Kathryn’s Bed at Home, Brooklyn, NY ©Jane Tam

The next following weeks will culminate into full preparation for SPE National in Denver. I am still contemplating whether to include some work from Hong Kong into my portfolio and how it actually fits in conceptually with my Family series. When showing my work, it is all in how I explain the images.

You can tell when images don’t fit into a series of work and my portfolio is not exactly immune to that problem. My perfectionalist personality makes it hard for me to create new work as I constantly reshoot images over and over again. I am not the best technician when it comes to using a camera so reshooting is a must. So, I realize some images in my portfolio do seem to stick out like sore thumbs. Though with the whole series, you can certainly see the growth of how the project started.

Preparing my portfolio comes with a lot of finishing. Most photographers buy an archival portfolio box for prints, which usually comes in the grand old color of *drumroll* Black! When you’re in a conference with hundreds of other photographers all vying for attention, a black portfolio is not exactly what’s going to make you memorable. Seeing this problem from college reviews, I decided to make my own portfolio box. Notice the plaid. (please disregard the crappy digital photo)

A 16″x20″ plaid portfolio box; homemade by your’s truly. This certainly grabbed a lot of attention and I have some requests to make other’s. I have yet decided on a fabric for my next box but I plan to make it open in a “portrait” orientation rather than a “landscape” orientation. I also have to make a box to safe-guard my book.

If anybody wants to request a homemade portfolio box, just email me and I will give you a quote. (I’m trying to up money for my Senior Thesis show, coming this April, so any help is appreciated.)

Call for Entries!

Remain in Light is a new print publication which currently seeks submissions of recent photography work for their first volume. The final result will be sixteen photograph, printed on separate cards and presented unbound in a customized slipcase.

From Remaininlight.org:

Please submit 5-10 images in JPEG form or an online portfolio with your name, age, and current city of residence to remaininlightphoto@gmail.com by March 1, 2008 to be considered for the first issue scheduled for release in late spring. The final images will be selected by co-editors Karly Wildenhaus and Shane Lavalette.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

While there is no specific theme for each volume, the cohesiveness of the final sixteen photographs will be taken into consideration. Contributors will be notified within 2 weeks after deadline whether their work will be featured in the first volume and must supply requested files and additional information by the end of March. Submissions are welcome at anytime and will be considered for future volumes for six months after the date of submission. Feel free to resubmit at any time with website updates or new work.

As Remain in Light is independently funded and exists to promote the work of emerging photographers, no monetary compensation can be provided for submissions at this time. All contributors confirm that they are the creator and copyright owner of all submitted images and that any necessary model releases have been obtained and can be provided if needed. By submitting images to Remain in Light, you grant the rights to Remain in Light to use and publish your images in printed form and any promotional materials. Further questions can be sent to remaininlightphoto@gmail.com.

The Center of Photography at Woodstock, NY is holding its first annual Regional Reviews on February 9.

The photography community is not only centered in the city anymore as more and more communities are growing in exposure and offering more opportunity in Central and Upstate NY. (I should know, I work at Light Work Community Darkrooms , part of Light Work in Syracuse, NY.) The Regional Reviews will give photographers a chance to meet with a minimum of five reviewers from galleries, publications, and institutions in the surrounding Central and Upstate NY area. I haven’t been to many reviews but a minimum of five is an amazing opportunity. Usually you’ll get lucky to meet with three in one day, let alone five.

CPW is honored to have an esteemed group of reviewers participating in this event. They include; Chronogram (Kingston) | Digital Art Space (Troy) | Donskoj & Company (Kingston) | Exposed Gallery of Fine Photography (Delmar) | Fovea Editions (Beacon) | Galerie BMG (Woodstock) | The Image Works (Woodstock) | Nicole Fiacco Gallery (Hudson) | The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art (New Paltz) | Photo Sensualis (Woodstock) | Photographic Center of the Capital District (Troy) | The Center for Photography at Woodstock | and others!

To learn more about the Reviews, see bios of the reviewers, and/or to register, go to their website here.

Woodstock is only 2.5 hours from the city and is a great little town with lots of arty vibes.