high noon & high tide

May 22, 2014 in documentary

and so we begin that time of year when days are long and skies are bright. when for a moment on a particular day, i can almost remember that feeling of being a kid on the last day of school with the long stretch of summer days ahead. when i can look forward to days with my feet dug into warm sand and occasionally in water that's warmer (relatively speaking where i live).

while this photograph wasn't taken anywhere near memorial day, it's light and bright. the lines of the swings and the girls riding them caught mid-air hold my attention with feet flying and ponytails riding in the wind. i like that one turns to the water and the other to the sky for their gestures within the composition hold that feeling of being a kid in summer & the freedom of wearing a bikini and swinging high.

the double portrait

May 21, 2014 in portraits

while listening to a panel at the flash forward festival a few years ago, i heard a gallery owner and collector talk at length about the "double portrait." while the first image that came to mind was that of Twins by Diane Arbus, when i searched the term, i was surprised to see a famous work by 15th c painter Jan van Eyck - the Arnolfini Wedding.

i came into art and photography through art history and actually specialized in northern renaissance painting. as such, i'm well familiar with the work of Flemish & Dutch painters from 15th to 17th century.

when i looked through my portfolio, i found more than a few double portraits and over the years, i've kept this in mind. last year on the train back to salem, i found myself in one of the older cars - the ones where two rows of seats actually face each other - and met Danny, and knew immediately i wanted to photograph him. we talked the way back and i learned about him and his boyfriend mike.

we met a month later and spent a little time on revere beach parkway which is where i took this portrait: positioned on the wall of the causeway with the grasslands and the ocean behind them, and a ledge on the right leading back to their home. the light, the soft smiles, the openness, mike's hands in his pockets while danny's hands are out and loose, the touching knees. this to me is one of the finest examples i have of the double portrait.

twelve portraits - may

May 18, 2014 in group projects

i wasn't sure which photograph to choose for the month as i've been pushing myself further than i thought possible with this project and this month i actually had a variety to choose from. seeing a face that interests me is getting harder to just walk by. sometimes i ask first, sometimes i don't but in both, i try to spend a little time with the person after if it's possible.

so - this is kenny. at the salem visitor's center. i was there looking at the space for another project, when this interesting man walked by inside. everyone there seemed to know him and with the gloves on his hands, i thought perhaps he worked there. when i saw the shirt he had on, i knew i wanted to photograph him & was thankful to see him standing outside on our way out. i asked if i might take his portrait and he thankfully graciously agreed. so for this month, i give you keen in a salemized rolling stones t-shirt.

i'm happy to welcome new members to our soiree this month starting with a good friend in new england - Phyllis Meredith.

giving back

May 17, 2014

early on in photographing, i've found a need to give back with photographs that contribute to something bigger than myself. and what i'm finding as i go along here is how connected the projects are without any intent or pursuit on my end. having started out with images of lewis hine, dorthea lange and walker evans in my head, sometimes the projects i've longed for were a bit grandiose in hindsight. or at least beyond what i could manage and i'm thankful for the opportunities that have surfaced....one begins without photographs at all.

last week i heard an advertisement on the wbur (local npr station) from horizons for homeless children - specifically, for volunteers to play with with the kids in a program called playspace. when i got home, i went to their website and signed up for training which just so happened to be taking place within a week.

kids playing basketball | "share a chair" poetry reading  at mary jane lee park, 2012 — kids playing basketball | *"share a chair" poetry reading* at mary jane lee park, 2012

so i begin today in official training to be a "PAL" (playspace activity leader)...no camera, no intention of photographs, just making one's world a little lighter for a moment.

i know many around me give of their time to helping others in different ways, and while i'll continue to give back with photography, i've come around to the value of just giving in any way i can at any time i can.

still from a wedding

May 16, 2014 in documentary

i like pictures that make you stop and wonder what's going on outside of the frame which is exactly the theme of this photograph. i liked the two groups ranging from toddler to grandparent broken into a group of three and four. i waited for the littlest one to turn the way she did, mirroring her mama's stance. and in looking at all three little girls, i was particularly taken with their hands and their pose. while there's activity going on behind them, their presence is strong enough to hold my attention.

wedding at wolfe's neck farm | freeport maine, 2013

cars

May 15, 2014 in lifestyle

and then there are close up's with hardly anything at all that tell all you need to know - little hands and painted fingers tell me this is a little girl who loves her lineup of cars. i made a decision to hone in rather closely as i liked all the whites and light gray shades. i also liiked the circular composition...the arm to the hand to the cars to the other hand and out and back again...which in ways, mirrored the action going on.

that little hand

May 14, 2014

another photograph that still resides in my portfolio is one taken during a pet portrait session. at the time, i couldn't put my finger on exactly why it appealed to me other than i liked the placement of emma on a path in between day lilies that were nearly as tall as she was which tells me something about her height and her age and the time of year. i liked the soft the light and how it gradated from bright to dark, but more than anything, it was the moment of her turning around and me being in the right place at the right time. what i didn't understand at the time, was how this works as a story. some time later during a review by two documentary photographers i revere, i was shown all the other nuances like the little hand and it's gesture, and the triangle in the composition. things i naturally see but couldn't articulate.

so just like that, in every way, this photograph along with a few others shown below, pointed the way forward.

a particular portrait

May 13, 2014 in portraits

i took this photo a few years ago and it's still in my portfolio as one of the best portraits i've ever taken. while the composition is a study of shapes (the rectangle of the whiteboard, the square of the stool, the oval of her posture), the story runs a little deeper. at this age, two defining aspects of this little one's life are present; first, the hands on the hips and second, those "h" letters on the board. i liked that she was looking off to the side, as if she's trying to catch a though (tho at this age, that's anyone guess) and i also liked the pattern of lines on her shirt ...sort of like rays that point to her face. then there's the wisps of curls makes me want to touch her hair and the lines of the floor tiles that take you to the markings on the board.

now - did i think of all THAT when i photographed? no. not all. i knew sasha was into "h" letters and that she liked to stand with her hands on her hips. so at this moment, when she turned around, i saw the story in a good composition.

framed in a doorway

May 13, 2014

last summer, i was hired to spend a week with a colleague & friend to photography them in their life...it was a visual diary that incorporated a range of activities, people, places, and elements that together, celebrate a story of life. we created a schedule that weaved in the monumental with the mundane...choosing beautiful locations with meaning and significance for lifestyle & portraits, and for my own part, an every day moment.

though i photographed inside, it was on our way out that i turned and saw michelle framed in the doorway of her car and was struck by the composition with the reflection of telephone lines and the restaurant sign overhead noting a specific location. but what this photograph is about, is the action - the digging for car keys. as most women i know who are mad for a big bag (in this case, it was a big pink bag), the getting into the car bit involves a bit of a key search and as you can see, the contents of the purse start to be pulled out one by one (in this case, the dress, a pouch, glasses.) so that's what this photograph is about. i chose this moment with her face down and arms crossed as one of beautiful frustration.

the hurricane cafe (part of a client folio)

a photograph of prom

May 12, 2014

having never gone to a prom myself, i have an impression of junior prom as one that's exciting but carefree in the sense that it's not the "last" one; the pressure and emotions i imagine wrapped around a senior prom are absent. instead, there is just a pure raw vibrant sensation of excitement and anticipation....in a way that's breathable. so after the portraits were taken and we were officially wrapped, i saw this photograph take shape; i composed, waited, and the resulting picture turned out to be my favorite. i like what's going on here. the composition of a "v" with the daughter turning to her mom, boy to his. that split defines all that is being a teenager. though yes, they are grown and no longer need "mommy" in quite the same way, the heart is still young enough to naturally turn toward their mother who are bursting with pride & joyfulness & i'm sure a "where did the time go" running through it all. yes, this photograph holds all that emotion and meaning in it.

& the portraits ...

a duality

May 12, 2014

a portrait of a pause ... the subject is one with a creative mind and generous heart; one who shares tireless hours of insight and knowledge with me (and many others) ...one who leads by doing the work and following it in ways i've yet to trust and understand.

from one who's path i've paralleled in a similar yet different way....and who's light guidance i am forever grateful for. tx you for leading me onward (literally from one place to the next) every week and every year.

ignite ~ april

April 26, 2014

on a day when shooting street was not the means but turns out the end, in accompanied three teenagers to the cincinnati aquarium. we'd spent the last parts of the day outside the complex in newport ky and the unfolding scenes were captivating to say the least. the light was right and the setting was interesting in terms of compositions and shapes. and tho i felt ok with a few i'd taken, it was on the way to the parking garage when i turned and saw this. or rather, what i first saw was the man in overalls which i imagined as a farmer on a cell phone. and then i saw the man above...in just the right place.

next in our small but creative group is Roxanne Bappe | Imaging Rox | Central Iowa Photographer.

an immersion in art part ii ~ okc art exhibitions

April 24, 2014

one of the most inspiring exhibitions i saw was at the gallery artspace at untitled was the 365 exhibition of five photographers who were asked to create a series of work outside of their medium (which three of the five did) and one did so in spades.

while the exhibition details can be viewed on the oklahoma visual arts coalition website, the imaginative work by cathleen faubert appealed to the alchemist within and that part of me that longs to create an experience. here the work was about using "scent" to tell a story of place...how a smell might bring one right into a memory of a warm summer night. it's worth watching the short video on this piece for her expanded thoughts, but what i felt taking in each piece, was seeing how her process organically unfolded. this wasn't something she necessarily started out with, it's where she was led....and i felt that. there wasn't anything forced or premeditated about it.

as the work was site specific in terms of presenting "smells" of oklahoma, there were photographs of different locations where she created scents from along with seven finished scents presented in little glass vials like perfume that you could smell. underneath the title, she listed the various ingredients. i thought i'd taken little iphone snaps of each creation as the ingredients were fascinating, but sadly i forgot. i'll just leave you with a photograph that to me, summarizes my impression of it all.

an immersion in art part i ~ okc art exhibitions

April 24, 2014

once a year i try to return to oklahoma city (okc) where i spent seven years of my life immersed in creating and learning about art at the university of oklahoma. while okc may not roll off your tongue if asked to name a place you go to for art, i can tell you it's cracking wide open save bursting out with creativity. each year there's a little more...and i think at present, there's something like over a hundred gallery openings a night. a combination of low cost of living and a leftover from the 1960s counter culture paired with wealth (and there is a lot of money in the city) and there you have it. had seattle not lured me away, i'd still live there as even then, there was something about it.

chuck webster @ ok contemporary, 2014 (partial view)

anyway -

this year was no different. and we actually went right from the airport oklahoma contemporary to see an exhibit of chuck webster. while the work wasn't all that well received, i was captivated with the presentation: hundreds of pictures literally adhered to the wall with a push pin. the photo quality here is so/so as they were taken with a phone but as i use the phone for snapping sketches, i thought i'd begin here.

twelve portraits ~ april

April 18, 2014

"The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls." ~ Pablo Picasso

and so it has been. a month which has allowed me to shake out the cobwebs. a month i long for not only for the turn in weather, but for an annual trip with two stops...the second taken with the purpose of an art immersion. a carefully string of days that run together end to end IN art...museums, galleries, studios, discussions, reviews. there are more than a few moments where i see something that fills me inside out. and i leave refreshed and inspired. until i travel. and then, somewhere high in the sky, i'm sucked into an in between kind of vortex. and i arrive home overwhelmed and in ways agitated. i think because i can't bottle up all that i understood. that somewhere between there and here, i lost that sense of playful unknowing.

and that is just sort of how it rolls. the real truth. if there's one thing i'm starting to get, art making is just that - it's about the unknown part of creating.

so with that, i thought it'd be fitting to offer a portrait of a painter in his studio in front of two newer paintings. for this pose, i intentionally photographed it with awareness of leaving out part of the painting on his left for a few reasons - first, i liked his placement between the two women and their collective eye contact with a viewer. i also liked how his stance mirrors the pose of the man in the painting. with the subject matter here, there's a story underneath the layers and i felt photographing it this way honed in on that.

so...next in our tiny but interesting little group is Linda Prows, Memphis, TN Portrait Photographer.

Casting Call for Girls

April 04, 2014

I started the Little Witches series as a response to the widespread appeal of the Salem Witches to all ages, genders and ethnicity's, and putting the commercial aspects of tourism in Salem aside, I think the attraction is to mysticism, ritual and magic. As children, most of us embraced make believe as reality, and I think the underlying allure of the Salem Witches is a longing for our childhood illusions.

As I continue on with this project, I've outlined a casting call as follows, and if you would like more information, can view the project and the full artist statement on my website.

The Call: I am looking for girls preferably between the ages of 7 and 10 who have an artist’s heart and a poet’s soul. The only requirement is a willingness to wear a witch’s hat for the entire session and to be willing to take light direction. All sessions will be held in Salem, MA and last approximately one to 1.5 hours depending on the age/needs of the children. If you know twins or triplets, I’d seriously swoon.

Attire: As the series is about the wonderment of childhood and began with a hand sewn outfit, I’m open to collaborating with each child on attire as I’m interested in how they think a witch might dress. I’m open to anything that’s inventive and creative as long as there are no logos or patterns, so tutu’s, skirts and dresses, jeans, capes, striped stockings – all are acceptable if we discuss them beforehand.

Print & Model Release: I offer one print (8x10/8x8) in exchange for your time and a signed model release.

Interested? please contact me, call 617-834-1800 or email pjoye@pamelajoye.com

Write here...

ignite - march

March 30, 2014

on a day that was freezing & cold & snowing (and in truth, another day of a very long winter) it felt good to be out in boston despite it all. with each gust of wind, each drift of snow, i smiled thinking maybe just maybe this would be the last day of the year for that (though sadly it wasn't). regardless, as i took time out to assess, the downside of that was not photographing as often as i have been. and it felt good to simply look around and discover....

& next...Roxanne Bappe | Imaging Rox | Central Iowa Photographer

twelve portraits ~ march

March 17, 2014

i had a dandy of a portrait...perfectly unplanned & totally brilliant. one that told a story of a day and a place and a time of year. the only problem? i didn't take it. and realized the mistake in hindsight. so i spent the next few weeks kicking myself in the ass for a missed opportunity while presumably missing more of them and then i lost my nerve. i kept hoping i'd feel it or find it or DO something but i didn't. which is ok cause i learned a lot from the experience. i was pretty close to bailing but ... as i had this session planned, and as i'd scouted for this area which was perfect for this person in telling their story...i opted to share this.

while this is not a pure use of negative space, it tells the story. and now...onto the next - the ever enchanting ginger haddock in casper wyoming.

unforgettable photographs

March 10, 2014

"photography is about appreciating parts of your life, and then documenting them. it's the process of stopping and saying ah...this is really special because this is only happening in this moment and this moment will be gone." ~ george lange

I happened to catch a segment "the unforgettable photograph" on the today show last week with a photographer talking bout his new book: the unforgettable photograph. And my mouth fell open as he began to talk about the importance of documenting moments, of capturing feelings and telling a story of how a moment feels rather than how you think it should look.

Let me say this again: here was an accomplished photographer telling a "today show" audience that it’s important to document life and how it feels; to tell your story and impression of life with photographs.

As this is the essence of why I photograph and the very core of what I offer, I sat with that for the better part of a day…actually for many days. Validation aside, i was deeply moved for my choice to stand by this vision even though it’s not always been easy or understood or in demand. i've been encouraged little by little to see more and more people interested in documentary and expressive work, choosing real life photographs over staged, retouched, photoshopped unrealistic save idealistic pictures.

I will continue to go rogue; to break free from ... to be shaped by the story of a moment...to be inspired by expressing how it feels and sharing that in a photograph.

there's no place like home

March 02, 2014

“During the times we think we’re being “unproductive,” the seeds of new worlds are germinating within us, and they need peace to grow.” ~ Martha Beck

On the advice of photographer I admire (david carol), I spent the better part of 2013 photographing. In hindsight, I had a lot of expectations that I’d magically “come to” some great awareness. That I’d understand how to choose the right pictures to present & a handle on a workflow.

Instead I was overwhelmed with a dizzying collection of photographs that when heaped on top of an already un-curated pile pictures taken over many years led to a feeling of getting the wind knocked out of me.

While the hardest part of anything is the starting, the doing - especially when the doing feels difficult - I felt there was a lot at stake and painful as it was, I got into the doing. Not just dealing with the photographs from last year, but every picture I’d taken over the past five years....

bird by bird, folder by folder, picture by picture

Though a deflating process, insights surfaced; patience persevered & gems appeared in photographs I’d over looked the first time around. It was a process that I lingered on and through, giving each photograph the respect of time and care. I began to choose with a more selective eye with choices that formed little collections ... added to larger collections and further refined.

Three months & thousands of pictures later, I felt tighter, saner, clearer and eager to share, but when I refreshed my website at the time with all that was new, instead of being elated, I felt let down - like something was missing.

And another truth surfaced.

The mishmash of websites I’d had were in large part a result of what I thought I had to have - others views, others vision. So at this point - i felt it was time to start over, to refresh, to reboot. Even though it meant letting go of everything I’ve created online before; being ok with expired bookmarks, links, and pictures.

But it felt right.

And so I did - in a new space that feels like home; one i've longed for and earned as it fills me with more inspiration than I can possibly articulate. Similar to finding my own way through curating a collection I’m proud of, I feel I’ve created a little space here that fits my photographs like a little black dress.

While the means to arrive where I’ve landed was an unknown, I’m humbled; and mindful of the shift. All along I’ve wanted to be taken seriously; painfully aware that until now, I hadn’t made that leap in my mind. But here I am. On the other side of another beginning.