My next project is something that you might not expect.
I’ve been shooting my local Koi breeders/water gardens for a few years now and I’ve finally decided to make a book of this work. The book will have chapters on “the secret life of plants” and “on being Koi” as well as one called “soft abstractions.”
This is not the kind of work you’d usually expect from me. Typically, I shy away from floral type photos, don’t do landscapes, and at least try to avoid the “ordinary” type of nature photography you might expect to see from a true nature photographer. My thinking here is that, frankly, the nature photographers usually do this kind of work better than I’m suited to do and my forte is really more along the lines of “oddball art” type of subjects. To each his strengths, right?
I decided to do this project for a few reasons. One, it’s more “normal” and allows me to “play” in the “normal kids” sandbox for a while. Places like ImageKind and some catalogs really go for this kind of work and, until now anyway, I haven’t really had a body of work suitable for that environment.
It’s more than that really though, as it’s never about the money with me. This is not about “cashing in” more than it’s about stretching myself a bit as an artist. I wanted to do a more “pretty” book, a lighter body of work that was more accessible to folks. Many folks don’t understand my “out there” artsy stuff. This is an excuse, of sorts, to reign things in and provide something a bit more ordinary for those who are so inclined.
If you’re a fan of my “normal” work, don’t panic. I expect to go back to (continue to produce actually) my quirky oddball stuff. It’s just, you know, every once in a while I too want to play in the sandbox with all of the other more “normal” kids. That’s all.
I am putting the finishing touches on the book now and expect it to hit the Blurb bookstore in a few days (or so.) Watch for other announcements as they unfold (once, you know, once the book is done.)
And, yes, tomorrow don’t expect a flower in this space as, seeing as this is still my site, I can’t predict when the urge to return to self will happen. It could happen at any given moment, really, so be on the lookout for that. Next day might bring an ordinary flower, an oddball artsy shot, or anything in between really. If I were predictable, why that would be boring, wouldn’t it?
Until next time…
