Small Business Saturday ~ Photography Workshop

Photography Workshop: Beginner's DSLR, It makes a great gift!!!!!

Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beginners-dslr-photography-101-workshop-tickets-9045528419

Faces of Equality ~Beth Kukucka

I came to support a friend. I left supporting a cause.

A few Thursday nights ago I walked into the Mendelson Gallery on Edgeworth Street in Shadeyside, PA.

I stood alone in the center of an empty room.  The walls were covered with different photographs of married couples. The portraits all of happy, smiling, joy-filled couples all sharing a single story. There I stood by myself taking in the imagery. I would come to find out that this time alone in the space would be a special event for myself.

Walking out of the back room appears a well dressed older woman wearing artfully framed eye glasses and a stylish, short, cropped hair-do.  She approaches me and politely asks if I wouldn’t mine coming back in half an hour when the exhibits opens to the public. I respond, “Thank God I thought this show was a failure”. I couldn’t believe that I was standing there alone. She smiles back at me and says “See you in half an hour, honey”.

I walked down the street to a bar, the actual name was “The Pub”.  I ordered a draft and nursed it for the next half hour. I finished my beer and asked the bartender for the check.  She slid the white paper bill over to me and it read $11.00. I double check to make sure that I was not being billed twice for a single drink.  I was not.  Damn, this place is expensive for being named the “Pub”.

I walked back to gallery.  The night air was cold, with a strong breeze, it felt like the holidays.

This time getting back into the gallery would not be as easy. I found myself standing in a line about 15 people back, all waiting to get in to see the photos.  When I finally make it back inside, the place is packed, body to body.  It’s hard to even see the work on the wall.  I could not believe that only a little over a half hour ago I got to stand in this space all alone.  That turned into being a gift in itself to me.  I love seeing this place packed;  the people of Pittsburgh all turning out for a gallery opening on a Thursday night. This is good news for my upcoming show in February (insert shameless plug here).

The artist I came to support was Beth Kukucka. Long time good friend and photographer whose fine art portfolio has inspired me over the years.

One of the things that I love about photography is when you are attracted to a photo, yet the reason why is beyond words. This gallery space was lined up with great photos and the one I kept going back to is shown above this post.  What is extra special to me about this is that the photo was taken by Beth.  I should stop saying I support her work;  I came to enjoy her work.  Supporting work feels like an artistry thing to say. Only later in the evening did I discover that this photo was take by Beth.

Across the crowded room I see Beth and her wife, Stephanie, entering the gallery.  I wiggle my way across the room, saying many “excuse me” and “pardon me”, “my apologies” and “yes, please” to the kind waitress re-filling my glass of wine.

The name of the show that was displaying 3 of Beth’s photos was named “Faces of Equality”, featuring gay and lesbian married couples.

Before this exhibits if you would have asked me if I supported gay rights I would answer yes, but not in any meaningful way. What I mean by “yes” is yes to marriage equality for all, but I have never done anything positive to help further the cause than polite conversation with family and friends.  It is to be hoped that this blog today will be me stepping further into the right direction.

Here is the problem with supporting a cause: there are just too many causes to support.  Who, how, what to pick is an undertaking itself.  I live with Neuromyelitis Optica and you would think that I would support that disease through several activities, but honestly I am lousy at it. I just want this damn disease to go away.  I am not giving my money or time to something that has already taken so much from me already.

Marriage equality doesn't take, it only gives.  This is good.

Here I stand, a 44yr old married, white, middle-class man in a room with all different races, genders, beliefs and loves. In this room tonight I am a minority (rare thing for a white male to experience). My life choices are supported by governments and religions.  For the majority of the people at this exhibit their’s is not. Let me tell you what it is like being a minority in a room full of people who are fighting and praying for marriage equality:

Motivating. Humbling. Awakening.

Equality is an interesting word.  For  the word “equality” to be effective, the use of the word needs to be forgotten. The use of the word “equality” is nothing more than a reminder of the injustices put upon those who love.

I have a 7 year old daughter and hopefully she will never know what marriage equality is.  May she only know the word “marriage” when looking at married couples, all types.

For today the word needs to be side by side for the message to ring out strong and purposefully.

As the night went on speeches were given regarding what to do to help the cause. My favorite speech was about having conversations with your neighbors about marriage equality.  I like this idea.  Take it to the streets.  Jesus did this. He walked the road to spread his message.  There were temples and courts in his day where he could reach the masses, but he decided to spread his gospel one conversation at a time.

In my lifetime I have never met anyone who is against gay marriage who has a gay friend.

Conversation tears down walls and friendships build new bridges.

Go make a friend.
Have a conversation.

Update

This will be my first night in 8 yrs that I will not be shooting "Light Up Night".  For those you that have been asking where have I been? I been out in the universe doing good deeds. Here is a photo take couple of weeks back.

Other Random Updates: 

The date will be February 9, 2014. It will run from 10am till 2pm. Cost is $150 and includes a light lunch.

 Registration here: https://www.eventbrite.com/event/9045528419

Work in Progress

This is a rough edit. More to come. Just wanted to put out a sneak peak!

 

Moment

Current Reading: Aleph by Paulo Coelho
Current Music: Unplugged by Eric Clapton
Mood: Its 8:41 am and I have all ready been to a dance party, mood it good, real good!
Smells: Dehumidified air
Sounds: Fan
Temperature: Cold, winter has arrived
Thoughts: For those who wish to enjoy life, never stop walking.

Beginner's DSLR Photography 101 Workshop

Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/event/9045528419

Ryan Art ~ Film

30 SecFilm ~ Ready, Set, Relax

Beginner's DSLR Photography 101 Workshop ~ 2/9/14

The date will be February 9, 2014. It will run from 10am till 2pm. Cost is $150 and includes a light lunch.

Registration here: https://www.eventbrite.com/event/9045528419

Photo of the Week

Moment

Current Reading: There is no God and He is Always with You by Brad Warner
Current Music: New by Paul McCartney
Mood: ok
Smells: Cold morning air
Sounds: A mother telling her story about her sin living with NMO
Temperature: 40 degrees 
Thoughts: I am starting to believe that consciousness is more akin to grace, a gift given to a few...

Elizabeth Craig Intimates Beauty Portraits

Check out my wife in action... This is what she does when you are not looking...

 

Time Lapse Test Shoot

Fun time lapse test shoot...real project coming soon.

 

Moment

Current Reading: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Current Music: Round About Midnight by Miles Davis
Mood: Fog
Smells: Fire place
Sounds: Fan
Temperature: 54 degrees
Thoughts: Today is the start of a new journal, old journal filled.

Short Film ~ Mansions on Fifth

Here is my latest film.  Check out the time lapse at the beginning.  Been waiting to add time lapse for awhile. For those who been asking: I am using Nikon D800 for all stills, motion and time lapse, love this camera!

Elizabeth Craig Beauty Portraits ~ Short Film

“….it’s about enjoying the powerful side of femininity. 

It’s about recognizing your outer & inner beauty….” 

Art Doc ~ 30sec Film

Start of a new project. Just a little sneak peak of what is to come....

Pirates' first playoff win since 1992

Shine On ~ Pittsburgh Pirates

A little ‘Burgh beauty for a bunch of luck to our Pirates on their first play-off game in 21 years tonight! Go Bucs!

PGH @ DUCK

Pittsburgh at Night ~ Exhibit

Pittsburgh at Night Photography
Saturday February 1 ~ Artist reception 6pm -9pm
Boulevard Gallery 736 Allegheny River Boulevard,
Verona PA 15147

Moment

Current Reading: Hesitation Marks by Nine Inch Nails
Current Music: The Devil and Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho
Mood: Good
Smells: Tomatoes
Sounds: Water
Temperature: 62 degrees
Thoughts: Late night conversation are good.

Ambient Art

Photo of the Week

Short Film ~ In The Kitchen

Photo of the Week

Photo of the week, this week its 9/11....never forget....always remember that prayer works.

Photo Exhibit

Here is the info for my next photo exhibits..... 

Pittsburgh at Night Photography 

Saturday February 1 ~ Artist reception

6pm -9pm

Boulevard Gallery

736 Allegheny RIver Boulevard, Verona PA 15147

412-721-0943

Reincarnated Me ~ Short Story ~ Part 2

You can read part 1 (here)

My life has become a true-metaphor. It may be nonsensical yet literally it is meaningful for me to share this story with you. At this point you must re-apply more sunblock before reading further on and I told you to watch out for the spiders.

This would be a good time to fill you in on my backstory of how this all began.  But I will not.  Just know this: there is no normal.

The typewriter calls out to me, my back aches for the sofa. I place my hands of the keys and then it happens, again.

: I listen past the silence.  The din slowly fades away.
: For 40 days I did nothing but listen past the silence.
: "Do not trust angels", this is whispered in my ear.
: 40 days of sitting still in the ever-present silence, this is what arises:
: The Bodhi tree grows from sprout to full blossom to death.
: The ark is built then sailed then abandoned...I watch the ark decay back into the soil.
: 40 days of desert, 40 days of the devil...it's always 40 days.
: "Do not trust angels for they created you", this is whispered in my ear.
: Satan becomes a creator, society names him God.
: The serpent in the garden of Eden was not the devil tempting mankind, it was Jesus the Christ showing us that we have been duped by Satan and that we are now separated from that which created us. 
: The location of the Garden of Eden is in Bellevue Heights in Australia. Google it.
: "Do not trust the Australians", this is whispered in my ear. 
: Angels always have one wing dipped in blood. Nothing good ever happens when they whisper in your ear.
: Life of poverty, life of service, life of strapping a bomb to your chest. This is all due to Angels.
: Do not listen to Angles.
: Truth or fact, which quality outshines the other? You need at least two drinks before this question gets interesting. 
: Truth or fact, which quality outlasts the other? This is the question worth answering.

: The reincarnated me rides past me, still on the back of a horse.
: Reincarnated me yells out “Your heart burns like fire but your eyes are cold as dead ashes.”
: Current-self-embodiment answers, “Ok, ride on apocalyptic-boy, your type of crazy is not needed here."
: “40 more days to go, always think twice before answering me”, reincarnated me yells back at me from atop his horse.

: I listen past the silence to hear my original voice.
: That is love and I’ll be here till the end of time. 

I look down at my finger tips and they are bloody.  I go into the bathroom  and place three squirts of anti-bacterial soap on my tooth brush and place it in my mouth.  24 brush strokes on top and 19 brush strokes on the bottom.  I spit out the bitter soap-goo into my hand then wash my finger tips clean with this concoction of saliva and soap.  My fingers burn.  A billy-goat sits on the toilet smoking a Marlboro cigarette wearing a Boston Celtics t-shirt. He saying something in Spanish as I walk away.

Reincarnated Me ~ Short Story

What follows is a true story for those of you who believe in metaphors.

Beware: before reading this it is recommended to wear sunblock that is SPF 30 or above and also watch out for spiders.

I can not believe that this is happening to me. Again.  All I want to do is lie on the sofa.

I just want writer’s block but the words won’t stop coming. This typewriter that sits in this empty room calls out to me.  If I could only stop these words than I could lay down on that sofa and sleep.

I get up and walk over to this old typewriter.  The keys are white circles with black letters.  The striking hammers make this god-awful sound as it pushed the letter into the paper. The body of this typewriter is made out of wood; it must have been hand-carved, I’m guessing, in the late 1800’s. I place my hands on the keys. I take three deep breaths.  Then it happens….

: "There was no big bang, only witnesses changing the channel." This is whispered in my ear. 
: In an ecstasy of an odyssey a fantasy for all to see.
: In the beginning we all fell to our knees with prayers of hoping to believe.
: In the end we killed each other for our own self-fulfilling greed.

: As for me, I watch myself be reincarnated in front of my own eyes. My soul is ripped out of my body and turned into a giant supernova in the sky. Then explodes into a thousand tiny white butterflies that forms into a body-like figure.  Next it turns into a cocoon then breaks free into the reincarnated-me.
: “You want to know what the sound of one hand clapping is?” the reincarnated-me asks me?
: "It is the reincarnated-self slapping the current-embodiment-of-you right in the face." He says.
: Bam, slapped right in the kisser.  
: Finally, an existential truth that I can understand.
: "You must know the ego before you can kill the ego. Reject all forms of transformation, self included." This is whispered in my ear.
:“How many times are we going to have to go through this?” The reincarnated-me asks? 
: The reincarnated me says to the current-embodiment-self, “Do you want to see the end of the world?”
: The current-embodiment-self (me) replies, “No.” “Too bad.”, reincarnated me answers.
: With his left hand he touches the ground, with his right hand he reaches up into the sky and parts the clouds, then proceeds to pull down the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. The reincarnated me jumps up on a white horse screaming something in Spanish as he rides away.

: "Evolution is for losers, creation is for dreamers." This is whispered in my ear.

: As for me, currently I live in the ever-present now.  Sometimes I leave it to visit the future but it's never as good as you would think.


Bourbon, I need bourbon. I get up form my desk and walk into the kitchen.  I grab a small clear glass off the countertop, three ice cubes into the glass and four ounces of bourbon. I sniff my drink, I look deep into the colors and swirl the liquid around and then drink it straight down.  Back to my desk, the typewriter awaits.  I place my hands on the keys….

Moment

Current Reading: Springsteen on Springsteen by Jeff Burger 
Current Music: Ella & Oscar
Mood: Headache, foggy, happy
Smells: Coffee
Sounds: Soft hum coign out of the back of my computer.
Temperature: 63 degrees
Thoughts: Getting ready to go back out into the cosmos to sprinkle blessing down on the pre-approved.