had decided back in the Fall that I would 'retire' from my commercial photography business either at the end of the coming fiscal year, or the calendar year of 2020, so knowing that I would be cutting back on things in the Spring, I wanted to take the workshop.
Then in March, things changed a bit. The first class was held, in person, on March 10th. I remember there being nervous discussion at the class about 'the virus', but we all pushed forward. After that first meeting it was decided that the next week's class would be cancelled until things were sorted out. We ended up meeting the following week via GoToMeeting, and did so for the remainder of the class. I initially thought that this would not go well, but everyone who was willing to try the on-line meetings, and especially the instructor, Meg Birnbaum, made it work.
Unfortunately, none of us have formally met in person since that first meeting, and while The Griffin will be holding a virtual reception on-line, and a physical show at the museum, it will certainly not be the exhibition that we had hoped for. Anyone can visit the Griffin and see the show, once it is hung, but must make an appointment, and the showing is private.
On a happier note though, the workshop was really inspiring and mind-opening. I especially enjoyed watching the other participants work thought creating a body of work for the show, as well participate in the back and forth critiquing that we did each week of each other's work. Meg does a fantastic job of inspiring, coaxing, and directing the class's efforts. A subset of each body of work will be shown at the museum, as well as on-line (see the links below). After the show, I will create a gallery of my full set of images here on my web site.
Coming back to my 'retirement' story, by the end of the first quarter of 2020, work stopped for photographers. I did have one shoot on June 1st that I had booked back in March, but otherwise things came to a halt. That was when I decided to step back and not worry about returning after the sheltering. In fact, my project for the Atelier is called "Alone Together", and tells a story of those first three months in which Amy and I isolated ourselves back when we were all working through so many unknowns. I have retired from my commercial business, and have let go of my Western Ave Studio, which I will write about at a later date, but I plan to continue working on personal projects that will find their way to the web site.
I hope you look at all of the images of the other participants, as well as possibly go to the Griffin to see the work in person.
Showing: September 5 – September 27, 2020
Virtual Reception: September 13, 2020 4-6 PM
2017 - That Was The Year That Was
I usually do an end-of-year retrospective of my work, but this year I am running a little late. But it's not really TOO late, is it? So here, without any excessive wordiness, are some of the things that I was involved with in 2017. I hope it is fun to skim through!
John Francis Designs - an Artist Portrait
I got a mini-education in the art of crafting wood, or maybe just in the kinds of woods that are used. John Welch, of John Francis Designs allowed me into his studio a couple of weeks ago to photograph him and he enthusiastically explained to me, the clean slate, about some of the exotic hard-woods that he uses. I had no idea that some trees have a dark part and a very light part in the trunk!
Ok, back to talking about John. He recently moved into a larger space. It is flooded with great light from the huge Western Avenue Studios windows that face onto the Pawtucket canal. But let’s go directly to the photos! These are a mix of digital, medium format color film (Portra 160) and black & white film (Ilford HP5), all with window light.
You can visit John on Western Avenue’s First Saturday Open Studios, or you can go Like his Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/johnfrancisdesigns
John Welch - John Francis Design
Jewelry and Flutes
Jeweler Robert Williams was kind enough to let me photograph him a few Saturdays ago in his Lowell studio, for my artist series. I learned that day too that he also makes high-end flutes - I think he said he is a master silver caster - in Boston, which he told me is where the best flutes are made. What I do know is that he makes amazing jewelry and is a super-nice guy. You can see a few of his pieces on his web site (http://www.rawjewelers.com), as well as on a video done by Howl Magazine here: https://youtu.be/_HfMrKg2FD4
His studio is at Western Avenue Studios, in Lowell, Massachusetts - Studio 208.
Kenya's Return
A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of welcoming Kenya back to my studio for a solo photo shoot. If you follow this blog, you may recognize Kenya from a fashion shoot that I did last year for Humanity, a boutique in Lowell, Massachusetts. Here she is with the whole team. (Kenya is the second from the left.)
Our recent shoot was one of my self-assigned shoots, meaning that it wasn't a fashion shoot, per se, nor a portrait, but rather my opportunity to do some creative lighting, posing and using materials other than digital cameras; things that are not always possible with commercial clients. So here's what we came up with. Thanks Kenya!
Film, Digital, Color, Black&White, What now?
Two months between blog posts. Not good. I have been busy (lame excuse), but also have been shooting quite a bit that cannot be shown here until it is published elsewhere (better excuse). I have been doing a little traveling in the way-back machine lately though, having purchased a scanner and some film. I hadn't shot film in several years and it is definitely a reality check. I am hoping that, like a painter's medium, it will have me think a little differently, both when I am shooting and in preparation for a shoot. I know, blah blah blah..show me the pictures.
I resurrected my 35mm camera and took a couple field trips...So here is a bench, some grapes, and a couple of guys on bikes. Did I mention that I am not a street photographer?
With a little help from eBay, I made some new friends in Japan and Korea. In the process, I bought a monster of a medium format camera. It creates negatives that are 6x7 centimeters. Here is my photography colleague Jack Holmes; world traveller, great photographer and all around nice guy!
Jack Holmes
Ok, one last gear-head thing... I bought a mono-rail 4x5 view camera recently too. I am headed off to a workshop next week, but I hope to start, or restart, a series of portraits of local artists when I return, and use both medium and large format. So watch this space.
Now, in no particular order, here are a couple of publication tear sheets, some shots from UTEC's Sweet 16 event, the Summer Kickoff of the Lowell National Park, the Grand Opening of Ani's boutique, Humanity, and an actress headshot that I did for another all around great person, Christa Brown.
Humanity Lowell
UTEC - Sweet 16
Christa
Lowell National Park
UTEC Sweet 16
Barron's - Fidelity's Steve Buller
Merrimack Valley Magazine
My Lunch with Kevin
Yes, I know, the snow is two feet deep as I write this. But how about something totally different than wall to wall coverage of a snowstorm in New England in January?
Last week, photographer Kevin Harkins and I had our annual lunch. We do gossip about everyone so fear not, you probably were mentioned. Every couple of years we have started to create new headshots for each other. Frankly, I like the younger ones of myself, but Kevin is very persuasive, so we shot new ones. I am getting the full Platon treatment on mine and those will be coming to my web site soon.(Platon is a photographer. Born with only one name apparently. Look him up, or click here: http://www.platonphoto.com/gallery/portraits/movies--television/robertredford/)
Anyway, it was a cloudy Massachusetts afternoon in January, and the north-facing windows of my studio provided a distinctly cool light, which was great. Kevin has already blogged with some photos that he shot of me (thanks Kevin!), so here are mine of him. Take special note as to how different Kevin’s shots of me look, in spite of their being shot the same day, in the same studio, with the same lighting gear. (Hint: it’s not about the camera or the gear)
Enjoy.
And take a look at Kevin Harkins’ web site here: http://www.harkinsphotography.com
This Was 2014
Near Santa Fe, NM
Stop me if I have said this before, but I really find the many end-of-the-year lists very tiresome. So naturally, I thought it would be a swell idea to do one myself and to review my year for you. Mine will be exciting though. Really! There will be lots of local interest, beautiful people, amazing food... Ok, so you're bored already... I will get right to it. Enjoy!
Oh, and Happy New Year!
The day in January of 2014 when the Lydia and Francey, the entrepreneurs from Mill City Grows came to my studio.
Sopheak Sam at Harvard Business School for a Boston Global photo shoot. It was COLD that day!
Stephanie graciously agreed to do some available light testing too.
Before the weather became arctic, I worked with a local band called Trusting Fate - at a farm!
The stunning Caitie tested for some available light portraits.
Photographing food is always a joy with a food stylist like Carolyn Grieco. Thank you for the cover Merrimack Valley Magazine!
Neal, from Concept in Dracut was my cover shot for CEPro in April 2014.
The cover of the May/June issue of Merrimack Valley Magazine was all about author Andre Dubus III; a very nice guy!
You can't see him, but Steve, the Merrimack Valley Magazine's creative directory is hanging on to a softbox on a stand, hoping he won't become airborne out at this dirt road location shoot.
I enjoyed photographing and profiling several other authors, artists and artisans this year for the Merrimack Valley Magazine too. Clockwise, from the top left in this group, is one about author Holly Robinson, shot at Plumb Island. Next is ceramic artist Yary Livan, shot at his studio at Western Avenue Studios, in Lowell, MA. And last, I spent a morning learning about the coffee roasting that Rosie's Cafe does, also in Lowell.
Then there was the vacation! We spend almost a week in Santa Fe, which was the first time for Amy and me in the South West.
The fantastic wedding and portrait photographer, Melissa Desjardins, who used to assist for me and now lives near Richmond, VA. She loves to be photographed!
Very happy to be asked to be the first photographer from Lowell, MA to be featured on the home page slide show of lowell.org!
Liz Cardoso, my assistant for the day and an emerging photographer as well, accompanied me to Portland, ME for this cover story about Rob Simopoulos, of Advance Technology.
What can I say about Thaddeus Miles? Director of Public Safety for MassHousing, photographer, public speaker, proud father, founder of several initiatives, the most recent being Hood Fit, which is "an effort to feature the most positive attributes of community building through a focus on health/wellness of the mind, body and soul." Thank you for asking me to photograph you!
Yum! Angelina's in Tewsbury, MA.
Part of my photoshoot for Jeanne D'Arc Credit Union's new ad campaign. This one of Mark S. Cochran, President & CEO at the Owl Diner, is one for the wall! (see insert - billboard seen on the VFW Highway, in Lowell)
And just a little over a week ago, I had fun working with my stylist Grace Moschetto of Grace Professional Cosmetics, models Christa and Monika, and Ani for some fashion work to market her store, Humanity Lowell.