twelve portraits ~ april
"The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls." ~ Pablo Picasso
george | okc 2014
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
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
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....
woman smoking | boston, 2014
twelve portraits ~ march
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.
karina at the pem
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
"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
“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.
snow & sailboats
month two with a collective called ignite - a creative discovery of art & the first photograph in a new website. one that feels like a snow-globe you'd shake in your hand. yet one that has been very real for those of us who live in new england. this is what we've seen on more days than not. but what gives me hope here is that sailboat in the window as we are but one full moon away from the official turn into the season of spring.
snow, books & boy | salem, ma 2014
to see the rest of the photographs, i invite you onward...to one who amazes me with her concepts: Susan Gietka, Susan Grace Photography, Hammonton NJ, Fine Art Photography.
twelve portraits ~ february
my portrait this month is one i’ve longed to create since i first saw this dazzling display of dreadlocks & i’ve been patient in waiting for the right time to ask … for a time when i felt strong and courageous – when that spirit inside couldn’t be contained. so today, it was a feather lovingly placed in a beautiful nest of long locks twisted around in loops of half shape hearts that spoke and i answered. and with that, the grace of meeting hillary … a dancer who creates with fire. (no joke – she’s a fire dancer). so for this month, i decided to pair her portrait with hearts strung on a window looking out on snowflakes. sort of a metaphor of dreams…for in another time & place and with another head of hair… i’d have layers like hers to create with.
next….always a beautiful surprise with Ginger Haddock in Casper, WY.
Wells Blog
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