Western Avenue Studios
Today we saw one of several vestiges of Western Avenue Studio's former life as a mill be dismantled. The old smoke stack was taken down today. When I arrived it lay on the parking lot in sections, having been cut into sections. Here is a shot of the stack as it was, late one summer afternoon in 2009:
And here it was today:
While not apparent, it is about 5 feet in diameter.
This is one of several changes that are being made to the building that will put any future as a textile mill in doubt.
My studio has, among other nice attributes, a set of really large green barn doors. I am on the 4th floor, so if they opened, it would be quite a drop. Fortunately, they don't. I imagine that in the days in which this Western Avenue Studios building was a textile mill, this was a kind of loading dock door for raw materials in and goods out. Today, it's just dark green awesomeness.
I feel a portrait series coming over me! Here is my latest shoot with sports photographer, Liz Cardoso, who specializes in photographing runners.
There will be more to come!
It has taken me a while to get my new photography studio into shape, but after having moved in a little over a month ago, and having done a number of shoots here already, I am finally able to show it off. Thanksgiving week is always a reliably slow week and therefore makes a great time to catch up on things that had been impossible for months. I needed to move in to the studio over a weekend because the following Monday I had two shoots, back to back, but I never had the chance to really organize it or hang work on the wall. I am almost there!
Western Avenue Studios, Suite A405
So there won't be any misunderstanding, I am still at Western Avenue Studios, in Lowell, Massachusetts! I have simply moved to a larger, brighter space, two floors up. The new space is on the 4th floor in what is known as the A-Mill; studio A405. This floor itself is much brighter and more welcoming even as you come off the elevator. Restrooms conveniently located just to your left as you get off the elevator, and my studio only several doors down the hall.
The Green Doors - I have mentioned the green doors before, but most people are not aware of their size until they actually enter the studio. These are what must have been loading dock doors years ago through which raw materials and finish products were moved. Today they are sealed, and make a really cool background. Here are some shots done in front of the doors. In fact, these are from my first author portrait photo shoot in the studio; the one done that Monday morning after moving in.
Susan Iserbyt
It seems like just a week or so ago, but in January I met artist Sus Iserbyt. She asked me to do some portraits of her in her studio. Web site environmental portraits. Her studio is bright and airy. Her art is beautiful, but arguably, sometimes dark. I prefer to do these kinds of shoots without assistance and without a schedule. This lets both of us create the look and mood of the session, which is different from every other session, just as is every subject.
If you are interested in her work, click here to visit Sus Iserbyt on the web.
(As of this writing, the photos on her site are not from our photo shoot.)
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If you like my work, please do "Like" my Facebook page, link to my web site and follow me on Twitter. And if you would like to set up a shoot, you can contact me here: http://www.adrienbisson.com/contact/
Check out more of my recent work too:
http://www.adrienbisson.com/blog/2012/3/5/interesting-people-in-the-house.html
http://www.adrienbisson.com/blog/2012/1/29/photographers-in-the-hotseat-creating-a-headshot.html
http://www.adrienbisson.com/blog/2011/12/1/just-some-photos-that-i-like.html
http://www.adrienbisson.com/blog/2011/11/21/a-western-avenue-studios-neighbor.html
Liz, one of many excellent artists at Western Avenue Studios, in Lowell, who works in ceramics asked me to photograph some of her work. I have been so impressed with the colors in which she works, and with the enthusiasm and energy with which she makes her creations, so I asked her if she would pose for a portrait session. As I always like to do, I photographed her in her environment, on location in her studio, surrounded by her work.
I haven't had a chance to blog is quite a while, mostly because I have been busy preparing for an exhibition that painter Bill Tyers and I are presenting at Western Avenue Studios, in Lowell, Massachusetts. We hung the show last week, opening the doors on the show last Wednesday, October 27th, 2010, so I thought I would share a couple of installation shots. We are all very happy with the show and hope that you call all make the reception, Friday evening, November 5th, from 6 to 9 PM. Please scroll down for the details. I hope to see you!
In an Instant
Photography by Adrien Bisson and Paintings by Bill Tyers
October 27th - November 21st
Artists Reception: Friday, November 5th, 6-9pm
The Loading Dock Gallery
122 Western Avenue
Lowell, Massachusetts 01851
Click here for directions and a map to the gallery.
I have know multi-talented artist Glenn Szegedy for a couple of years, having photographed some of his work for his portfolio. I only recently asked him to pose for a portrait though, after wanting to ask him for some time. Things get in the way. Time passes. I have found that I need to make myself go out and flip some bits on the digital sensor occasionally and not just sit on the merits (or lack) of what I have shot in the past. It's important for me to make things happen and not wait for them to occur, because they probably won't.
I wanted to photograph Glenn in his studio because it really provides an ideal background visually, and it reflects Glenn's way of working and maybe his style. He seemed to want to straighten up, but I wanted to capture his working world just as I found it.
You can also visit him at Western Avenue Studios in Lowell, Massachusetts.
My apologies to the grownups of my youth for using that title (Google it ;-), but it was quite a crazy week last week. Last Friday, Amy and I attended the Westford, Massachusetts, Parish Center for the Arts Regional Art Event presentations. We were both informed during the week that we had both won a prize for one each of our entries. They don't tell you what place you may have made until you arrive at the ceremony and look at the program. When we did arrive, I looked down at the pro category to see that I had won 1st prize! Wow! This is the picture as it was hung in the gallery.
I have posted it before, but here is the original:
Then I checked the amateur category to see that Amy had also won 1st prize! She was already nervous, but that news was surreal to her. It was a fun night!
Here is a link to her blog where she shows her work and talks about that night: http://amybisson.wordpress.com/2010/03/27/traveling-in-my-discomfort-zone/
The week ended with a Tweetup, hosted by Kathleen Pierce, AKA bistrobroad@ (http://bistrobroad.com), and myself, at the La Boniche restaurant, on Merrimack Street in Lowell (http://www.laboniche.com). There was a nice group there and we all got to finally meet many people with whom we had only tweeted. Thanks to everyone who could make it!
But Tuesday was marked by a really big happening at Western Avenue Studios. The Mary Richardson and the WCVB television show, Chronicle HD, came to WAS to do a feature on the studios and several of the artists. I was one of them! It was a pretty exciting day. I was asked to follow the crew around and document the day.
I, unfortunately, don't have shots of myself being interviewed, but they did video me as I photographed Lindsey, who very kindly agreed to spend the day in my studio and participate. This shot is one that I took while being videoed for the segment.
I will post another blog as soon as I know when the show will air, along with any information that I have about the video on their web site. It is here, if you want to check: http://www.thebostonchannel.com/chronicle/index.html
