Art in the Park and the Autumn Photography Rush

 

It’s the end of another Art in the Park weekend and, as usual, after two full days of sitting and doing nothing, I am exhausted.

Art in the Park is Keene New Hampshire’s annual celebration of the arts in the Monadnock region and beyond. Every Labor Day weekend nearly 90 tents fill Ashuelot River Park with a broad range of artistic expression, painting, crafts, sculpture and off course photograph.

 

I have my 10 x 10 pop-up and a simply contrived, inelegant hanging system, but this is the only time each year that I do an art fair.  I typically sell enough to make it worthwhile, but the real reason to come back is for the opportunity to visit with friends and try to shame them into buying one more picture for their walls.  I enjoy sharing the stores behind my images and discussing my process, but it is a long couple of days.

It usually takes about two hours to set up the tent and attach my hanging system.  It is possible to spend hundreds of dollars on custom built hanging walls but I have settled on a more basic approach.  I suspend ordinary metal shelving from wood slates attached to the tent supports and arrange the pictures with simple S hooks.  I place my mated images in a couple of display stands, set up my table and chairs. I then settle down for hours of the pleasant occupation of talking about my work.

It's All About the Weather

Take Down

The weather is always a concern.  Early September is generally a great time to be outside, but we live in fear of thunderstorm related wind and torrential downpours.   This year hurricane Hermine drifted out to sea and we lucked out with beautiful early autumn weather.   The crowds tend to follow the weather and business was steady. 

 

It was a successful weekend, but I have to admit that it is a good feeling to pack up for another year.  My bins are cluttering the house awaiting the next to show; Kristen’s Café in October.  

Hectic Autumn

Autumn is my busiest time both for teaching and fall foliage shooting.  Next Tuesday, I’m traveling down to Framingham Massachusetts for a talk to the Gateway Camera Club on the working with the variety of light that we enjoy in New England.  In a couple of weeks, I’ll be starting another session of my Basic Digital Photography Course for Keene Community Education and, on the weekend of October 13-15^th, I will be offering a workshop focused on fall foliage photography.  It is an exciting and hectic time, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Now I have to collapse in bed after all that doing nothing.

Jeff Newcomer

partridgebrookreflections.com

603-363-8338